My Ford E350 running a bit hotter

[rgnprof]

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 when the MH temp gauge got up to the A and almost to the L (In NORMAL)...prior to this I don't remember the gauge ever going above R.

I was towing a Subaru and we had no troubles, except for this concern...it seemed to me that this was more related to transmission heat, which was confirmed when I started backing the coach into our driveway. It is a bit of an incline, in reverse, into our driveway and it started leaking tranny fluid from the bell housing plug. Pretty good leak, that stopped after I shut off the motor. Pulled the plug and started it up again in 20-30 minutes and no leak at all.

I'm thinking the transmission was running hotter than normal, and the front seal started leaking - probably even more pushed by the Reverse up the incline.

I'm trying to figure out a way to add a transmission cooler - lots of options and opinions...Any thoughts? I've checked out Tru-Cool, B&M, Hayden...also thinking about replacing the fan clutch...also, do you remove the existing cooler that is on the L side of the AC condenser (I guess it's stock)...

Thanks, ryan

I know I may have to replace the front seal, but I thought I might try to change the fluid/filter (BTW, the fluid is nice and red and doesn't smell burnt at all), install the cooler and see what happens first...

[rgnprof]

Yes, I thought $1900 was VERY reasonable. Most places around here (OKC) were right around the $2000 range, but it depended on the torque converter and the fluid. I just hope they did good work! I have no complaints so far, but I just picked it up today and drove it home - actually drove better than at any time since I've owned it (8 years).

[DiskDoctr]

Be sure to use Spicer U-joints or you might find them needing replaced again in short order. They will absolutely cause a "craqp my transmission is dying" vibration.

Ask me how I know 😉

PS- $1900 is CHEAP for a transmission rebuild.

[rgnprof]

Got a call from the shop today - they took it for a drive and noticed a vibration at 45mph, so they think I have bad u-joint(s)...

So far, I'm at $1900 for the rebuilt transmission with an upgraded torque converter, pump, clutch kits etc, etc...they replaced everything from what I hear from them.

They want $250 to replace the u-joints - I told them to go ahead but to make sure that was the cause of the vibration. I replaced the u-joints about 7 years ago - I think...Owner assured me he would check out the driveshaft and drive it again after everything was replaced.

[rgnprof]

I got it to a shop today j-d, I had the same thought about the torque converter remembering out earlier conversation about that. I'll check with the shop tomorrow and see what they know. I just barely got it down there today - really overheated and blew out the front seal as soon as I pulled in to their lot.

[j-d]

DiskDoctr wrote:
...when it goes, it throws junk into the transmission ...If you're not a "transmission guy" (I'm not), either find one or commit to replacing transmission, torque converter and cooler...

This is what I've always heard. Failure of transmission or converter contaminates the other, and the cooler as well, but I'm not a transmission guy either.
You had a gripe that the engine was running warm, and some speculated the converter might not be locking when it should. Slippage causing heat. I wonder if converter WAS failing, one symptom being failure to lock, and it got worse to where it finally scattered. But I'm not a transmission guy...

[DiskDoctr]

Sounds like a rattle can of marbles? If so definitely torque converter.

Problem is...when it goes, it throws junk into the transmission 😞

If you're not a "transmission guy" (I'm not), either find one or commit to replacing transmission, torque converter and cooler (yep, junk gets in there, too)

Sorry for your troubles. Glad you found it NOW, Colorado mountains are unforgiving and EAT transmission 😮

[T18skyguy]

Once I took the radiator out of my RV to do the water pump. While it was out I laid it flat and poured a soap solution on it and gave it a good hosing all over the outside. I was amazed the amount of dirt that came off. My coolant gauge was noticeably lower after I did this.

[rgnprof]

Well, 'problems come in 3's' or 'when it rains it pours'...take your pick.

Think I finally got a handle on the engine overheating issue and was just getting ready to leave for Colorado and now my E4OD transmission has gone out!

I went to get LP and the guy working at U-haul (old retired mechanic) said it sounded like my u-joints were going out. He crawled under and checked but said they were fine, but you could a loud metal clang/clank when the coach was put in gear. I drove it to our church building - ran fine on the highway.

Tonight I decided to take it for a spin - just to be sure. Metal sounds much more noticeable and very hard to back up unless I give it a lot of gas, then a LOUD metal clank. Didn't lose reverse and coach drove back to the church (about 5 miles) without a problem, except now it's overheating again and when I got here it was leaking trans fluid from the bell housing plug.
Temps got up above 210 (and it's very cool here tonight - mid 70s).

