Coolant Temps On A 1996 4.6 2v

[White 96 GTS]

I have a 1996 GT 4.6 2V with PI head conversion. I live in south Fla what should my coolant temps be sitting in traffic in the afternoon (hottest part of the day here) with the ac on I am running 206-212 is that OK or to hot

 

[Saberstang]

I have a 1996 GT 4.6 2V with PI head conversion. I live in south Fla what should my coolant temps be sitting in traffic in the afternoon (hottest part of the day here) with the ac on I am running 206-212 is that OK or to hot

Those temps are normal for the 1996 Ford Mustang GT when driving in daily traffic. If you still have the stock 195 degree thermostat take it out and install a 180 degree thermostat and flush and refill your coolant it should help driving in the hot humid weather in Florida. I have been using Motorcraft and Peak antifreeze in my 1996 Ford Mustang GT.

 

[squeak93]

Do NOT install anything but a stock T-Stat. Put a 195 back in, flush the system and drive it. Pending the radiator is not clogged and the water pump is functioning you should be just fine. A 180 stat doesn't allow the coolant to stay in the radiator long enough and has other adverse effects on a mod motor.

 

[White 96 GTS]

Do NOT install anything but a stock T-Stat. Put a 195 back in, flush the system and drive it. Pending the radiator is not clogged and the water pump is functioning you should be just fine. A 180 stat doesn't allow the coolant to stay in the radiator long enough and has other adverse effects on a mod motor.

I have a Mishimto 160 degree stat and a Fluidyne 3 core radiator

 

[Saberstang]

I have a Mishimto 160 degree stat and a Fluidyne 3 core radiator

That works even better than what I have. I have a Stant 180 degree thermostat and Fluidyne radiator. I been using a 180 degree thermostat for ten years now with no cooling issues. My car actually runs cooler during the hot humid summer months here in Georgia.

 

[squeak93]

All the cooler stats do is open sooner and not allow your big radiator to do it's job and cool the hot coolant. You're actually causing your system to be more inefficient. The stock setup can handle so much more hp/heat than the previous fox systems. A 195 stat and stock rad will cool my 600(ish) rwhp car w/o any issues. In traffic, hwy etc. I even have a big ass intercooler and large trans cooler in front of my stock rad. Still zero issues. Stock type water pump and the stock electric fan. Now the 96/97 gt's did have a bad fan setup but a 98+ fan can be dropped right in with little to no modifications.

Aluminum headed motors need some heat in order to combust correctly. too hot and you know what happens but too cool of a head

 

[wmburns]

I have a 1996 GT 4.6 2V with PI head conversion. I live in south Fla what should my coolant temps be sitting in traffic in the afternoon (hottest part of the day here) with the ac on I am running 206-212 is that OK or to hot

I have to agree with some of the comments above. These temperature appear NORMAL and Correct to me.

To anyone reading this thread. Resist the urge to attempt to "solve" an overheating problem by replacing the stock T-stat with a lower opening unit. It will "confuse" the PCM because the motor will not reach operating temperature as designed. Which this will only occur when the outside temperatures are very mild or outright cold.

IF the radiator isn't able to keep up with the motor's heat load on warm or HOT days the coolant temperature will still rise until an equilibrium is established. This will happen regardless of the temperature rating of the T-stat (at higher temperatures both T-stats would be fully open anyway). In short it will not solve an over heating problem.

For best driveability and fuel mileage allow the motor to run at the temperatures Ford designed it to run at. The PCM expects it. The fans have been set up to work with the 192 degree T-stat.

In my experience when a motor slowly overheats in stop/go driving the problem is a clogged radiator. However it never hurts to check the entire cooling system for proper operation and condition.