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Engine Foxbody idle/throttle issues

  • Thread starter Thread starter red5.0fox
  • Start date Start date Mar 8, 2023
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red5.0fox

Active Member
Dec 1, 2019
190
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Hope Mills, North Carolina
Jun 21, 2024
#241
  • Jun 21, 2024
  • #241
red5.0fox said:
Just tested it using a renter from the autostore. Fluid stayed blue and never changed color, so no head gasket leak?
Click to expand...
It’s one of the hand pump ones where you squeeze a tiny vacuum ball so maybe it’s just a crappy tester?
 

Noobz347

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor
Admin Dude
Jan 4, 1985
42,973
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Box behind Walmart
Jun 21, 2024
#242
  • Jun 21, 2024
  • #242
red5.0fox said:
It’s one of the hand pump ones where you squeeze a tiny vacuum ball so maybe it’s just a crappy tester?
Click to expand...
You're not talking about his thing, I hope:

 

red5.0fox

Active Member
Dec 1, 2019
190
25
38
Hope Mills, North Carolina
Jun 21, 2024
#243
  • Jun 21, 2024
  • #243
Noobz347 said:
You're not talking about his thing, I hope:

Click to expand...
No haha. Mine has the same ball tho. I’ll snap a pic
 

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Noobz347

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor
Admin Dude
Jan 4, 1985
42,973
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Box behind Walmart
Jun 21, 2024
#244
  • Jun 21, 2024
  • #244
red5.0fox said:
No haha. Mine has the same ball tho. I’ll snap a pic
Click to expand...

Combustion Leak Tester. That's the one!
 
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red5.0fox

Active Member
Dec 1, 2019
190
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38
Hope Mills, North Carolina
Jun 21, 2024
#245
  • Jun 21, 2024
  • #245
Thinking I’m going to pick up a new radiator and send it. I’d feel worse, but it could use one anyways, especially with the heat here in NC. Hopefully this fixes it!
 

red5.0fox

Active Member
Dec 1, 2019
190
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38
Hope Mills, North Carolina
Jun 22, 2024
#246
  • Jun 22, 2024
  • #246
Popped the coolant cap today, and noticed a couple things. My overflow tank is full, which I did not fill it all the way to the top. The coolant seems to have some “streaks” to it aswell. Mind you, I accidentally poured in some quadratech oil because someone put that in a coolant bottle and I didn’t notice. That was before I flushed the coolant system with cleaner and the flusher. Could this just be leftover remnants?

I checked the oil, and it doesn’t seem to be murky or give me any indication of a head gasket failure. I still can’t bleed all the air out of the system, and it still overheats with the AC on. It will drive and idle all day long without the AC on though. Think I’m going to do a compression test to see what the cylinders are reading.
 
Reactions: General karthief

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes
Founding Member
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Claremore, OK
Jun 23, 2024
#247
  • Jun 23, 2024
  • #247
Tried and true way to get the air out is to drill a 1/8" hole in the thermostat body and install it at the 12:00. Requires going into the t-stat housing which sucks but once done its always there and get as much air out of the system as you can on a refill. See Post #52 here:

347 RUNNING HOT

I did this 2 days ago. I reinstalled a 185* T-stat after not running one. Temp gauge went from bottom to mid gauge. Probably right where it should be.
stangnet.com
 

red5.0fox

Active Member
Dec 1, 2019
190
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Hope Mills, North Carolina
Jun 23, 2024
#248
  • Jun 23, 2024
  • #248
AeroCoupe said:
Tried and true way to get the air out is to drill a 1/8" hole in the thermostat body and install it at the 12:00. Requires going into the t-stat housing which sucks but once done its always there and get as much air out of the system as you can on a refill. See Post #52 here:

347 RUNNING HOT

I did this 2 days ago. I reinstalled a 185* T-stat after not running one. Temp gauge went from bottom to mid gauge. Probably right where it should be.
stangnet.com
Click to expand...
I’ll do this while I’m doing the radiator!
 
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Mindseye007

5 Year Member
Oct 21, 2020
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ontario
Jun 23, 2024
#249
  • Jun 23, 2024
  • #249
General karthief said:
Cause and effect...
Cause there is oil dripping on the starter......
It's not supposed to be oiled, only operates (hopefully) for a few seconds.
I won't bore you with 'my '97 Super Duty has 600k+ miles and only replaced starter once'. True story.
Effect...
Oil seepage disrupts the electrical current, dirt and crude gathers on the oily residue making matters worse. Inside and out.
To put it in perspective, take a scrap piece of metal, any metal, place a couple drops in the centre, stick it in a corner, on a shelf, under your car, someplace out of the sun and out of your way. You will be surprised how much it spreads in a week or so. Imagine months and miles, heat cycles, you get the picture.
Replace the starter pay'n attention to the condition of cables and connections, fix the oil leak, most times it's the valve cover gaskets.
Now go forth my friend and be powerful
Click to expand...
600k miles amazing how many miles between oil changes? Is the transmission original?
 
