Wasn't a bad thermostat...

[bates]

So as I mentioned in another thread, I changed my thermostat. The reason I changed it was because, My dad, My boss, and I all thought it was to blame. Now I feel like having this explorer crushed.

Sorry, the symptom is that out of nowhere, it suddenly started to get really hot, almost out of the normal region of my gauge, then drop back down, and not come back up til i let it cool, and go for another drive. It's not a bad sender or gauge because the overflow tank is doing just that, overflowing. So I know its actually getting really hot.

Any thoughts?

 

[svande8952]

Did you check your fan clutch. you should be able to hear the fan. Those thing crap out all the time.

 

[bates]

nope, can i just check it at idle?

 

[Brandons]

thoughts.. already told you but to bump this thread, water pump maybe an issue? Fluid level, stuff like that.

 

[Bill Kemp]

Radiator Cap OK? If so try a presure check. It could be head gasket leaking.

 

[bates]

Rad cap seems to work good, fairly new, I hope its not the head gasket, the heads were changed last year.

 

[97BlackX5.0]

could be air in the system or a clogged radiator

 

[Howard]

My guess is a head gasket. Check for bubbles in the rad.

 

[goliath]

Let me see if i understand you right here.

Its heating up really fast, first thing in the morning to the hot end of the scale, then when the thermostat opens it cools, then runs fine all day till cooled off again?

If this is the case, you can fix it by drilling a 1/8" hole in the thermostat where the little air bubble release thing is, at the top of the t-stat. you just remove the little brass thingy that moves when you shake the thermostat and use that as the pilot hole. This mod gets the coolant flowing slowly around the thermostat just enough to get it to open slightly sooner and respond slower so you dont get the wandering temp gauge problem.

I had to do this to mine after i put a oversized radiator on it. in really cold weather It would wait to open till the A on normal, then cycle from the N to the M as the t-stat opened and closed because the oversized radiator never let the coolant get up to 195 in it so it never stabilized with the t-stat open. mine now runs right at the O and the gauge doesnt wander anymore.

Its a free mod, give it a try.

While youre in there, put another 5$ radiator cap on it. those will make the gauge wander like a drunk if they are bad.

-joshua

 

[Brandons]

Would you reccomend that to anyone? I have replaced my thermostat a couple years back, the only problem i have is the truck does heat up quite a bit in the summer, would this make a difference in my case?

 

[cybercreeper]

i had a similar problem with my '96 X. mine would heat up very quickly just idling in the driveway...changed the thermostate and it keep doing the same thing. one of my friends had the bright idea of changing the radiator cap for a new one since it looked old...did that and that seemed to be the problem...never again has it heated up on me again...you might want to try that if you radiator cap looks old. It's only like $5 to replace....good luck

 

[bates]

I think goliath is right on the money after more test driving today. Though I'm not sure why it did this out of the blue. Could maybe the water temp sender be bad? I'm gonna change it and the rad cap tomorrow night, don't have the part now. I also really need to flush my coolant, should have done it before but i'll take and drill that little thing out of there tomorrow night and do it then. Thanks.