88 2.9l overheating anyone use "Blue Devil" I was told it works

[88 XLT Ranger]

I would think that bubbling or hissing sounds might indicate air bubbles or blockage.

Since you added block sealant before, that sealant could possibly be obstructing small passages or hoses. Or you may have other gunk in there, the engine's 27 years old, after all.

It might have been a good idea to replace the thermostat when you did the water pump; but if the engine maintains normal temperatures when driving on flat roads for decent lengths of time (over 30 mins) then your thermostat is probably opening correctly. Keep it in the back of your mind for later, but it doesn't sound like that's the current problem.

I'd proceed with a thorough coolant flush, and then work on getting all the air out of the system afterwards, and see if that solves the problem.

We never did hear if your fan clutch is working properly, either.

Yes fan clutch is working pushes good air and moves fee when engine is off. Now the heater hoses one being one cold and the other warm before the both got hot like 20min in ideling. I had a bad stock original radiator leaking from the trans cooling lines the big nuts on the radiator. I added bars radiator stop leak and silicone. It worked for 8 years until I had to put a new radiator in and the water pump leaked changed that and the radiator cap it had a cracked gasket. Now I got overheating issues before it would never get past half way on temp. Could I go to a lower temp thromostat? I got smog check in August real worried this wont pass

 

[88 XLT Ranger]

I would think that bubbling or hissing sounds might indicate air bubbles or blockage.

Since you added block sealant before, that sealant could possibly be obstructing small passages or hoses. Or you may have other gunk in there, the engine's 27 years old, after all.

It might have been a good idea to replace the thermostat when you did the water pump; but if the engine maintains normal temperatures when driving on flat roads for decent lengths of time (over 30 mins) then your thermostat is probably opening correctly. Keep it in the back of your mind for later, but it doesn't sound like that's the current problem.

I'd proceed with a thorough coolant flush, and then work on getting all the air out of the system afterwards, and see if that solves the problem.


We never did hear if your fan clutch is working properly, either.

How would I do a pressure flush? like hooking the garden hose to it and flush the system out?

 

[Spott]

There's two parts to a good flush, and you can get both at the auto parts store. First is a kit that splices into your existing hoses that lets you hook up a garden hose and provides a large drain spigot, and second is a chemical that dissolves gunk. You can do it without the first hose kit, but it makes it a lot easier.

You'll need enough new coolant to refill the system afterwards, too, as you don't want to put the old gunky stuff back in. I think it takes 2 gallons, unless your new radiator is a different size. Once it's flushed and you have new coolant in there, if you have to open it up soon to replace the thermostat or something, just catch the coolant in a clean bucket and pour it back in when you're done (unless it looks bad, obviously). That way you don't end up wasting all the fresh antifreeze you put in.

 

[txgocartB3000]

I am kind of slow at this so bear with me...

There are radiator hoses and heater hoses, all connected to cooling system but serving different functions.

If one heater hose is hot and the other cold then you would have no/little flow thru your heater core.

If one radiator hose is hot and the other cold then you would have no/little flow thru your radiator.

Trapped air in your engine can play havoc with it's ability to cool itself.

Some thermostats come with a hole on top to bleed out air.

Checking new stats in boiling water (use wife's candy thermometer to verify) is a good idea.

Ray

 

[Big Jim M]

I am a car guy! My first car was a 51 Mercury! It was almost new when I bought it. I have had many cars/trucks since that first one. I have walked home so many times I cannot count them.
Over the years I have found the main reasons I walked home were the battery and the thermostat. Not the bearings or the pistons or the transmission! The damn battery and the damn thermostat!
The result has been being conscience of how long these two items have been at work.
To the point now that I am aware of how long each has been in all my rides. I even put the install date on each battery with a PAINT PENCIL!
Three years is near my limit for each. You can raise any of my hoods and all my battery cables and wires are in NEW condition! I never allow a battery to get to the point where it is so worn that it is spewing acid out all it's vents trying to keep up. Thermostat is the same, a new one has never failed me.
As for a lower temp thermostat? NEVER! Your car depends on that stock factory temp thermostat. Put the required one back in there.
Yeah my clutches get pretty thin and my brakes may squeak, but the battery will turn the engine over and the thermostat will keep the temp where it belongs.
Big Jim

