luigisho
SHO Member
mine does on 14 f-150. pretty sure most newish fords all do. I would change it if it's old. I think you can get a Motorcraft for under $10
Overheating - Not the regular pattern
- Thread starter GrolarBear
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GrolarBear
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You know, the funny thing is that I used to be the competent shop, I used to do installs, fab and some diag for a speed shop and had a good rep too.
In this case, specifically with your suggestions:
- thermostat - I have one for it, didn't want to just throw parts at it. Probably next, may do the old school throw it in a pan and test the temp it opens at, BUT is there a simple way to drain some coolant out of this thing (maybe there is, but it's not how you would do it in 98% of other cars)
- radiator clogging - normally you'd look down the radiator cap... Uh, does this thing even have one? I may take the core support to look if I can't find info on the 'net, test it with an IR gun to see if you have hot/cool spots... can't see most of the surface of the rad...
- H2O pump issue - on most cooling systems you can look down the rad cap and see if there is water being pumped through the bypass hose... to see if the water pump impeller might have come loose on the shaft... see above.
- collapsing hose - this one is unlikely, I was surprised that pulling a vacuum on the system didn't collapse either top or bottom hose
- If anything the fan is turning on sooner than expected. The gauge doesn't even hit the normal operating temp before it pops on.
- I loaned my combustion gas tester and never got it back... need to get a new one. but again, I"m not seeing bubbles when you normally would if that was the problem and I'm not smelling coolant anywhere or out the exhaust. I know that is not a positive till I test it, but it's not that likely without other symptoms
luigisho
SHO Member
Trying to remember if my old car with rad cap I think it had overflow with just a flip cap. There is no rad cap on the modern Fords. The reservoir uses a pressurized cap instead.
If your rad has a drain c-ock you can access from under, I used that to reduce the more than expected coolant spill when I had to replace the Y coolant hose o-ring on the 5.0 coyote. I think this could help lower overall coolant level. Might even turn the key and let the stuff get pulled down for a sec.
If your rad has a drain c-ock you can access from under, I used that to reduce the more than expected coolant spill when I had to replace the Y coolant hose o-ring on the 5.0 coyote. I think this could help lower overall coolant level. Might even turn the key and let the stuff get pulled down for a sec.
luigisho
SHO Member
So you're good with the thinking and the doing on vehicles. Excellent. Only thing is whether the tools are available. You can get this, might just take a little time. As far as throwing parts at stuff, I generally agree with some exceptions. Stuff that is cheap and is close to realistic lifespan I don't consider that a bad idea for a car I am planning to hold on to for a while. spark plugs, rad cap, etc.
I don't know how you test a poor seal on reservoir cap unless you replace it. I guess you can but I never thought about it. I've replaced mine twice over 170k on the truck. Not sure it needed the last one done but ...
GrolarBear
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What is the realistic lifespan of a thermostat? I've swapped them out before just to be sure, but I've never tested one to be bad, I've thrown a bunch of them in a pan of hot water to watch them open and I've been playing with all sorts of cars since, well, let's say the 80s.
Huh... maybe I need to start another thread about this, but at 106K miles I have another problem that may prompt me to get rid of this car. I like it, I'm just getting frustrated with issues that are not easily fixable.
I don't know how you test a poor seal on reservoir cap unless you replace it. I guess you can but I never thought about it. I've replaced mine twice over 170k on the truck. Not sure it needed the last one done but ...
What makes you think a poor seal on the cap? This one is 'new,' I noticed that the old one was cracked and replaced it less than 5K miles ago, I just thought that it used to click when it was fully tight (like a gas cap), but am not sure. I'm pretty sure it's not leaking, and today when I loosened it it was holding some pressure/vacuum that I could hear release as I turned it. If there is no radiator cap, then that cap is likely what controls cooling system pressure, and I don't remember seeing any psi rating on the cap... huh...
I wish I had a proper shop manual (FSB) for this thing, it would save me a crap ton of time.
Follow their purchase instructions. It's 15,000 pages and about 360mb. And only costs 20 bucks.
Bluezone
Tailgaters will be prosecuted.
I'm not sure what the lifespan of a thermostat is. Even if you throw it in a *** of water if something was stuck in it holding it it might pop out. But more than likely it's a mechanical failure.
