FE cooling questions

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by MOTORHEAD

Thanks for the replies!
My aluminum block 427 has been intermittently overheating and belching out enough water to cause an overheating condition for the last 6-8 mo's. Had to trailer it for the last day at our "Reptile Roundup"and drive the the tow vehicle .
I'm running a 13# cap, which I though was too low, so I called David K, and he said "don't go higher, you'll blow the radiator", so I changed out the 'stat. No joy, still o'heating.

"For most cars, the normal operating engine temperature is in a range of 195 to 220 degrees Fahrenheit..." https://www.cars.com/articles/should...1420680334271/

Given the 'normal operating engine temperature' referenced in the linked article, anything up to 220°F is normal. If you're running typical coolant concentration (e.g. 50/50) in a pressurized system, boiling temperature will be 240°F or higher. I saw 250°F on mine when the cooling fan relay failed and, while it puked out some coolant, there was no damage or lasting effect.

Coolant expansion, of course, is to be expected - hence the design and naming of the Ford FE expansion tank. As such, puking out coolant may be more an indication of over-filling than overheating. How hot is it getting? What is your thermostat reading when it's 'overheating'?

Whenever I run across cooling issues (mine or others) I turn to these Tech Tips: http://stewartcomponents.com/index.p...formation_id=6