In yeater-year all the factories had an extra automatic transmission cooling radiator in front of the regular engine radiator if the vehicle ( car/ truck/ van ) had an factory towing package. If your vehicle did not have this OEM feature, you could pick up an transmission cooling unit to aid your vehicle from just about any place that sold vehicle parts. Or you can cruz the local pick & pull a few times to pick up one for about five dollars from an Ford OEM or any after-market unit on any vehicle ( new boxes cost more $$$ ).
Since the Ford 302 is an factory stroked 289, the 302 with the longer stroke will have a better towing ability due to the improved torque.
Please enjoy your trips and send an after-trip report later.
Another option is to remove the fan clutch, install direct drive fan with more blades. The down side of that is the fan runs all the time and uses some engine HP.
A radiator shop did that to a small V6 several years ago and it seemed to work, I quit having heating problems.
Don
Or the engine is. Today heading up to the Powder River Pass (outside of Buffalo WY) I climbed several miles of the climb and the engine started to over heat. I cooked off some coolant and opted to retreat to Buffalo for the night. I was running about 3K RPM in 2nd and 3rd gear. I wonder if I should have gone with a lower RPM rate. Any Ideas?
Or the engine is. Today heading up to the Powder River Pass (outside of Buffalo WY) I climbed several miles of the climb and the engine started to over heat. I cooked off some coolant and opted to retreat to Buffalo for the night. I was running about 3K RPM in 2nd and 3rd gear. I wonder if I should have gone with a lower RPM rate. Any Ideas?
Hi, No. Higher RPM means less lugging and faster fan speed. Look for partially clogged radiator. This means remove the radiator, have the tanks removed, and rods run through the core tubes. [Note: flushing does not work.]
Hi, No. Higher RPM means less lugging and faster fan speed. Look for partially clogged radiator. This means remove the radiator, have the tanks removed, and rods run through the core tubes. [Note: flushing does not work.]
So would frequent stops witht the engine running be a reasonable approach? I'm not sure I am in a position to pull a radiator at this point in the trip.....
So would frequent stops witht the engine running be a reasonable approach? I'm not sure I am in a position to pull a radiator at this point in the trip.....
Hi, Yes. I would not want to do this in the middle of a trip if at all possible, but hopefully you can fix it when back in town.
This morning I added water to replace the cooked off coolant from yesterdays adventure (see previous) I also added some in that reserve container. I towed all morning and early afternoon with the engine temp fluxuating with moderate changes (I think in engine load). Because it is so hot out (upper 90s) and the strain is so much on the truck, I decided to wait out the heat of the day and start again this evening.
When I looked in the reserve container a while ago, the fluid I had put in there was gone. So this has me wondering if maybe I dont have a weak cap that is letting small amounts of the fluid cook off at a time. Does this seem rational? Is it worth putting a new cap on? The engine hasnt cooled enough for me to check the level there yet.
So this has me wondering if maybe I dont have a weak cap that is letting small amounts of the fluid cook off at a time. Does this seem rational? Is it worth putting a new cap on? The engine hasnt cooled enough for me to check the level there yet.
Good idea Rodney,
I just had this conversation with one of our Graduate Assistants. The radiator cap is certainly the easiest and cheapest place to start. Best of luck!
3500 on the tach would be a good bet, but if you're going to be hauling up a lot of hills, I'd consider investing in an aux oil cooler. The aux cooler has the addded benefit of adding a couple of quarts to your oil capacity. Which tranny do you have?
My old F150 (an '85) came with a 300 straight 6 and a top loader 4 speed. I had a slide in truck camper and the 6 just couldn't handle hills at all, so I swapped out to a 302 V8 from an 83 station wagon that a friends wife totaled out in the rear and it held up fine. Stock, the 302 was injected whereas the 6 was had carb, and since I didn't want to mess with a new computer, I changed out the intake, cam, and carb with an Edlebrock Performer Series kit. A Mallory dual point rounded out the major mods. I wound up ditching the top load 4 and put in a rebuilt C6 (with trans cooler) and had a new drive shaft made.
My biggest gripe with the F15o and the 4 speed was the hydraulic clutch. The master and slave cylinders come as a unit and aren't (at least weren't back then) replaceable as individual parts. I went through 3 slaves before I said screw it and put in the C6.
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Bob Fowler
Some people are like Slinkies. They're really good for nothing, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
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Hi, No. Higher RPM means less lugging and faster fan speed. Look for partially clogged radiator. This means remove the radiator, have the tanks removed, and rods run through the core tubes. [Note: flushing does not work.]
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