Temperature

[blert]

Does that look right or too high?
(Been idling for a good half hour and about ten minutes driving around the area up to 40mph.)

I just replaced the thermostat housing, sensors, thermostat (Motorcraft 190deg), radiator and hoses. No leaks. Heater core flushed. On my third radiator drain and plan to do at least one more before antifreeze is added.

Before the work it would always sit about 1/4 of the way up the gage consistently and would take a while to get there. Now it heats up to halfway in about five minutes. Upon removal, the grey sensor was very corroded on the tip.

 

[Ed Fenwick]

I think that it is responding to the 190F thermostat, what temp was in it before. I don't think that is high, just be aware if it starts to go up.
Ed

 

[blert]

As far as I know it was the factory thermostat. Stamped on the bottom is "92°", I hope that is a typo. If not a typo that is stupid low. Factory is supposed to be 192°, no?

I did three radiator drains with ro/di (because I can make it therefore cheap). That's when I took the above pic. I did two more with distilled and then it seemed to come down a bit and no longer sits above the little graphic. Maybe something in the difference between distilled and ro/di? Probably just air bubbles though. Just put in antifreeze and it is sitting at a touch above halfway.

 

[Ed Fenwick]

I think that it is ok Blert, just watch it. Also watch the radiator level, after radiator replacement, I had to add 3/4 gal over a week's time to get it to show full.
Ed

 

[Doug Kaye]

best guess is your old thermostat wasn't working right- not closing fully.

Heat up to halfway in about 5min is what mine always did, both before and after radiator replacement and system flushed with water 3x before refill.

The pic shows a gauge that looks a little high to me, mine doesn't go above the graphic unless overheating. If it's back down now to on the graphic that should be fine..

 

[blert]

I think that it is ok Blert, just watch it. Also watch the radiator level, after radiator replacement, I had to add 3/4 gal over a week's time to get it to show full.
Ed

Had to add about a quart this morning and I will keep an eye on it over the next few weeks. Thanks.

best guess is your old thermostat wasn't working right- not closing fully.

...

The pic shows a gauge that looks a little high to me, mine doesn't go above the graphic unless overheating. If it's back down now to on the graphic that should be fine..

Well, if the number stamped on the bottom of the old stat is correct that's barely above ambient around here, or well below depending on the day. Or it's in Celsius (92c ~= 198f), in which case it's busted AF.
During my errands today it never crested the graphic. Came close once but crept back down right away, assuming the Stat opened just when I was looking at it.

 

[swshawaii]

@blert

Don't worry about the "92". I'm sure it means celsius or old fashioned centigrade. My used Motorcraft RT1167 t-stat and new replacement were stamped the same. These 4.0L SOHC engines can be a PITA to burp. When at operating temp my gauge ALWAYS reads just slightly above half way.

R/A describes the MC RT1167 as a "190 Degree Thermostat". (Huh?) LOL
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinf...ZK8mrkn/73NIVs0AGug3OADMmQOi7vSGbImRcp9OvzQ==

 

[JC2008SportTrac]

That's high on the gauge, be it V-6 or V8. But, if you just changed all of the cooling equipment, like it sounds like you did, then it could still have air in the lines (which means that it is ACTUALLY overheating, the gauge is reading hot, accurately), or it could take the comp a minute to re-calc the gauges/figure out where it needs to be.

As stated above, watch it, like a hawk. If it keeps going up above the 1/2 mark, daily, over time, then you might have a problem. But, so long as it 'heats' to the same level, and doesn't go above that, then maybe you just have a vehicle that 'runs hot'. Just keep a very good eye on it. And if it goes above 3/4, regardless what you're doing, then you have cooling issues, so shut it down, immediately.

 

[blert]

Thanks.
It has not changed behavior at all. It heats up quickly, hovers in the top half of the graphic for a bit until I get on to a main road and hit the gas. Then it rises up to just cresting the graphic and you can see when the thermostat opens as it then goes back down into the top half of the graphic. I check the fluid level in the radiator often and it is always full. It has only pulled in about an inch of fluid from the reservoir (added a bit more yesterday) which could be because every time I take off the radiator cap a little bit always spills out. I think maybe the new cap I bought is a POC and I should get a better one.
Anybody have and experience with those caps with the pressure levers on them?

