Anonymous Posted on Nov 25, 2008

97 f 150 runs hot for minutes then runs ok

Bad fan clutch replaced...new t-stat...coolant mix correct and full.as engine warms heater producing heat.temp gauge reaches norm.heater then gets cold.suddenly temp gauge pins max.upper hose is not warm and can be squized easly...just as suddenly the gauge returns to norm-i get heat again and the upper hose is now warm and hard and truck runs well.weep hole on water pump is dry also no noise

7 more comments
Anonymous Nov 25, 2008

removed motorcraft 195...installed stant 195. put original in boiling water and it opened up about half an inch
Anonymous Nov 26, 2008

hey buddy ...4.6 281ci not aware of air bleed screw in system.i was thinking along the same lines and thought head gasget but exhaust dosn't smell.i love the old days when you could actually open a cap and add coolant direcly into the radiator....thats progress i guess.
Anonymous Nov 27, 2008

new t- stat today ,put into boiling h2o before install.fill engine block slowly,I think air burp is in upper hose so I disconnect upper hose from rad and raise it higher than t-stat andfill it.then fill recovery tank till it starts to flow from rad neck.connect hose -fill res same problem
Anonymous Nov 27, 2008

i cleaned the garage floor, i was so confident i fixed it but noooo.is there a method of filling this system i'm missing?also when cap is off and recovery tank is almost spilling over,i rev engine andcoolant level drops acordingly.water pump seems exeptionaly strong and working well.
Anonymous Nov 27, 2008

in your opinion do you think a ford dealer,(given all the details)could achive what i cannot?at this point 2 hours or less labor,starts to look good . i'm still thinking too.happy thanksgiving to you and yours.
Anonymous Nov 28, 2008

check engine light on now .owners manual says not to drive because i'll sustain engine damage.
RAYPHILLIPS1 Jan 07, 2009

my 97 ford f150 the heater works good at tmes and then it gets cool but not compelty cold i change the therostat and the same thing happens i took it to greene ford in gainesville and they said the heater box has hole in it behind radio so i pulled the radio and looked with flash light and can not find a hole no were and the wanted to charge 1,100 dollars to change the heater box and heater core and i dont have the money and i think it is something else because if that was the case i would have no heat i also blowed the core out but that didnt help so i dont know what to try next anybody can help please let me know my e mail is [email protected] thanks
Anonymous Mar 25, 2014

i have a 1990 f150 with a 5.0 and the temp gauge moves from cold to hot and my heater works at random points
Anonymous Mar 28, 2014

have a Nissan Titan running warm even at idle upper hose hot lower hose hot

1 Answer

Curt Downs

Ford Master 1,779 Answers
Posted on Nov 25, 2008

Curt Downs

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It could be a faulty thermostat. Did it do the same thing before u replaced the t-stat? It sounds like it's sticking closed, then all of a sudden it opens, coolant flows correctly. I'd consider changing it again. Check to make sure parts store is giving u the correct temperature thermostat also. Maybe it's too high for your Ford, delaying the opening.

2 more comments
Curt Downs Nov 26, 2008

what engine does your ford have? I'm wondering if it has an air bleed screw. If there was air in the system, it could explain what u describe.
Curt Downs Nov 27, 2008

I'm sitting here going over this again and again, and it has me stumped (and it's driving me crazy). The faulty t-stat was the perfect answer until u replaced it not once, but twice. I had an 88 cherokee that had a very similar problem, but I'm quite sure it was air in the system. Problem occurred whenever I had to drain the system. It would run REAL hot, and after it cooled down and the same problem repeated several times, everything was ok. I can't believe I didn't ruin a head gasket due to the temp being so high. Had this problem every time I had to drain the cooling system. I ended up getting rid of it w/ 260k on it, still running good! Go figure! Appreciate the updates, I'll keep on thinking about what other possibilities there are, let u know if I come up w/ anything.Curt
Curt Downs Nov 28, 2008

After all you've done, I agree, a couple hours labor to fix it sounds real good. But before you do that, contact emmission wiz here. He's a sharp guy, knows his stuff. He may see something we're missing. Keep me posted. The dealer is scary though, they may want to replace everything u did again.
Curt Downs Nov 29, 2008

Maybe this is good news? U can check for codes, maybe we can finally find out what's wrong. Do u have or know someone that will loan u a scan tool? Most auto parts stores will scan for codes for free, but of course you'll have to drive it there. Let me know

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Please post more information by clicking the comment link on the top right corner.

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