Installed my temp gauge

[Jim Stoltz]

I hooked up to a port on the opposite head that the stock gauge is connected to so I can have both gauges working. Unfortunately the stock gauge is correct. I was hoping it wasn't really running hot, but it is. 220 degrees is the center of the gauge. It enters the red at 240 degrees. On the way home from Hershey a few weeks ago the stock gauge was pegged. I don't even want to know how hot it got. 

I got a flush kit and some Prestone coolant system cleaner to try. That's the next project....

[Rich Thomas]

Auto meter makes nice gauges, it's always good to have conformation when your chasing gremlins too. nice job. 

[Rich Thomas]

Jim have you ever checked the flow from the water pump to see if it is actually moving water? just an Idea. 

[Jim Stoltz]

Yes the pump is new. I think the radiator is to blame. It's the only part of the system that's original.

Automator does make nice gauges. I got a mechanical Sport Comp gauge. It was the only one that went up to 280.

[Russell E Johnson]

Jim, I hope that flush out kit works for you, I have never had any luck with it. You will probably end up pulling the radiator out and having it re-cored.  That is what I had to finally breakdown and do on 2 of my old ford pickups from the past.  

[Jim Stoltz]

You're probably right, but I thought I'd give it a shot. I let it idle for a long time in the driveway and watched the temps creep up to about 220 before I kicked up the RPMs and let the clutch fan do its thing. The temps drop very quickly once the fan kicks in and the RPMs are up.

I'm wondering if the problem is the fan again. The clutch is new, but I don't hear it anymore unless it gets really hot. Sitting at idle I used to be able to hear it start to roar a bit when the temps got hot.

[Russell E Johnson]

Do you have electric fans between the fan on the engine and the radiator?  I have a 2 fan setup that is electric right next to the radiator and the fan on the engine.  The electric fans always kick in before the clutch on the engine fan engages.  When I hear the fan kick in on the engine, I know things are getting hot and monitor the heat gauge closely.  So far I have not had an overheating problem with this setup.

[Jim Stoltz]

I don't have an electric fan, but I thought about installing one. It's not getting enough airflow at idle and the temps creep up. If it gets too hot it has a hard time recovering (probably because of the radiator).

[Lakota Wolf]

I would lean at a clogged radiator.I have pondered the idea of putting a water heater iodon rod (I can't recall the actual name of it). The type they put in water heaters to reduce calcium buildup. I figured a radiator gets hotter then a standard water heater. I have taken a few radiators to get re-cored and the shp has even said, it may look good, but inside is beyond repairing and mentioned replacement to avoid future issues. With the salt on the roads in the north and salt air in the south, nature takes its toll o. Everything.

[Jim Stoltz]

Isn't a recore essentially a new radiator? I would buy a new one if I could, but it looks custom. The neck is on the front of the tank rather than the top.

[Russell E Johnson]

Yes, re-coring is essentially getting a new radiator, they only parts used from the old radiator are the top and bottom caps.  My MH also has what appears to be a custom radiator as the filler neck is out the side instead of the top, hence it is cheaper to re-core than try to find one that fits.  Or at least it used to be that way, but lots of things have changed in the past 20+ years since I did the last one.

[Jim Stoltz]

I'm going to run the cleaner through first. I don't have high hopes for it solving the problem, but it will at least break up the big stuff. The engine had sat a long time and there was a lot of rust in the block. Actually, that may have plugged the radiator. Flow seems good, though. Watching the new gauge, the temps drop quick when I rev it up.

Ultimately I'll remove it and bring it to a local radiator shop. I really don't see how to get at the bolts that hold it in. It does not look like any fun at all.

[david craft]

I had issues with the 454s in our old trucks.  mechanic said get the GM fan clutch.  they were twice the price but the generic would not do the job..