[SM90Stanger]

Hey guys,

I was driving my 1990 2.3 n/a coupe yesterday for the first time in over a year since I started working on it and I have a few issues (It was soooooo good by the way!!!). I'll post them in seperate threads because they're completely different issues...

My first issue was that it was overheating very easily. When I was just driving through the city and had the motor going around 2000rpm, it was great, the temperature gauge was bang in the middle of "normal". But when I would take off and shift at 4500-5000rpm, the engine would heat up to where the needle was at the top of "normal" and almost at the red line. I would just idle around for a a while and wait for the temperature to come down.

I haven't changed the coolant since I got the car and I don't know if the previous owner ever changed it (or any other fluids for that matter... I changed the engine oil the other day and it was blacker than black). The coolant level is full, but should I go ahead and just drain out the old and in with the new? I just put in synthetic 10W30... That wouldn't be causing it, would it? Other than that, the only mod I have is a cold air intake that is sitting in the fender (I'll post some pics!).

Any suggestions on how to bring the temperature of the engine down while giving her some gas would be much, much appreciated .

Steve

[nigel]

Go ahead and flush your system and change you coolant and thermostat. Make sure that you burb the system after you refill it.

[evintho]

Originally Posted by nigel

Go ahead and flush your system and change you coolant and thermostat. Make sure that you burb the system after you refill it.

^^^^
What he said!

[SM90Stanger]

Originally Posted by nigel

Go ahead and flush your system and change you coolant and thermostat. Make sure that you burb the system after you refill it.

Thanks guys,

My haynes manual tells me that I should flush the heater core as well. Also it says to get some chemical stuff to help flush the system... Could anyone recommend a product. Also, this stupid haynes manual isn't very good at explaing things and it tells me to fill the radiator with a 50/50 mix of coolant and water and then fill the rest of the sytem with coolant? Is this right? Maybe someone can tell me how they would do it themselves so I get a better undestanding of what needs to be done.

Also, what do you mean by "burb" the system... or do you mean burp? lol. Haynes manual tells me to run the engine with the radiator cap off and then after that, add the rest of the coolant lol

[ultimatemustang]

the 50/50 pour the rest with water do not pour the rest with the coolant

[DBT4220]

ok to sum up the 50/50 things. in other words if your run 1 gallon of plain antifreeze you should run 1 gallon of water. and so on i dont remember what this cooling system capicity is.


this is what i get when i look it up on my all data do dad.



1 1/4 Gallon (s) of Full Strength Anti-Freeze

Specification amount is for a 50/50 ratio mix in the cooling system. If using pre-mixed anti-freeze double the amount needed.

[TOM RENZO]

Ok changing the coolant wont help the hot running. But changing the stat will if the stat is out of calibration. Your problem sounds like a clogged radiator core. To proove this when the engine heats up turn the heater on full blast and see if the temp falls. If it does either the core is bad or the stat is shot. I would run the engine with the cap off and look at the coolant flow through the radiator ot 1500-1800 RPM. If the coolant is rushing through at a high stream the core is clogged. If it passes through the core and falls over like a watter fall the core is OK. Coolant must be diluted or mixed properly and you must use the proper watter. Never Ever use tap watter. Use distilled watter only and mix the coolant 50/50 max. This is the best mix for app -34* F and gives the coolant a higher boiling point. NEVER USE UNMIXED COOLANT. AND NEVER USE 100% anti freeze in any engine. That is a disaster. Also check the fan system. I am betting a clogged core seen it a hundrid times. I think its radiator time 90. OR IN SOME CASES A BLOWN HEAD GASKET IS A POSSIBILITY. If you are loosing coolant with no visible leaks. Good luck. Tom Renzo.

[SM90Stanger]

Okay, so I drove Alice quite a bit today and couldn't get it to overheat even a little bit. I don't know what was up that first day??? Also, as I drive it more, the engine continues to run better and better. For instance, when I first started it up and let it run for a while, and then I would give it some gas, it would rev up and then fall on it's face and the rpms would drop so fast (even with the new oil in it), but now I rev it and they come down nicely. So maybe the cooling thing was just a break-in thing as well?

Anyway,when the temperature did climb a little bit, I put on the heat full blast but the temperature wouldn't do anything, so that is a good sign.

One thing I did not notice before: It does not blow any air at all when you put it to cold air. When you turn it to hot air, it blows like no tomorrow though.

Well anyway, I picked up some pre-mixed 50/50 prestone coolant and cooling system flush and a new prestone thermostat... All that will be done tomorrow. Then I will tell you what's up after. Hopefully all of the bad symptoms go bye bye.

Steve

[SM90Stanger]

Hey there peoples!

Put in the new coolant after flushing the system really good (it's amazing how dirty it was?!?) and also put in a new thermostat and tonight it was great, never got above halfway in the dash...

Also I would like to add that when I was adding new coolant, I checked if the coolant was trickling out or GUSHING out of the radiator and I am pleased to say that it is the former! I guess I won't need to get a brand new radiator after all!

Thanks for the help guys, Steve