E150 overheating.

A lot of great ideas here. I am going to start with tuning up the coolant system. New clutch, hoses and radiator flush. Then see.

Lynnmor has a good idea IF you can find a better radiator for the 1/2 ton chassis. A bit involved unless you find a HD version made for that setup, but first check/ replace all the easy stuff.
The van is low miles and should have a lot of life left in it, but I'd be wary of towing much over about 6,000 lbs and even then, take it easy on the van. Had a couple efi 302 pickups of that era and they were super solid, but not something I'd want to head X country towing a heavy trailer with.
Good luck with your repairs and the best to both of you.

I have an older van, of a different brand, that had cooling issues. I found that a radiator for the diesel was much larger and was able to fit it using larger mounts and modifying the fan shroud. It might be an option for you.

I had a truck that I pulled a boat with and had a slide in camper in the bed. It would overheat while I was on the expressway running fast speeds but while driving slower speeds it would cool down. It turned out to be a stopped up radiator.

This old I would start to wonder if the water pump impellers are still in good shape.
Otherwise new clutch, new radiator, new coolant, new hoses.

Another possibility is a worn lower radiator hose. The coil structure inside can get weak, allowing the hose to partially collapse and reduce coolant flow, especially when the engine is run at higher rpms. Not towing you may not run the engine hard enough for long enough for a weak hose to cause overheating. Like others have suggested, a complete "tune-up" of the entire cooling system is in order.

Consider moving up to a HD or even severe duty clutch

Makes a huge difference

Jaxpapa wrote:
I really was satisfied with the handling. I really didn’t notice it was there other than it shifts down a lot faster on the hills.

I think as soon as I get home I am going to replace clutch, thermostat and maybe even radiator if it looks to be clogged.
We have really had a I good time this week and are either going to buy a cargo and convert it or a small toy hauler.

I just did the same to a 2006 Ford truck. Replaced the radiator, hoses, fan clutch. When the mechanic pulled the radiator there was a lot of debris between the A/C condenser and radiator not visible until pulled.

Neighbor converted a cargo trailer to combination cargo/camper. A small toy hauler like Work and Play by Forest River might work well. Lower ramp height then a regular toy hauler.

I really was satisfied with the handling. I really didn’t notice it was there other than it shifts down a lot faster on the hills.

I think as soon as I get home I am going to replace clutch, thermostat and maybe even radiator if it looks to be clogged.
We have really had a I good time this week and are either going to buy a cargo and convert it or a small toy hauler.

Ditto carringb and the bear II...

Fan clutch. I have a '95 5.8L with E4OD. Right when I first crank the motor, the fan clutch briefly kicks in, sounds like a Hurricane spooling up in the Gulf!

When towing the hills in the heat, you can hear it kick in again periodically, roaring until the temp drops back down. A quick backyard mechanic test, with the engine stone cold, and off (thank you very much), grab the fan and rotate it by hand. It should have a fair amount of resistance. If it rotates freely, clutch is gone. Get a new fan clutch.

Even with the 302, your van should be able to handle a 7x16 cargo. Won't win any races, but should handle it reasonably well. Mine does pretty well, towing the same size cargo, and there's an old forum member who used to regularly tow a race car on an open trailer with his 302/5.0 van of same vintage.


If you haven't ventured to the cargo conversions forum, check it out. Several have done handicap accessible units.
tnttt.com cargo conversions

Hey, look at that, my post time stamped at 3:02 how cool is that?:C