out of shop - now overheating

[toyo89]

I had a new engine put in my 89 3.0 3zve and now it is running abnormally hot. Before it was in the shop the temp gauge never got above 1/4. Now the temp is fine until I go up a hill (engine under a load). Then it starts climbing and the temp keeps rising until I pull over and let it cool off because it gets that close to the red. I put a new 180 degree thermostat in and think I got all the air out. It's got a new 9psi radiator cap. The water pump is good because it is pumping water. It doesn't make sense that the radiator or fan clutch would suddenly go bad. I wonder, could it be that the timing isn't set right and the belt isn't turning fast enough, causing the fan not to pull in enough air? I could let it idle and run flat all day without it overheating, but as soon as I start climbing a steep hill, there she goes. Any thoughts?

[tacofan15]

mine did this for about a day until i added poor mans engine coolant(hose water) and hasnt done it sense mine was caused due to lack of fluid though hopefully you checked that already though

[toyo89]

yeah, this has been going on for a couple of weeks. I flushed the radiator a week ago and it didn't help at all. I would like to know if it could be some weird coincidence that the radiator could now be clogged or the fan clutch could be toast. Or is it possible that a low idle could cause the fan to turn slower to the point that the temperature goes almost to the red when climbing hills? The engine runs great and has lots of power, there is no smoke in the exhaust. The oil is clean.

[new echo owner]

Does the front of the fan clutch look oily? How easy does the fan turn when the engine is hot?

If it is oily and the fan turns too easily when the engine is hot, you need a fan clutch.

N.E.O.

[denniswoo]

when your fan is engaged you will hear a rushing sound coming from your engine.if the belt is loose or slipping that could cause the fan not to turn enough rpm's.it does sound like a gradual overheat when under a load like the fan is not engaging like new echo owner suggested.

[hevster1]

Possible head gaskets on the wrong bank. Possible air pocket. There is a small hose coming out of the throttle body toward the front of the engine. Remove it. See if the coolant level drops. If so top off till coolant comes out of the fitting the hose was attached to. Re attach and finish filling. If it is truly full I would look at the head gaskets. Just because it is new doesn't mean they cannot f-up.
fan clutch is possible but way down on the list. you can add viscous fluid to them as well.

[cd_god]

As stated above it could be a head gasket on backwards or on the wrong side. Ford 5.0 L engines would overheat very quickly if you put the gaskets on wrong after a head swap as the gasket plugged a coolant passage. I had a bad fan clutch once my Mustang 5.0 but it only had a problem while idling, not while driving as the airflow from driving was enough to cool the radiator. If you had a shop do the head gaskets and it started ever since they did the job, take it back and mention it to them and have them take a look since they did the work.

[Jayota]

I would consider replacing your radiator if its old. Check the fan clutch aswell, make sure its working. You should hear it for a few seconds when you first turn on your truck in the morning...

[toyo89]

Thanks for all of your replies!

OK - the fan clutch is clean and "looks" pretty good. The fan belt and drive belt are tight but are worn. They have some dry rot - not alot. The heater is hot enough to make a naked man have a heat stroke in 10 degree weather. The overheat is gradual and only when climbing a mountain. Never at idle or flat driving. I'm going to check the hose from the throttle body today. I'm curious about the head gaskets being on wrong. Is there any way that I can tell that this was done just by looking at the heads without taking anything apart?

[new echo owner]

If you had used Toyota gasket, there would be the letters 'L' and 'R' on the rear corners of the gaskets. Not sure about the other brands.

Did the clutch fan 'engage' when it gets hot? If it is working, you will hear the fan roaring as comparing to normal engine noise.

N.E.O.

[Vicoor]

is it a new engine or remaufactured?

Or is it just new to your truck?

a clogged or restricted radiator could cause this symptom, as could low coolant level or a seeping head gasket.

The seeping head gasket may not cause coolant loss but may allow combustion gases into the coolant and reduce cooling system efficiency.

You should really have a higher pressure cap on it. 9 psi may allow the coolant to boil at too low of a temperature.

usually bad fan clutches cause overheating at lower speeds and in stop and go situations.

[toyo89]

The fan roars when I first start the truck until it warms up. I don't hear it roar like that any time after warm-up. The engine is a remanufacture with a 3 year unlimited mile warranty. They used my old top end. It's leaking oil from one of the head bolts at the front of the engine. The radiator doesn't leak or anything so I'm hoping not to replace it. I'd like to wait until next year before having to spend any more hundreds on this truck. Maybe I'll try a chemical flush. Are they worth the time?

[new echo owner]

If it is hot enough the fan should make some noise. When the temp gets close to red, you should feel more air flow from the fan comparing to the other times.

Check for uneven temperature on the radiator, it will tell you if the radiator is plugged or not. Chemical flush don't usually work for plugged radiator, but won't hurt anything to try.

N.E.O.

[Jayota]

The fan should be roaring before the engine overheats... Check the fan clutch!

[toyo89]

Thanks for all your replys. The problem was the radiator. Since I replaced it (for $79 on Ebay) I haven't had any problems.