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Ford Explorer Community - Maintenance - Modifications - Performance Upgrades - Problem Solving - Off-Road - Street
Explorer Forum Covers the Explorer ST, Explorer Sport, Explorer Sport Trac, Lincoln Aviator, Mercury Mountaineer, Mazda Navajo, Ford Ranger, Mazda Pickups, and the Ford Aerostar
just put my fingers in where the t-stat goes and it seams that hole doesnt go into the engine as far as i thought. so either it broke into a bunch of little peices and dissapeared into the little slits inside there or the truck hasnt had a working t-stat since i baught it. anyone have an idea of whats going on here?
I'm Almost willing to bet the previous owner broke the Thermostat because it was overheating , I've heard of people removing the thermostat completely so it would always keep coolant and water flowing through the motor , But that looks like someone broke your T stat , Good luck with it !
dumbie question. when i put the thermostat in does the side with the spring go into the engine or into the hose? lol i didnt pay attention when taking it out cause i had a WTF moment when i saw it was broke in half.
If I understand the issue.. The truck is getting hot when you turning higher rpms but not moving fast (like in 4x4 low). If that is the case I'd look into a replacement fan clutch. Over time they get weak. When they get weak the fan isn't spinning as fast as it should. If you want the maximum fan speed which will affect your mileage a little (and be louder) look into the Hayden Severe duty fan clutch.
Also, I re-read the first post and I don't quite understand how you know the motor is running hot.
I have not seen very many people get an electric fan to give enough airflow on a 1st Gen X for severe duty.
A 2wd truck with non extreme "temps", ignoring humidity that didn't tow should be able to get away with it..
When running in 4x4 low or towing or extreme temps (say 110F) will require tons of airflow. More air flow than the black magic and extreme can deliver.
The electric fan will offer better gas mileage when going down the freeway since a mechanical fan never completely free wheels. The heavy duty and severe duty fan clutches still spin the fan at upwards of 30% of engine speed even when disengaged.
Don't get me wrong, I love Electric fans if there is room for them. My friends f-150 and my 4x4 Van both run electric fans in 110F temps and never have issues but we are both running Mark VIII fans which AFAIK no one has actually fit in a 1st gen with a 2 core (auto trans or super cooling) radiator.
so a new thermostat kind of worked... went out last night then again this evening and the coolant temp gauge would go alittle past the (L) then eventualy go back to the (R). so its still running hotter then it should. i also drained the rad and filled it back up and the fluid was still nice and green almost like new so i dont think it was gunked up too much. i'm going to look into a new fan clutch if ya think it will help, my fan right now seams to run constantly while the engine is on. is it supposed to do this? and i figured the engine was getting real hot cause when the coolant temp would go into the red i would pull over shut off the truck and you could hear the coolant boiling and the engine would knock and make strange noises. i think the engine temp gauge is broke, because the needle on the gauge stands straight up right after the trunk turns on even if its been sitting for hours and stays in the same spot even if i drive for hours and hours without shutting it off.
and ya the truck would only get real hot when i was in 4x4 and 4x4 low. and not at idle but when i would hit the gas it would get hot fast. driving at around 2000 rpm in 44 it was only taking about 150-200 yards to get into the red.
Huh. Now I'm with Maniak, sounds like your fan isn't working much anymore. And yes, your mechanical fan should always be spinning (to some extent) when your engine is running, that's just how they roll.
One thing to remember, its normally the pressure that keeps the coolant from boiling. You get 3F per psi of biol protection.
I run a 16psi cap here which means my boil protection is already at 260F, even before I factor in the protection the coolant adds.
If you have a weak radiator cap or a leak anywhere in the system (weak hose clamp) you will lose pressure which will cause the coolant to boil.
If you can't remember the last time you changed the cap, change it. If you can borrow a coolant pressure tester, do so. IIRC, Checker/Kragen/Oriellys will rent you one.
I've never found a good way to know "how fast" the fan is really spinning. The fan will always be spinning with a fan clutch. I've actually never seen one stop or get close to stopping. Even though it spinning it may not be spinning fast enough.
The standard duty Hayden fan clutch has turns the fan 60-70% of shaft speed when engaged and 20-30% of the shaft speed when disengaged. The HD and Severe duty go up to 70-90% when engaged. I guess you could get some kind of a optical tachometer to measure the speed of yours.
i think i'll try and drill a hole. i have an old drill i got from a garage sale so if it gets fried then so be it. not sure what to use as a plug afterwards though.
1/8" NPT plug (this will certainly get messy, but as soon as you pull the drill out, block the hole with your finger until you can get the pipe thread tap into the hole, and tap the thread while the oil drains through around it).
Also be careful when you put the plug in, you don't want to overtighten it and split the case accidentally.
i've never changed the rad cap... had the truck for 3 years so i'll start there. i couldnt find much for fan clutchs other then a hayden brand one that the site says may or may not be packaged as a partsmaster part.
should the severe duty one work? or is this the type of part that it makes sence to buy an expensive brand name piece?