I can hear the pump I guess and nothing sounds or feels right! Not sure what my options are. A friend here said it sounded like the torque converter has gone bad...

Options?

ryan

[rgnprof]

In draining enough coolant to pull the thermostat, I decided to just pull the radiator and take it to a radiator shop. Looking inside I noticed a lot of grime (the guy at the shop said it looked like maybe someone had used stop leak - I NEVER have). But he also said it looked like it had too much stuff in it for a radiator that was less than a year old.

I'm trying to decide on if, and how I should go about flushing the block now, since the thermostat and radiator are out of the vehicle. I know many have said to never run regular water through - even to flush - and I know that some water will remain in the block after the flush.

Would you guys just pour distilled water through, or just leave it alone? I'm going to have to blow some air through as well, I'm assuming...

ryan

[rgnprof]

Got distracted by another problem and forgot to report on this issue...(see my electrical problems thread). Anyway, I don't think this has made much difference - didn't drive the coach for a long time and it wasn't terribly hot out, but the thing still appears to be running hot. Gauge got to M, maybe A and temps at upper hose/thermostat was about 208 and at the bottom hose it was 189ish...

I believe I might pull the thermostat and double check its operation.

[j-d]

rgnprof wrote:
I only had the one head rebuilt by a shop here in town - do I, or should I pull the other head as well and rebuild it...?

You mean That Head, the One I tried to get you to pull and service as a pair when you had the Other One off for broken bolts?

Let's see what the others say. For me right now:
If it Ain't Broke Don't Fix it.
If it were mine, at this point I wouldn't tear that far into it without a reason. While it was apart for one head, yes I'd normally do both. I'm not sure new vehicle warranty does, and I heard rental fleets don't. But the vehicles in question are usually close to new, with relatively low miles.

[rgnprof]

I'm going to have it out next weekend so we'll see how it goes.

I had to pull the distributor when I pulled the driver's side head to repair the exhaust manifold. Marked everything when I pulled it and thought I got it back in the same, but clearly not...

One question related to this - I only had the one head rebuilt by a shop here in town - do I, or should I pull the other head as well and rebuild it...?

ryan

[j-d]

rgnprof wrote:
...you can't tell as much anymore just based on whether it's advertised as a 2 row, 3 row etc, because, depending on the manufacturer, the tubes are larger sizes in some...

That's about what I was told back well over a dozen years ago. I thought our OEM radiator needed cleaned, cored, something based on 20 years and 100000 miles. Then a friend gave me another OEM radiator that I think was three or four row, and had leaking tubes where somebody was trying to get that long alternator bolt (that I've mentioned before) out. Took it to a shop wanting it cleaned, tested, and a couple tubes in that damaged area cut out to be able to remove that bolt.

Brought out a new two-row in a very dirty box. Apparently bought for some customer/project that was canceled and never returned. Said "This is a High Efficiency design, and I can sell it for less than a core."

I think the two tubes were closer spaced (more of them) and "longer." By that I mean the length of the openings of the two tubes, fore and aft, was about 50% more (fore and aft, looking in the radiator cap hole) than OEM. Beyond that, I only know it worked.

Haven't heard it discussed, but it seems to me, that there can be Too Many Rows. Say you go to Six. The upper and lower tanks won't fit six, but say they could... There's gotta be a point where more tubes interfere with air flow through the core. Maybe even limit circulation because so many tubes could mean the flow through the core loses consistency, making more tubes less effective...

Drive it, Ryan. It's looking like you'll be OK. Do you think it got out of time with that cylinder head job you did?

[DRTDEVL]

Yes, 8* re-tarded timing will definitely contribute to overheating.

I have an old Buick Apollo with a built Olds 350 rocket under hood. I figured out my distributor's advance wasn't working anymore by the temperature gauge. One day, it just started running hotter. I have electric fans, and it would still overheat in traffic or just running at idle for extended periods of time. While the engine was built with greater than 30* max advance in mind, the distributor's advance failure was holding everything down to about 4*. I swapped the dizzy, and the car runs beautifully again.

Go ahead and take that test lap again. I bet it runs at normal temperature, makes more power, and gets better fuel economy than it has in a while.