Weird overheating issue (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Feb 23, 2007
Threads
42
Messages
205
Location
Boise, Idaho
Just yesterday my truck's temp gauge darted to HOT while coasting down a hill. I pulled over and opened the hood, but the engine seemed nice and cool to me. It happened again this morning again while going down hill and then again while idling. The temp seems to go down to normal (about 1/3 of the way between C and H) once the RPMS get to around 1500. I searched the forum and found that it may possibly be either the contacts on the fuel gauge or a fan clutch. Any other ideas for me?

Ray
 
It is most likely the guage. Get a mechanical guage and hook it up. Less than $30 and you will know whats really happening.
 
Does the gas gauge peg too?
This happens on mine too, but the gas gauge pegs with it...
If I shut the rig down, it goes right back down to cool.
I FREAKED the first time this happened cuz I was out in Death Valley!

Chicago
 
My gas gauge seems to work fine, which I watched today because I had found a number of threads about that. But I'm now pretty sure it's not overheating. Driving home from work today the temp went all the way to hot a number of times and each time I was able to drop it by shifting down or otherwise increasing RPMs. I performed the emory board trick on the contacts in the fuel gauge and I'll see if that calms it down. Initially it looks like it has.

Ray
 
Hey Ray,
Post up if cleaning the contacts helped...
Ive just sort of let it go for the time being, but plan on doing that same procedure in the near future!

Chicago
 
Will do, Chicago. I'm going to take it out for a little Sunday drive tomorrow so I'll update the thread then.

Ray
 
Well, I didn't solve the gauge issue, and now I'm starting to think it's a bigger problem. I drove it around tonight, only about 10 miles up and down some hills. About 30 minutes after I turned it off it dropped a bunch of coolant and it was hot! I'm starting to think it's either my fan or my radiator. I noticed that the fan is pretty stiff to spin with my hands. Should that spin fairly freely? Do I have a seized fan clutch perhaps?

Ray
 
Well, I didn't solve the gauge issue, and now I'm starting to think it's a bigger problem. I drove it around tonight, only about 10 miles up and down some hills. About 30 minutes after I turned it off it dropped a bunch of coolant and it was hot! I'm starting to think it's either my fan or my radiator. I noticed that the fan is pretty stiff to spin with my hands. Should that spin fairly freely? Do I have a seized fan clutch perhaps?

Ray

Could that be your water pump?

Chicago
 
If you've dropped coolant, Chicago is correct...check the weep hole on your pump.
The fan should turn somewhat freely when the engine is cool. As it heat up, the thermostat on the fan clutch engages, so turn more with engine rpm.
 
Thank guys, after I thought about it I figured that the fan would be stiff if it was warm. I will check the water pump, but is it also possible that I may have a some air in the system? The PO didn't have a thermostat installed and I broke a bolt opening the thermo housing so I had to replace the whole unit. Could that have introduced air into the system and could that cause the problem?

Ray
 
Thermostat or water pump. If you're going to replace the water pump buy a water pump/fan clutch combo unit - it's not that more than an OEM water pump by itself.

From prior experience, an air bubble lead to a low temp reading on the temp gauge. The fact that you're dumping coolant leads to the water pump or thermostat being the problem (just because the thermostat is "new" doesn't mean it didn't die)
 
Well, I'm going to start with the thermostat since that's the most recent change. I'll try boiling it tomorrow to make sure it works.
 
Hey, one quick question, I bought a mechanical temp gauge, where on the 60 does it go? The manual shows the temp sensor location in a 62 but not in a 60.

Ray
 
Thanks Chad, I think my clutch is ok. When cold the fan turns pretty easily and when hot it's fairly stiff
 
Well, aside from my coolant dumping issue (which may be a bad radiator cap) I have discovered and fixed one major issue, thanks to DaveT!

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=148829

The wire from the temp sending unit was bunched up by the head which had burned a section of the insulation off. Occasionally this would short against the head and my gauge would go nuts. Gauge problem solved!


Ray
 
mine does that when its a gallon low
 
Hey, one quick question, I bought a mechanical temp gauge, where on the 60 does it go? The manual shows the temp sensor location in a 62 but not in a 60.

Ray


On the top back of the engine next to the firewall. Sticks straight up with a wire attached. Very easy to find.
 

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