ovhereating problem

[mineralgrey01gt]

I have a 2004 mustang gt with a single turbo built motor etc. I just got it back on the road after it sat for years in a shed. It has a slight overheating issue and need some help figuring this out. When it first got up and running I didnt have a fan on it but never let it get hot enough to overheat. It overheated once driving it down the road a little ways. I put a better electric fan on it and it kept it around 195-200 degrees when cruising. If I turned the car off for around 5-10 minutes the heat soak would bring the temp up and the car would never cool back down. It has the thermostat that was in it when it was put up now which im assuming isnt working right. I have a new thermostat ready to go in it and when we filled it with antifreeze I only had one gallon and put the rest water. I havent had time to fool with it but am wondering if just changing the thermostat and putting antifreeze/coolant in it would solve the problem?

 

[DSG2003Mach1]

when you say it over heats, what temp are you talking?

having a weak antifreeze mix (more water) should actually help cooling, just watch out later in the year if you live anywhere it gets cold.

How do the temps hold sitting still? Many aftermarket fans claim to be high flow yet still flow significantly less than an OEM fan

 

[oldmodman]

180 degree Reich Thermostat.

Set fans to turn on at 185.

With those two things I never see temps over 182 while driving at more than 30mph and 192 while sitting in traffic with the AC on. Even during the summer in the San Fernando Valley with 105 outside temps.

Stock 03 Rad and fans.

But after a one mile run with 17psi manifold pressure I will see a max water temp of 198, but as soon as I get out of the throttle the temps drop very fast. Down to 185 withing two miles.

 

[mineralgrey01gt]

Sitting still it runs 185-190, running down the road itll hold steady at 200 or so. If I let it sit for 5-10 minutes after I turn the car and start it again the temp will not pull back down on it and would hold steady at 215-220

The fan is on a switch in the car as I could not find a wiring harness diagram for the car.

I would use the OEM fan but the radiator I have is about twice as thick as my OEM one and the OEM fan will not fit with the hellion turbo kit with this radiator.

The one time it really over heated and started coming out the cap it got up to 230-235. That only happened once.


The thermostat I have is a 180* but I will look into the brand you mentioned. I just have a cheap duralast one to see if it would help any.

Now let me ask this... The car is starving for fuel on one side of the car, didnt realize it till last week and I only drove it on the road once after putting it back together. Could that cause some kind of cooling problem as well? Its getting fixed tomorrow as soon as the pump comes in. Could running bad like that cause extra heat?

Do yall think I should get rid of the aftermarket aluminum radiator I have and get another OEM one and put the OEM fan back on? I was told this set up I have should keep it cooler

 

[oldmodman]

Good thought. A lean condition will definitely be a source of overheating. Sometime even enough to melt pistons and cause detonation. Which creates even more heat.

That is one of the reasons that Ford programmed in such a rich mixture on the 03 Cobras. They were using it as a method to cool the cylinders and prevent detonation.

It was the decision they made instead of designing a detonation sensor to pull timing or enrich the mixture only when necessary.

A lot of people have gone to the J&S Vampire Detonation Safeguard. http://www.jandssafeguard.com/

It will allow you to run more timing, it will then hear the detonation and pull timing on only the cylinders that need it.

 

[mineralgrey01gt]

Thanks for the information. Ill look into getting something like that just for the safety of having it. What exactly does detonation feel like? Ive checked the plugs and all the plugs look good as well as ran a bore scope down in the engine and all of the pistons and walls look good. The car is running good at idle but when giving it more than 1/4 throttle it bogs down. Just wondering if it might have happened and I didnt realize what it was

 

[DSG2003Mach1]

you wont feel detonation so much but if its bad enough youll hear it, a metallic rattling/popping sound. It can be hard to hear over loud exhaust and/or blower whine. It can also occur at inaudible levels which is where something like the vampire steps in

 

[mineralgrey01gt]

Ok I never heard any of that before while the car was running. Just making sure I wasnt getting it as I never noticed. My new fuel pump will be here tomorrow so hopefully the extra fuel, new thermostat and coolant will make the car right