Back to the beginning.

[Mr. Austin]

One again I am having over heating issues. Symptoms are not only confusing but rather bazar and have had a lot of different input but so far everyone seems to have a different opinion's.

First off I had the radiator Rodded a month ago and had a small leak and so i put Bar's stop leak into. I have called a total of 4 shops today and all have laughed saying bar's wont clog the radiator. About a week ago now I hear something breaking or being thrown around the motor bay after I started it up. I looked under a hood for a socket or something i may have left inside but unfortunately there was nothing to be found. Since then i have been noticing the increase in temperature's and now it is to the point that the car will over heat after about a minute of run time. This weekend I changed the Thermostat, all the hoses, and the temp. sending unit along with its wiring harness. Filled the car up with coolant Burped the system and took a test drive. Sure enough i get down the street and its hot. Both a close fellow mustang friend and a shop say it is my radiator clogging up and 3 shops i called say its the water pump not boosting the full water. My mustang buddy says he saw water flowing in the radiator and i too have seen it untill today. I let the car heat up, even let it run for 5 minutes (was defiantly hot) and watched no water being moved. Lastly I have an electric Autoloc 16" fan that pulls 3500 CFM been running it for a year now and it has done great. Its still working and working stronger since i put new wiring in.

As of right now i see no leaks and my pulley's are tight. One shop said to look for bubbles for a blown head gasket but it was all water. I understand this was kinda confusing so feel free to ask me questions but i am dumbfound and little irritated. Appreciate any advice Thanks!

[Rev'n Kevin]

Well, it can't be the thermostat as you replaced it, and it shouldn't be the fan since you put that in about a year ago, but to be sure, go spin the fan by hand and see if it is turning freely, if it does, I'd say your water pump needs to be replaced, but your radiator is also a concern to me, you say you had a weld job done on it and then still ended up putting bars leak in it, which I for one am not a big fan of, I have never used it and never will.

Drain the radiator down about 6 inches, with the radiator cap off, start the car and look to see if the water is circulating, you should see about 6 streams, if not, you have a plugged radiator, if you have none your water pump is shot.

[Mr. Austin]

Well as it sits its looking like the radiator. Took the water pump off last night and besides a few minor flaws that wouldn have lead to this I am concluding its the radiator. At this point I am not sure if i should order an aluminum or not. Money is tight with school books coming up!

[Mr. Austin]

Well it has been a rough week. Water pump, thermostat, radator (aluminum), and hoses have all been changed out and its over heating still. My last thing im about to try is the guage. FIngers crossed.

[trucker]

stop leak clogs everything even the block passages

[mntony]

Mechanical or electronic gauge?

[Wades GT]

Is it boiling over or is it just a guage showing hot?

[Mr. Austin]

ell before it was boiling over. Now its just Gauge. Before the Radiator it would go as hot as possible, now is is running a bit cooler. The gauge is the original in the car.

[HanksGT]

My '89 was showing 3/4 on the factory temp guage while driving, but no overheating. I put in a new, Ford 180 'stat. Still the same. I got a digital thermometer from Harbor Freight and after its hot it shows the thermostat housing at 180 and the top of the radiator at 170. I'm ok with it now. Good luck.

[Mr. Austin]

Well after all that it did end up being the gauge. it's a happy and sad moment, Happy because i have new cooling system! sad because dust is relaxing in my wallet. But hey its all for a reason right? lol Thanks for all you help!