Can I use a UV kit to find out where all my coolant is going???

Standard pump should work just fine jaymac...even in AZ...it's the heat rejection side (rad/fan) that really gets worked over in places like Phoenix in August with a/c on high (might as well not even have other fan speeds out there).

...and JT's right - I'm more confined; but I've worked on water pumps/front cover/cam degreeing with Stangs before, and I always like having more room. ESPECIALLY if a slipped wrench or dropped tool or part can damage a radiator core/fin tube.....

Yeah - your buddy's t'stat isn't working correctly -- it's sticking open. My guess is your guess. It's not possible to have too good of a cooling system. The t'stat takes care of it. Imagine those cars WAY up north (Canada, Scandivavia, Alaska) dealing with ambients of 10-20-30 below -- they have the same size rads as everyone else - their t'stats just don't spend too much time open.

Very good advice from Michael. I agree all the way.

I run a Mr G 180 stat and a regular old AZ 30 dollar pump.

A 'real' temperature gauge/sender will help immensely in diagnosing cooling system issues; use a positive stop to find actual #1 tdc -- and then fabricate a pointer that's accurate.

The whole thing about the word 'fabricate' is you two have to figure out how you want to do it. Anything that 'points' at the tdc mark on the balancer when #1 is actually at tdc will work. Beyond that it's up to you guys.

Here's how you can fabricate a positive stop and use it to find tdc:

Obtain an old spark plug for the Ford engine – most of us have at least one laying around. Put it in your vice, and with a tool of destruction you deem appropriate – cut off the ground tip and bust up the ceramic around the center electrode. Keep pounding to get the ceramic and center electrode removed so you’ve got a good ¾” or so of hollow space inside what used to be the ‘business’ end of the spark plug. If you happen to break the ceramic on the other end of the spark plug, don’t worry about it. Once you’ve got a nice hollow space in the tip of the plug, take a 5/16” tap, and cut threads inside that end of the plug. I found that diameter to go right in without any drilling required. Once you’ve cut threads, screw in a 5/16" bolt about 1.5” to 2” long. Then take your hack saw and cut the head off the bolt. Wouldn’t hurt to take your file/grinder and dress up the freshly cut surface so no sharp edges or shrapnel enter the combustion chamber. Also clean up the threads on the plug so that it easily screws into and out of the plug hole.

Determining TDC – remove the passenger side valve cover. Remove rockers from the intake and exhaust valves on the #1 cylinder. Rotate the engine (socket on crank bolt) until the #1 piston is down the cylinder on the intake stroke. Unscrew the spark plug in that cylinder, and replace it with the positive stop you just made. Only screw the positive stop in hand tight. Install your cam degree wheel and pointer (no easy task in some cases as harmonic balancer and other accessories will have to be removed). You may want to remove all spark plugs at this point because it will make it easier to smoothly turn the engine over in small increments. GENTLY rotate the engine clockwise until the piston comes to rest against the stop. Note the degree wheel reading. GENTLY rotate the engine in the opposite direction until the piston comes to rest against the stop. Note the degree wheel reading. TDC is exactly half way between these readings. Calculate where that position is on the degree wheel, remove the piston stop from the cylinder, and rotate the engine to TDC as you calculated it.

Once you've done that, reinstall your balancer, and fabricate your pointer so that it's pointing at tdc on the balancer markings. Then set your timing.

...and tell him to go buy a temperature gauge....

For a real quick and crappy pointer, you can get it to TDC and use muffler strap (it being very mallable makes it easy to shape). If wanting to use this again, recreate it in something stronger (that wont deform). Or just make something from cardboard and then recreate it in alum, etc.

Or just buy a pointer.

Good luck.