last year my mav repeatedly got over 220 degrees and would barely cool down.....i got a 4core radiator and an electric fan and it helped but still got up there on occasion...mostly when idling...and it would cool slightly with the electric fan on at the lights and when i drove down the road the thermostat is 195 and it workes....the radiator cap is brand new.... i have an aftermarket shroud that is just a piece of metal that goes 3/4 of the way around the fan and then i enclosed the bottom with some galvanized metal...(found at my local speed shop) the distance between the radiator and the fan is about 4-6 inches and i have heard that the fan needs to be as close to the radiator as possible....but if i do that then the fan will be inside the shroud and then i wont have that fan *half in and half out the shroud* rule so the question is....the OEM plastic shroud of which i dont have.....is that the answer to my prayers of a cooler maverick.?....after all it gets hot here in the desert and the hotter the engine gets, the hotter i get due to no a/c.....and that would only make the engine hotter.... i love driving it but i hate when i see that needle pushing 220........ ideas.....suggestions......and i would need suggestions from people also in the desert....since this is a desert problem i am sure,.... thanks
I would take the electric fan off. Someone else I know was have the same problem in WA. with a electric fan. His engine would over heat. He remove the fan and his problem went away. I know its not in the desert but it works. You may try also to move the fan closer and find fan that has six blades. I think that should help. Good luck.
with a 195 thermostat you cooling system doesn't start to work till your thermostat opens........ might want to try a 160 thermostat..... I ran without one last summer, temp never went above 160.... but when the weather got a little cooler I put one in (a 180) and the temp never got above 195
I have had the same problem here in Florida... gets mighty hot here as well! We have had cooler weather so far, so it runs really well, but when the weather does get up there, so does my temp. I think the hottest I have run is up around 210 in stop and go traffic or at idle. I'm also bored at .060 over so my walls are thinnner and im sure that has a lot to do with it. I was thinking about the 6 blade fan myself before summer got here... would it make that much of a differance? Ill also take the 160 stat into thought.
i have an aftermarket 14" electric fan that i have on a toggle switch so i use it only in traffic..... the fan on the water pump is an eftermarket fan from checker...and it has 6 blades...and i think the fan is a 14 or a 16 inch fan.... how do i put the fan closer to the radiator....do they make extensions taht are 6 inches long? and i thought about taking the thermostat out....but then decided not to....that could make me take longer to get to temps i guess...
I think that a 195 thermostat might be a little high,especially given where you live.You might want to check your bottom radiator hose and make sure it is not collapsing on you also.When was the last time you did a good flush on your system?You can also use a product called Water Wetter,you add it to your anti-freeze and it increases the ability of the fluid to remove heat from the block by wetting it out better,kind of hard to explain,but basically when your anti-freeze moves thru and around the cylinder walls the heat forms a microscopic barrier between the fluid and the metal,like a thin layer of steam,the water wetter lets the anti-freeze actually come in contact with the surface.Therefore transfering heat more efficiently.Also,some water pumps actually move the anti-freeze to quickly thru the block,limiting the heat transfer.Make sure you also have a small hole(about 1/8" in diameter)in your thermostat.This will bleed air out of your system.Air is a killer,you have to have all of it out.Hope some of this helps.
My engine ran warm as well. I installed a 180 thermo and drilled a small hole in the thermostat housing so water was always flowing ... it helped ...
One other thing on the thermostats,buy what is called a balanced thermostat.Mr.Gasket sells a good one.they react better and are designed to stay within their design range more accurately.Some of the thermostats sold at the parts stores will vary as much as 15-20 degrees.You can check them by putting them in a pot of water on the stove and heating them up while checking the temperature with a meat thermometer.Make note of when they start to open and when they are fully opened.You might be surprised at what you find.
the last time i did the radiator was in july august when i got the new radiator.... i also drilled a hole to allow air to escape and i place the hole on the top of the thermostat....i am thinking of ahcnging the thermostat to the 160 or nothing... i tried the water additive and i didnt notice any difference...but that was when i was trouble shooting and changing things around.... what is a good mix ratio for the hot temps.....i dont want to rust out witht he high amount of water....and i know that too much antifreeze isnt good because of the heat transfer..... thanks
i think the 180 will be fine. i made the mistake of not having one in at all. that made it run hotter...the water didn't have time to cool in the rad. before going back into the block...jmo...frank...
ok so how do i slow down the water pump.....is there a larger water pump pulley i can buy?? when i had the thermostat out....the water flew by the top pf the radiator that my friend said i need a thermostat....
1 Use a 160 thermo, 2 Get the fan to about 1/2"-1" from the radiator. 3 Make sure the fan is big enough, 10" fan ain't goin to cut it.
I wouldn't use underdrive pulleys.I was talking about impeller design of the pump itself.Have you checked your gauge to make sure it is giving you an accurate reading?I like to use a direct acting mechanical gauge,electrical gauges sometimes are not as accurate.Did this problem just start or did you change or do something to your engine and then started having problems? A good mix for you would be 70/30. 70% water and 30% anti-freeze.You probably don't see freezing temps.What pressure cap do you have?I run a 16# on mine,you can increase that as long as your system can handle more pressure.Are you running headers?They contribute to alot of under hood heat when you are in slow trafic or stopped.You might have to wrap them.Have you checked the rotation on your electric fan,sounds like you are pushing air thru with it being in front of the radiator.Some of them are reversible.I'm just tossing things out there.Keep us posted.
I've never had any problems cooling any of my vehicles. I had a 66 F-100 390 FE w/ the stock fan/noshroud and it cooled fine When i rebuilt it to race, i put in a aluminum radiator, and electric fan (off of a chevy cavalier, found it on side of road. haha) ran a 160 thermostat in it. Never got above 190 and thats w/ a bigblock 75 F-100 w/ stock 302... had direct drive 4 blade fan on it for years. This year i put a 16'' electric fan on it and took the direct drive fan off of it. cools it great. And I will be running a 14 or 16'' on my Comet when I get it giong again. I always take the radiator out, and flush it as much as I can when I get a "new" vehicle. Just a rule of thumb for me
