My Ford E350 running a bit hotter
I recently had one of my cylinder heads rebuilt and a new exhaust manifold installed, as well as a new radiator and thermostat - just got back from a trip to Colorado and there were several occasions ...
Forum Discussion
Hey Ryan!
Been awhile. Did you catch the thread about a new OP with a Cobra Passport looking for fellow owners?
Our much older Class C with carbed 460 and the old C6 transmission, would sometimes engage its fan clutch at interstate speeds. That was on hot days with A/C running and then hitting a grade. I never thought that was typical, but I'd like to know if yours ever does that. It'd be a roar or a loud buzz.
Overheating in traffic, sure, electric booster fan, pushing air from grille back through Condenser and Radiator. Highway speed, just not sure. It was only a Dodge van, but I had a fan clutch lock up coming home from a trip. Called a mechanic friend. He said a locked clutch type fan can pull the bearing out of a water pump if it's turning 3000 or so RPM. Told me to take out the fan and clutch, remove fan from clutch, re-install clutch (without fan) to retain the pulley on the water pump. Wouldn't overheat at cruise, drive straight home and don't get stopped anyplace. It worked, so I just don't think another fan, or a new fan clutch, is going to help.
Still curious about torque converter not locking, although I think you'd have hot transmission/darkened fluid... Do you have a Tach you can connect, might see a slight RPM drop when it locks even if you don't feel it.
Did the new radiator installation affect the air supply to and through the radiator? By that I mean shrouding and the position of the fan in the shroud.
If I remember, OEM radiators had three rows of tubes, and the upgrade was to have it re-cored with a four-row core. I bought a new radiator for less than a re-core job, and it was "only" two-row, but they were "high efficiency tubes" which were longer measuring front to rear in the core. Is that what the Spectra radiator is? I never had a problem with the new radiator, but our coach was a little smaller, lower, and most likely lighter.
Are you sure your dashboard temperature gauge is accurate?
Boil that thermostat and make sure it opens ALL THE WAY when that pot of water's at a rolling boil. Suspend IN the water so you don't get false burner heat through the bottom of the pot.
Been awhile. Did you catch the thread about a new OP with a Cobra Passport looking for fellow owners?
Our much older Class C with carbed 460 and the old C6 transmission, would sometimes engage its fan clutch at interstate speeds. That was on hot days with A/C running and then hitting a grade. I never thought that was typical, but I'd like to know if yours ever does that. It'd be a roar or a loud buzz.
Overheating in traffic, sure, electric booster fan, pushing air from grille back through Condenser and Radiator. Highway speed, just not sure. It was only a Dodge van, but I had a fan clutch lock up coming home from a trip. Called a mechanic friend. He said a locked clutch type fan can pull the bearing out of a water pump if it's turning 3000 or so RPM. Told me to take out the fan and clutch, remove fan from clutch, re-install clutch (without fan) to retain the pulley on the water pump. Wouldn't overheat at cruise, drive straight home and don't get stopped anyplace. It worked, so I just don't think another fan, or a new fan clutch, is going to help.
Still curious about torque converter not locking, although I think you'd have hot transmission/darkened fluid... Do you have a Tach you can connect, might see a slight RPM drop when it locks even if you don't feel it.
Did the new radiator installation affect the air supply to and through the radiator? By that I mean shrouding and the position of the fan in the shroud.
If I remember, OEM radiators had three rows of tubes, and the upgrade was to have it re-cored with a four-row core. I bought a new radiator for less than a re-core job, and it was "only" two-row, but they were "high efficiency tubes" which were longer measuring front to rear in the core. Is that what the Spectra radiator is? I never had a problem with the new radiator, but our coach was a little smaller, lower, and most likely lighter.
Are you sure your dashboard temperature gauge is accurate?
Boil that thermostat and make sure it opens ALL THE WAY when that pot of water's at a rolling boil. Suspend IN the water so you don't get false burner heat through the bottom of the pot.
