1dantheman
New Member
- Joined
- January 15, 2010
- Messages
- 4
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- crown point, indiana
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 96 sport 4.0
hello all, I've been having some trouble with my explorer, 96 4.0 pushrod engine 130k. I've owned the truck since 50k and have always maintained it. I had a leak in my radiator(cracked side tank), so I replaced it. I am currently having trouble with the temp gauge moving erratically, and the coolant thump sound. I recently replaced the thermostat, rad cap, and the coolant sensor. The gauge isn't as erratic now, but the temp still gets very hot, and then jumps down to very cool, I'm assuming, when the thermostat opens. I've read a bunch of threads on here, but don't know what to try next. The temp gauge was getting erratic this past summer before the rad went out. I burped the system a couple times, but it hasn't helped. the cooling system is clean. I usually do a flush every couple of years, so i don't think sludge is the culprit. Has anyone had problems with aftermarket radiators, flow pattern, etc? I'm going to change the upper and lower hoses tomorrow to see if a collapsing hose might be causing the thump sound. The upper hose did collapse when I was burping it a couple of days ago, before I discovered this site. I'm ruling out the water pump because the only failure i've seen with them is leaking. Do the explorer waterpump fins break down over time? Could a cracked head or blown head-gasket cause this? No smoke or coolant in oil, or any signs of head failure. the truck runs fine. I could be getting cylinder gasses in my coolant with no obvious signs. if i did a coolant pressure test with the engine running, an erratic gauge on the tester would indicate some type of head failure? ex: pressure going up and down. i've never experimented with any tests for checking for blown head gaskets/cracked head. Any help or advice would be appreciated. i work on cars all the time, but this problem is irritating me. thanks, Dan