Solved Bad water pump and/or fan clutch.

[don-ohio]

All of a sudden I noticed the temp gauge rising at road speed,so I reduced speed and it didn't help. I turned on both front and rear heat and the temp receded some.
Turned off the heat and up came the temp to nearly half,so I shifted to neutral,revved it and temp went down.
That is symptom of weak water pump,I'm pretty sure.I guess I'll replace it AND the fan clutch while I'm at it.
Anyone had a similar experience? don-ohio ^)

 

[BrooklynBay]

It might be the thermostat.

 

[don-ohio]

Well,I replaced the thermostat a few months ago,and as soon as I rev it,it cools down.But you might be right as you usually are! Thanks,Brooklyn! I'll look into that,too. don-ohio ^)

 

[BrooklynBay]

Check the temperature with a thermometer or an IR gun. Sometimes the sending unit could be bad.

 

[don-ohio]

Good idea Brooklyn!I will take my temp gun and read it. I still don't understand though,if it's the sending unit, why revving it would affect the gauge differently than,say,when it's temp is climbing at 2000 rpm? don-ohio

 

[BrooklynBay]

The coolant flows at the speed of the water pump. The radiator fan is connected to the water pump, and will turn faster too. Revving the engine will cause the pump to turn faster (which causes the coolant to circulate through the engine & radiator at a different speed with a faster radiator fan speed as well). The thermostat will open once it reaches its preset temperature.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Did you make any progress since last week?

 

[don-ohio]

I get 4 days off starting in a few hours,so I'm wanting to get at it.I'll let you know what I find.Thanks! don-ohio ^)

Did you make any progress since last week?

 

[don-ohio]

Gonna be another week before I get to fix it. Got to work 6 12 hr. days straight. don-ohio

 

[joshhemming]

When my Aerostar's water pump failed at 135K, it leaked coolant out the gasket or weep hole. It did it on a cross country trip. I ended up installing a rebuilt pump in the side parking lot of an Autozone in Arkansas, on the hottest day of the year. What a miserable experience!

I don't know if water pumps become "weak". Maybe.

My money is on the radiator itself....clogged channels from mineral deposits, especially if you've mixed tap water with your anti-freeze. The radiator isn't hard to replace. Check around for the best price.....they vary a lot in price.

 

[don-ohio]

When my Aerostar's water pump failed at 135K, it leaked coolant out the gasket or weep hole. It did it on a cross country trip. I ended up installing a rebuilt pump in the side parking lot of an Autozone in Arkansas, on the hottest day of the year. What a miserable experience!

I don't know if water pumps become "weak". Maybe.

My money is on the radiator itself....clogged channels from mineral deposits, especially if you've mixed tap water with your anti-freeze. The radiator isn't hard to replace. Check around for the best price.....they vary a lot in price.

Thanks,Josh! I appreciate the input. Yeah,water pumps DO get weak,I can attest to that.They usually show it by not pumping enough hot water thru the heater,but not always if the heater core is situated higher like the Aerostar,rather than lower like the Taurus.
As to leaks,mine is not as likely to lek because I run an unpressurized system.
This keeps hoses from blowing.....they will seep when bad instead.
yeah,could be the radiator too,but I can swap that anytime later.
I don't use tap water in coolant or battery. don-ohio ^)

 

[Josh P]

I had the clutch fab go out on my van. My 1999 jeep grand electric fan kept failing every 6 months so on both vehicles I used a fan hub off a 1998 ford ranger 4.0. It is heavy duty and a fan off a 96-04 Chevy 4.3. It is 11 blades and moves as much or more air than than ford super cooling fan. The super cooling fan sounded like a jet engine at high rpm in my van.

 

[don-ohio]

Wow! Are you sure that it is safe? Chevy blade mounted on a FORD fan clutch? Well,great if it's safe. Nothing more dangerous than a broken fan on a car.
I'm sure you did a safe job,Josh. I'm just a worry-wart sometimes. don-ohio ^)

 

[Josh P]

Don, the fan has the same bolt pattern and fits the hub just like the stock one. It has been on my jeep for 4 years and 3 years on my van.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Some aftermarket companies such as Hayden have metal fans.

 

[don-ohio]

Don, the fan has the same bolt pattern and fits the hub just like the stock one. It has been on my jeep for 4 years and 3 years on my van.

Sounds okay then,Josh! I'm just surprised at the interchange is all. More power to you! don-ohio

 

[don-ohio]

Some aftermarket companies such as Hayden have metal fans.

Well,Brooklyn,I woulda rather had a metal one,but the old Eddie did great with a plastic replacement so I guess I'll stick with it. Thanks for the info! don-ohio ^)

P.S.: Rained me out today......all I got done was draining the coolant.BUMMER!

 

[BrooklynBay]

It's raining everyday where I live too (even as I'm typing this). It's better than freezing snow & ice. So far it wasn't too cold this season.

 

[don-ohio]

It's raining everyday where I live too (even as I'm typing this). It's better than freezing snow & ice. So far it wasn't too cold this season.

It sure does beat ICE and SNOW, Brooklyn. I'm not complaining. I'll just have to work on it after Thursday. Start my 4 12 hr. day shifts tomorrow. don-ohio ^)

 

[BrooklynBay]

The weather is supposed to be good this week. Maybe you could finish your project?