This is why you should monitor your IAT2's...

[JDUB348]

This is the exact reason why I highly recommend getting a set of these aero force gauges to monitor your IAT2s. I hopped in my car tonight to take it for a drive and my IAT2's were staying up around 140 degrees. Normally they stay between 80-100 depending on the temperature outside.

What happens is the inter cooler fluid some how air locks itself, and this is what happens. All you have to do is take a vacuum and suck the fluid through to get the air pocket out. My car was sitting for the last couple weeks and out of the blue does this. I didn't disconnect any of the coolant hoses either. The gauges are just the best way to tell you if your inter cooler pump is flowing properly.

I can't believe ford let the 03/04 terminators leave the factory without some kind of gauge to monitor IAT2's. That along with oil pressure and wide band are the top 3 most critical things to watch driving down the road

This has happened to me a couple of times over the years. Not a big deal as long as you get the air pocket sucked out and baby it while the system is air locked.

 

[MalcolmV8]

View attachment 30169

This is the exact reason why I highly recommend getting a set of these aero force gauges to monitor your IAT2s. I hopped in my car tonight to take it for a drive and my IAT2's were staying up around 140 degrees. Normally they stay between 80-100 depending on the temperature outside.

What happens is the inter cooler fluid some how air locks itself, and this is what happens. All you have to do is take a vacuum and suck the fluid through to get the air pocket out. My car was sitting for the last couple weeks and out of the blue does this. I didn't disconnect any of the coolant hoses either. The gauges are just the best way to tell you if your inter cooler pump is flowing properly.

I can't believe ford let the 03/04 terminators leave the factory without some kind of gauge to monitor IAT2's. That along with oil pressure and wide band are the top 3 most critical things to watch driving down the road

This has happened to me a couple of times over the years. Not a big deal as long as you get the air pocket sucked out and baby it while the system is air locked.

It sounds more to me like your pump is failing. How would the system air lock under normal usage?

 

[JDUB348]

Doubt there's any way it's failing as the pump isn't that old, replaced it not to long ago

 

[CrispyBacon]

Mine is usually around that temp after about 30 minutes of normal driving :/

 

[RI-SVT]

what was the ambient temp during this? I dont even see that high in mid summer, aeroforce for sure.

 

[stangfreak]

I have never heard of the intercooler fluid air locking itself like that. when I bought my car back in 03, in 05 my pump went bad and I had to replace it.

 

[JDUB348]

Temp outside during the picture above was like 40-50 degrees. Usually when it's that cold the iat2s barely get into the 100's.

Video of the pump working but fluid not flowing.. I need to go buy a shop vac and I'll get a video of sucking the fluid out and the pump flowing properly again https://vimeo.com/113159226

 

[MalcolmV8]

Temp outside during the picture above was like 40-50 degrees. Usually when it's that cold the iat2s barely get into the 100's.

Video of the pump working but fluid not flowing.. I need to go buy a shop vac and I'll get a video of sucking the fluid out and the pump flowing properly again https://vimeo.com/113159226

The system only gets air locked when you work on it. Even then it's real easy to just blow through the hoses and get it primed, or disconnect a hose at the bottom so fluid flows down through the lines and gets the air out. No shop vac needed.
The only thing I can think of is you never got all the air out in the first place or maybe have a leak where it's sucking in air or something. Under normal conditions the entire system is fluid except for the tiny air pocket in the top space of the over flow bottle. There should not be any other air in the entire system. If there is you have something wrong. The system does not air lock under normal operation.

 

[JDUB348]

Yea I'm not exactly sure why it
Happened. I drove the car like a few weeks prior to this happening and nothing was wrong with the system. Let the car sit for a few weeks and it some how locked up. Just sucked the air out.. Good to go once again https://vimeo.com/113163714

 

[Bdubbs]

And a shop vac works much better! That coolant taste in the mouth takes forever to get rid of! I've thought about buying a new intercooler pump as a backup since there known to go bad. That's what I've done with a alternator already. I have a Ford Racing one tucked away until I need it.

 

[MalcolmV8]

And a shop vac works much better! That coolant taste in the mouth takes forever to get rid of!

haha yeah don't put your mouth directly on the coolant hose. Not only does it taste bad but it's poisonous. I grab a fresh stub of clear tubing I have laying in the garage and shove in the end and blow on that.

 

[Posi]

Take it for a short drive over some bumps it'll fix it. Or at least it always has for me. I've done it multiple times. Mine gets pockets because of ice though. Not sure what the reason is for this.

 

[MalcolmV8]

I was reading this site here

http://www.cobraengineering.net/IC adapter.html

and they claim it's possible for the boost to get by the seals and into the intercooler. That would certainly explain how you're getting air in there if that's true. Your seals could be shot.

 

[Tractionless1]

JDUB,

What pump are you running? If OE age doesn't matter they're garbage and need to be upgraded.

 

[SVT_Troy]

I was reading this site here

http://www.cobraengineering.net/IC adapter.html

and they claim it's possible for the boost to get by the seals and into the intercooler. That would certainly explain how you're getting air in there if that's true. Your seals could be shot.

Malcom, pretty much everything James @ Cobra Engineering makes is top notch. This is a solution to guys running higher boost. I plan on going with this setup eventually.

 

[MalcolmV8]

Malcom, pretty much everything James @ Cobra Engineering makes is top notch. This is a solution to guys running higher boost. I plan on going with this setup eventually.

It looks like quality parts but I do wonder the validity or need of that actual part I linked to. How much boost are the guys running that run high enough boost to force by those seals and pressurize the intercooling fluid system? I'm running 27.5 PSI and have no issues.

If the o-rings are bad though and boosted air is forcing its way into the lines that would explain the OP's strange issue of suddenly getting air in the lines.

 

[SVT_Troy]

I'm not sure Malcom, I want it as well to eliminate another metal part that rusts and to reduce restrictions. Not a mandatory thing for me. Just something I will get around to getting when i get board and have extra cash laying around. I have plenty of things to buy before i get there!