[DGoldwasser]

I just finished rebuilding my carb and started up the 351C in my 72 Coupe. After letting it run about 10 minutes to get up to operating temp I noticed that the top radiator hose was real hot, but the bottom one was cool. I suspect that the water pump and/or thermostat need replacing. If I have to do one, I'll probably do both.

Are there any good sites that anyone knows of to get a good "How To" proceedure? Thanks all for your help.

[trashline]

well first you need to drain the cooling system. now would be a good time to change any bad hoses and other cooling items like heater core and such. the thermostat is easy just unbolt the housing at the top and pull the contents out. when you replace the new t stat drill a 1/8 hole in the top to allow air to escape. bc alot of times you can get an air bubble in the system and the car will over heat. clean all mating surfaces of old gasket and particles. paint the housing if you want. now the water pump . you need to remove everything that is bolted up to it and on the pump itself hoses everything. once that is done remove the gasket material and such. now this is important bc if you dont get a good seal then you need todo this all over again. so clean it good use some gasket maker. and install the new pump . then replace everything that was removed. make sure you have a srping in your bottom radiator hose so that the pump doesnt create a vacuum and colapse the hose at high rpm. this should get you started

[Fordgazm]

I would suspect the thermostat before the water pump .

[Veronica]

Hello.If the top hose got hot then the water pump must be working.The coolant comes back to the radiator by the top hose.It leaves the radiator by the bottom hose,so there isn't really anything strange about the top hose getting hot before the lower hose does.If you have a problem at all then I would suspect a clogged up radiator first.Remove the radiator cap with the engine dead cold and start the car again.Wait until the thermostat opens and the top hose starts getting hot then give it a minute and see if the lower hose starts to get hot also.You should be able to see the coolant running past the bottom of the cap snout at a pretty good pace.If not, the coolant is staying in the radiator too long and that would just about have to be a clogged up radiator.Hope that helps.

[wrenchman]

Bear in mind, however, that the lower hose SHOULD be cooler than the upper hose. That's what the radiator does...remove heat from the coolant. If my lower hose was just as hot as the upper hose, I'd be worried.

Just my two cents...