 

[DILLARD000]

Thanks.
It has not changed behavior at all. It heats up quickly, hovers in the top half of the graphic for a bit until I get on to a main road and hit the gas. Then it rises up to just cresting the graphic and you can see when the thermostat opens as it then goes back down into the top half of the graphic. I check the fluid level in the radiator often and it is always full. It has only pulled in about an inch of fluid from the reservoir (added a bit more yesterday) which could be because every time I take off the radiator cap a little bit always spills out. I think maybe the new cap I bought is a POC and I should get a better one.
Anybody have and experience with those caps with the pressure levers on them?

If coolant system is working proper & burped with no air pockets,
V6~4.0L~SOHC engine should warmup smoothly to steady operating temp in about 5min,
to just below the center icon on the 2001~2003 ExST PreHEC cluster temp gage.
If temp spikes higher or is bouncing around, I'd suspect an air pocket or bad thermostat first,
then a bad fan clutch or plugged radiator or bad temp sensor.
Over the years, experimented with several ThermoStats,
ranging from stock MotorCraft 192f, down to a Stant\Gates\MotoRad 179f.
Found that anything below about 181f is unstable, bouncing Open\Close.
Ended up with a Stant#14748 183f, with the LowerBypass Disc ground slightly smaller,
so that it does not get stuck open in the Bypass throat of the AluminumHousing
& allows a longer+larger full open stroke thus more flow thru the 4RowAllAluminumRadiator.
Drove into Denver this week in 98~100f ambient; engine steady+cool 183~185f
(watching via ODBLink.MX+ ~ BlueTooth ~ PhoneApp)
thru stop+go city traffic with AC max'd
or pushing up long steep grades at speed.

On the LeverStyle RadiatorCap:
tried one 8 or 10 years ago, was troublesome to get seated\locked proper & just felt cheaply made,
so back to stock 16psi MINI Cap TwistOnStyle on the old factory PlasticTankedRadiator,
then a 16psi SAEA Cap that fits the larger neck on this AllAluminumRadiator.
Hope this helps.

https://2001fordexplorersporttrac.fandom.com/Engine_Coolant_ThermoStathttps://2001fordexplorersporttrac.fandom.com/Engine_Coolant_Radiator+Cap

 

[blert]

...
(watching via ODBLink.MX+ ~ BlueTooth ~ PhoneApp)
...

Was going to get the EX. It would be worth it to me to spend the extra 50 on the MX so I could easily drive around and monitor things (my laptop battery is borked, suppose I could spend the extra 50 on a new battery).
Does the MX allow the full range of FORScan operations? ABS bleeding ops, PATS key programming, etc? Or, it being wireless, can it only handle a limited array of operations?

 

[Steve Brothers]

Was going to get the EX. It would be worth it to me to spend the extra 50 on the MX so I could easily drive around and monitor things (my laptop battery is borked, suppose I could spend the extra 50 on a new battery).
Does the MX allow the full range of FORScan operations? ABS bleeding ops, PATS key programming, etc? Or, it being wireless, can it only handle a limited array of operations?

I don’t know the scan details on the OBDLink MX Bluetooth, but can tell you it will only work on a computer (with Bluetooth) or an Android phone. There is no app for an iPhone. I bought it a while back, hoping for an iPhone app in the future, but now this model is no longer active. It has been replaced by the “plus” version. For what it will scan, it is often limited by the truck’s computer modules - older first generation trucks don’t provide as much information as newer trucks. I doubt there will be ABS information, for example.

 

[Steve Brothers]

I don’t know the scan details on the OBDLink MX Bluetooth, but can tell you it will only work on a computer (with Bluetooth) or an Android phone. There is no app for an iPhone. I bought it a while back, hoping for an iPhone app in the future, but now this model is no longer active. It has been replaced by the “plus” version. For what it will scan, it is often limited by the truck’s computer modules - older first generation trucks don’t provide as much information as newer trucks. I doubt there will be ABS information, for example.

To clarify, it works with computers running Windows. Will not work on a Mac or Linux system.

 

[DILLARD000]

The MX+ works via Bluetooth to android using either OBDLink or ForScanLite app. To get full functionality need Windows & ForScan & EX with USB cable.

 

[blert]

Looks like the EX it is then. I'll just repurpose one of the old laptops on my shelf as a dedicated scantool/garage laptop so I don't get grease and funk all over my good laptop.