The Click you hear when tighten up the Rad Cap is just a ratchet mechanism to keep you from turning it too tight. If it's holding pressure all right and it does spin when you get it tight enough but not click, then you're probably okay with the pressure cap.
luigisho
SHO Member
I thought you were questioning the seal and also did not hear a click. Other than that agree with if it seals you're good.
If you are chasing your a$$ on this vehicle maybe a choice is to bail. I get it. I have old SHOs becuase I like them but I also hate them for this very reason. The newer edition looks like the same as the older ones comparatively. Many are not aging well. You need skills to keep it running but also you need the patience and desire to keep messing with it. The old one's have less stuff to break though.
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GrolarBear
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This is why I'm considering bailing on the thing:
Why I'm frustrated with my 2012 SHO
I have skills, this is my newest car, my parts chaser is a 2004 Cummins, and then the rest of my stuff is '80's and 70's stuff that gets worked on and driven getting as old as my '71 Mach 1 (M code drag pack car), I don't have an indoor space to work on it, but I've built crazy stuff outside (my current project is an '87 TA that has a bastard engine in it, small block bottom end, late model LT1 heads converted to bolt onto a small block, LSx parts on top of that and LSx firing order, and all custom past that. Currently getting weight jacks and all sorts of racecar stuff to custom made to work on the street and track).
I like the car, it's cool to have a big, comfy 4 door beast that runs 12's at the track, but these things seem to be frustrating to keep on the road, it seems like even dealers and ford techs are bailing on certain problems with them.
P0016- Not Cam Position Sensor
My 2012 SHO with 106K miles on it started throwing codes about 3K miles ago. First a bunch of misfires, a cam position sensor (P0016), and a handful of others (at the time it just suddenly acted very unhappy and set 11 different codes, all misfire and position sensor related). Swapped new spark...
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GrolarBear
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BTW:
Drained the coolant, pulled the thermostat, threw it in a pan on the stove to test it, it didn't open even at boiling (212*F, the thermostat is supposed to be a 180*F), popped the new one in, popped the new "ribbed for her pleasure"
thermostat gasket in (WTF was someone thinking when they designe this?), tried to pull down a vacuum on it and it slowly leaked, so I pulled the housing and covered the stupid gasket with hylomar and reassembled, vacuumed it down, refilled with new coolant...
NO MORE OVERHEATING
YAY
Drained the coolant, pulled the thermostat, threw it in a pan on the stove to test it, it didn't open even at boiling (212*F, the thermostat is supposed to be a 180*F), popped the new one in, popped the new "ribbed for her pleasure"
thermostat gasket in (WTF was someone thinking when they designe this?), tried to pull down a vacuum on it and it slowly leaked, so I pulled the housing and covered the stupid gasket with hylomar and reassembled, vacuumed it down, refilled with new coolant...
NO MORE OVERHEATING
YAY
luigisho
SHO Member
Sweet relief. COngratulations!
Bronco2fan
SHO Member
When working on my stuff I always use the KISS system. Simple stuff first. Glad you sorted it.
You get a motorcraft or reische thermostat? If brick and mortar, those are off by 20 degrees.
Zpak
Es Aich Oh!
That’s nuts, guess I just assumed all thermostats were fail open now. Glad you got it worked out.
luigisho
SHO Member
Me too!!
Marty
New Member
Having the exact problem to the letter. No coolant loss anywhere clamps are tight. Has had a 160 thermostat for just less than a year. I don't think it is the problem as the temperature fluctuates from balls out to middle of the gauge in roughly 8 seconds which thermally, is not possible to completely cool that quick. Nothing gradual about it. Does it every morning twice on a 35 mile commute at 75mph. Almost in the same spot which is flat ground. I'm thinking sender?
SM105K
Streetlight Grand Prix Champ/ IG @fafomotorsports
Did it start happening when you replaced the stock t-stat for the 160 thermostat?
SM105K
Streetlight Grand Prix Champ/ IG @fafomotorsports
I have noticed over the years, that when people play with a lower t-stats things like this happen. I think a lower t-stat is a gimmick personally, which has been beaten to death by me....actually.
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