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  1. #1

    Default upper radiator hose stays cold

    5.0 v8 1995 engine. fuel injected. I'm finishing up my build and starting to get it road ready. I realized one of the final things I needed to do was to install an electric fan controller wiring harness. Hooked it all up and put the probe thru the radiator fins. Filled the radiator, cranked the car and waited. Watched my temp gauge 160 degrees, 170, 180 and since my car has a brand new 180 thermostat I should get a burp any moment and fill the radiator the rest of the way. But the burp never came. 190 200 degrees. nothing. When the temp reached 210 and the upper radiator hose was still COLD i shut the engine off. Of course the fan never came on because the temp of the water at the radiator did not match the water temp at the motor.. Pulled the thermostat and put it in a pot on the stove. Before the water boiled, the thermostat was open, pretty as you please. I also drilled a hole the thermostat and reinstalled it. Thinking maybe it was just an air pocket or something I tried again. Filled the radiator back up and started the car. ONCE AGAIN the water temp got to 210 and the upper hose was COLD. Shut if off and here I am asking you guys what to do. water pump? stopped up hose somewhere? heater core?? i just dont know
    1979 Ford Fairmont Futura "The F Bomb"

  2. #2
    FEP Member
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    Maybe they sold you a 210* thermostat instead of the 180*.. as in maybe the wrong thermostat was in the 180* box. Since water boils at 212* I can see this being the case with the additional assumption that your temp gauge is off by a few degrees as well.

    You could perform the stove test again but put a thermometer in the water with it to determine the 'exact' temperature at which it opens.

    Just my thoughts.
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  3. #3
    FEP Senior Member cottonbear's Avatar
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    waterpump impellar slipping on shaft?
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  4. #4

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    Is it a reverse flow waterpump? Is the belt routed the right way to turn the water pump the proper direction?

  5. #5
    FEP Power Member wgt500's Avatar
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    Take out the t-stat and check for coolant flow with the rad cap off . This will eliminate the t-stat as a source of the problems. If still no flow check that the head gaskets are on correctly. A small tab of gasket material will stick out just in front of the front lower head bolt on both sides. Also do you have the correct reverse rotation water pump.
    Last edited by wgt500; 02-12-2013 at 10:45 PM.
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  6. #6

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    The waterpump is rotating counter clock wise if looking at the front of the motor. Is that reverse flow?

    I am sure it is a 180 thermostat because 180 is stamped on the part. The tstat opened up well before boiling so i am pretty confident there.

    I will go outside right now and look for this headgasket tab to see if i can see it. Edit: the tabs are present. head gaskets installed properly
    Last edited by sircrunch; 02-12-2013 at 11:22 PM.
    1979 Ford Fairmont Futura "The F Bomb"

  7. #7
    FEP Power Member wgt500's Avatar
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    Only happened to me once in forty years, but I actually had a new water pump impeller fail on an engine rebuild during initial start up. Sometimes strange things happen!
    '67 Shelby GT500 428 4spd. (owned for 32yrs. SOLD 11/26/2011. A sad day $$$$. Pics in my album!

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  8. #8

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    Isn't the waterpump supposed to turn clockwise from the front? I think I have got myself mixed up now.

    If it wasn't late here I would go and fire my car up and see which way it turns for sure.
    Last edited by 86bluecobra; 02-12-2013 at 11:27 PM.

  9. #9

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    here is a picture of my belt set-up

    goes up around the ac delete dummy pully, clockwise around it....

    then down around the ps pump, clockwise

    then it goes up and over the water pump COUNTER clockwise then down around the crank clockwise

    from the crank it goes around the tensioner, counter

    then alternator, clockwise

    then a dummy idler counter

    in all instances the smooth side of the belt touches smooth pullies, and ribbed side of belt touches ribbed pullies.

    this pully set up is off a 95 f-150 (deleted smog pump)
    Attached Images Attached Images  
    Last edited by sircrunch; 02-12-2013 at 11:33 PM.
    1979 Ford Fairmont Futura "The F Bomb"

  10. #10

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    Yep that looks right.

    So did you put a new Water pump on the engine or is this the one that came with it?

  11. #11
    FEP Super Member FM2NOTCH's Avatar
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    the belt set up in the picture has the pump turning reverse rotation or counterclockwise.

  12. #12

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    it is the waterpump that came with the engine. Is it possible to mess up the installation? I had it off when I put in a new trick flow cam. I had it all apart and put in all new gaskets. the whole shabang
    1979 Ford Fairmont Futura "The F Bomb"

  13. #13

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    I doubt you messed up installing it.

    I had some issues getting all the air out of my system a few times. The temp gauge was reading wrong I think because there was a air bubble around it.

  14. #14
    FEP Power Member wgt500's Avatar
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    Water pump should rotate CCW from the front. As long as you have the pump driven off the back side of the serp. belt that is correct since it is reverse rotation direction. Your set up looks correct. Are the head gaskets installed correctly?
    '67 Shelby GT500 428 4spd. (owned for 32yrs. SOLD 11/26/2011. A sad day $$$$. Pics in my album!