Last edited: Jun 23, 2024

red5.0fox

Active Member
Dec 1, 2019
190
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38
Hope Mills, North Carolina
Jun 29, 2024
#250
  • Jun 29, 2024
  • #250
So, new radiator from LMR and new temp gauge sender.

Car still overheats at idle with the ac on and cools right back down when driving. Took some temps with the infrared today and it read 140° at the radiator and upper hose, 220° and rising with the thermostat housing, and 180° at the temperature gauge sensor (drivers side intake). Is this thing overheating or what? The gauge sits there and climbs at idle but the only thing that gets hotter is the thermostat housing. Should I test somewhere else to be more accurate?
 

limp

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done
5 Year Member
Oct 4, 2020
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Florida
Jun 29, 2024
#251
  • Jun 29, 2024
  • #251
red5.0fox said:
So, new radiator from LMR and new temp gauge sender.

Car still overheats at idle with the ac on and cools right back down when driving. Took some temps with the infrared today and it read 140° at the radiator and upper hose, 220° and rising with the thermostat housing, and 180° at the temperature gauge sensor (drivers side intake). Is this thing overheating or what? The gauge sits there and climbs at idle but the only thing that gets hotter is the thermostat housing. Should I test somewhere else to be more accurate?
Click to expand...
Sounds like Air in the system..
 

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes
Founding Member
Oct 28, 2001
5,829
3,962
183
Claremore, OK
Jun 29, 2024
#252
  • Jun 29, 2024
  • #252
What fan do you have? Also, with the condenser core (AC "radiator" in front of the engine radiator) in front of the radiator it get all the debris so typically when you replace the radiator a gentle high pressure washout of the condenser is a good thing. We did my buddy's a few years back and washed it from the engine side to the front of the car and holy crap there was a bunch of crap in it. Car ran way cooler and it was like it had a new AC system.
 

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair
5 Year Member
Aug 25, 2016
27,872
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polk county florida
Jun 29, 2024
#253
  • Jun 29, 2024
  • #253
#1 get a real temp gauge, I have mine at the bottom of the dash near the left corner, slight head move and I can see it.
#2 test the t-stat on the stove, I compared it with a meat thermometer, first 180* stat I tested didn't open till over 200*, second one opened at 185* , I can live with that.
NOTE: don't let the chief cook know you used one the their pots, remember there are sharp knifes near by.
The t-stat housing will most times test a little higher than the lower part of the radiator.
 
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limp

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done
5 Year Member
Oct 4, 2020
5,463
2,895
173
Florida
Jun 29, 2024
#254
  • Jun 29, 2024
  • #254
General karthief said:
NOTE: don't let the chief cook know you used one the their pots, remember there are sharp knifes near by.
Click to expand...
I slept poorly for many nights after the Lorena Bobbit story broke......
 
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red5.0fox

Active Member
Dec 1, 2019
190
25
38
Hope Mills, North Carolina
Jun 29, 2024
#255
  • Jun 29, 2024
  • #255
AeroCoupe said:
What fan do you have? Also, with the condenser core (AC "radiator" in front of the engine radiator) in front of the radiator it get all the debris so typically when you replace the radiator a gentle high pressure washout of the condenser is a good thing. We did my buddy's a few years back and washed it from the engine side to the front of the car and holy crap there was a bunch of crap in it. Car ran way cooler and it was like it had a new AC system.
Click to expand...
3 year old LMR fan and clutch. I’ll give the washout a try when I get back from the beach!
 

red5.0fox

Active Member
Dec 1, 2019
190
25
38
Hope Mills, North Carolina
Jun 29, 2024
#256
  • Jun 29, 2024
  • #256
General karthief said:
#1 get a real temp gauge, I have mine at the bottom of the dash near the left corner, slight head move and I can see it.
#2 test the t-stat on the stove, I compared it with a meat thermometer, first 180* stat I tested didn't open till over 200*, second one opened at 185* , I can live with that.
NOTE: don't let the chief cook know you used one the their pots, remember there are sharp knifes near by.
The t-stat housing will most times test a little higher than the lower part of the radiator.
Click to expand...
Noted lol! I’ve been planning on getting a new temp gauge, just haven’t bought it yet. I’ll check thermostat and all when I return from the beach aswell.
 
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