    '83 Capri 5.0 4spd. ASC McLaren Sport Pkg.(1983 Indy 500 Speed Week Motorcraft sponsored parade car) Original paint. Pics in my album! (SOLD 11/11/2017)

    '79 Capri RS 5.0 52,000mi. Total molestation! (1300 man/hrs.) Build Pics in 3 albums!

  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by wgt500 View Post
    Water pump should rotate CCW from the front. As long as you have the pump driven off the back side of the serp. belt that is correct since it is reverse rotation direction. Your set up looks correct. Are the head gaskets installed correctly?
    check, and check. it is rotating counterclockwise as it should and after following the directions to a previous poster in this thread the head gaskets appear to be installed correctly as the tab is sticking out and visible near the front head bolt. still not sure what to do.
    1979 Ford Fairmont Futura "The F Bomb"

  16. #16

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    Pull the T-Stat.

    Is there any chance your lower rad hose is collapsing on you when the engine is running?

  17. #17
    FEP Super Member mustangxtreme's Avatar
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    Try putting the car nose up (as on car ramps) to fill the radiator. Sometimes it's hard to get the air bubbles out.
    Dave

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  18. #18
    FEP Member kiwi's Avatar
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    Where did you end up with this????

  19. #19
    FEP Power Member wgt500's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 86bluecobra View Post
    Pull the T-Stat.

    Is there any chance your lower rad hose is collapsing on you when the engine is running?
    +1 Said this in a previous post. Run it w/o the t-stat. with the cap off to check for flow. I know this sounds stupid, but is the t-stat installed facing the right direction?
    '67 Shelby GT500 428 4spd. (owned for 32yrs. SOLD 11/26/2011. A sad day $$$$. Pics in my album!

    '83 Capri 5.0 4spd. ASC McLaren Sport Pkg.(1983 Indy 500 Speed Week Motorcraft sponsored parade car) Original paint. Pics in my album! (SOLD 11/11/2017)

    '79 Capri RS 5.0 52,000mi. Total molestation! (1300 man/hrs.) Build Pics in 3 albums!

  20. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by wgt500 View Post
    +1 Said this in a previous post. Run it w/o the t-stat. with the cap off to check for flow. I know this sounds stupid, but is the t-stat installed facing the right direction?
    I was hoping i'd never have to pull that thermostat again, so aggravating to get a wrench in there. and each time i pull it i have to get a new gasket. The thermostat already has the hole drilled in it. wouldnt it at least get some flow thru that? But if it helps me diagnose this problem I am willing to do it. I am triple sure the thermostat is facing the right direction. the spring is pointing into the motor.
    1979 Ford Fairmont Futura "The F Bomb"

  21. #21
    FEP Power Member wgt500's Avatar
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    Yes, spring pointing to motor is correct. I know it is a pain to pull the stat. At this point there have been so many posts I don't know if this has been asked, but are you sure you have a reverse rotation water pump?
    '67 Shelby GT500 428 4spd. (owned for 32yrs. SOLD 11/26/2011. A sad day $$$$. Pics in my album!

    '83 Capri 5.0 4spd. ASC McLaren Sport Pkg.(1983 Indy 500 Speed Week Motorcraft sponsored parade car) Original paint. Pics in my album! (SOLD 11/11/2017)

    '79 Capri RS 5.0 52,000mi. Total molestation! (1300 man/hrs.) Build Pics in 3 albums!

  22. #22

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    about whether or not I have a reverse rotation water pump.... this water pump was on the engine when i got it. It is a 1995 f-150 block. after a google image search, it does appear that f-150 had the same reverse rotation as what mustangs had. I talked to a radiator shop this morning. they said pull the heater hose off the intake and crank it to see it blows water out. if it does, then we know the water pump is pumping. He also said let it get on up to 220 to see if it will open up and flow thru then, saying sometimes it takes a little more temp to get it started the first time (with air in the system perhaps)

    i will try this and the other suggestions like pulling the t-stat tonight and let you know
    1979 Ford Fairmont Futura "The F Bomb"

  23. #23

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    My car does get to 190 maybe 200 before the temp drops because the t-stat opens.

    Have a close look at your lower rad hose when the car is running. Make sure it isn't collapsing on you and stopping the flow of coolant.

    Air can be horrible. It took me forever to burp my system when I first put the 351w in. I was freaking out because the temp was going through the roof. I suspect I just had air around the temp sender.

  24. #24

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    May also have an air bubble stuck in the intake. I had that with one of my cars. Temp would skyrocket! Freaked me out. I got advise from a FEP member to crack the temp sender fitting (mine is a mechanical Autometer gauge) while the vehicle it running and wait til coolant comes out. It worked and no more misinformation at the gauge.

    An engine will never warm up if the Thermostat is stuck open. That happened to my LTD LX. Would never reach operating temperature. DON'T ever get one of those "fail safe" stats. They tend to open and you need to put a name brand in.
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  25. #25
    FEP Super Member TWR2003's Avatar
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    What kind of gage are you using?
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