 

[RonD]

Yes fan clutch is working pushes good air and moves fee when engine is off. Now the heater hoses one being one cold and the other warm before the both got hot like 20min in ideling. I had a bad stock original radiator leaking from the trans cooling lines the big nuts on the radiator. I added bars radiator stop leak and silicone. It worked for 8 years until I had to put a new radiator in and the water pump leaked changed that and the radiator cap it had a cracked gasket. Now I got overheating issues before it would never get past half way on temp. Could I go to a lower temp thromostat? I got smog check in August real worried this wont pass

Fan clutch works by engaging the fan blade to spin faster as radiator heats up, not the engine, on the front of the fan clutch(next to rad) is a bi-metal spring, as it is warmed up by radiator getting warm the spring uncoils and clutch begins to engage the fan more, the warmer the rad the more it engages.
Very simple device.
It is suppose to fail engaged if it fails, but that doesn't always happen, it can fail disengaged, but the sign of that is overheating when stopped and then cooling down when driving when there is air flow thru the rad again.
So fan clutch is probably not your problem, but your comment "moves free when engine is off", is puzzling, it should move but not freely, you shouldn't be able to spin it after rad is warmed up, if you try it should just stop right away.

Heater core was often used as a by-pass for water pump, so you need to check if it is blocked up.
Label the heater hoses and remove them from the water pump and intake.
Hold garden hose on one hose and check the flow out of the other hose, then reverse it, backflush.
If flow is blocked or slow then blow out what water you can from the core and pour in some warm water with CLR(or vinegar) mixed in, let it sit for 20min. then flush it again, repeat until you get good flow.
If it seems like a lost cause replace the core, $25 and 4 screws on my '94.
If core is blocked and replacement is not at hand, then by-pass the core, connect one hose between both engine connections, a loop so coolant can flow freely.


Since you are a long ways from parts store you can just remove the thermostat for now to see if that is the problem.
No, a lower temp thermostat won't prevent overheating, it doesn't work that way.
Thermostat sets LOWER temp limit, 190degF, this coolant temp is best for MPG and oil cleaning(containment burn off)
At 200degF(just below 1/2 on Ford temp gauge) a 160 or 195 thermostat is wide open, so at that point thermostat is out of the picture as far as overheating above the 200degF.
Lower temp thermostat will lower MPG.
Common misconception is that "I am starting at a lower temp, i.e. 160degF, so it will take longer to overheat"
Yes, that is technically true, but..............if cooling system has a problem that 30degF difference might get you 10-20 second delay before you are in the Red, so problem not solved, just lower MPG.

 

[88 XLT Ranger]

Fan clutch works by engaging the fan blade to spin faster as radiator heats up, not the engine, on the front of the fan clutch(next to rad) is a bi-metal spring, as it is warmed up by radiator getting warm the spring uncoils and clutch begins to engage the fan more, the warmer the rad the more it engages.
Very simple device.
It is suppose to fail engaged if it fails, but that doesn't always happen, it can fail disengaged, but the sign of that is overheating when stopped and then cooling down when driving when there is air flow thru the rad again.
So fan clutch is probably not your problem, but your comment "moves free when engine is off", is puzzling, it should move but not freely, you shouldn't be able to spin it after rad is warmed up, if you try it should just stop right away.

Heater core was often used as a by-pass for water pump, so you need to check if it is blocked up.
Label the heater hoses and remove them from the water pump and intake.
Hold garden hose on one hose and check the flow out of the other hose, then reverse it, backflush.
If flow is blocked or slow then blow out what water you can from the core and pour in some warm water with CLR(or vinegar) mixed in, let it sit for 20min. then flush it again, repeat until you get good flow.
If it seems like a lost cause replace the core, $25 and 4 screws on my '94.
If core is blocked and replacement is not at hand, then by-pass the core, connect one hose between both engine connections, a loop so coolant can flow freely.


Since you are a long ways from parts store you can just remove the thermostat for now to see if that is the problem.
No, a lower temp thermostat won't prevent overheating, it doesn't work that way.
Thermostat sets LOWER temp limit, 190degF, this coolant temp is best for MPG and oil cleaning(containment burn off)
At 200degF(just below 1/2 on Ford temp gauge) a 160 or 195 thermostat is wide open, so at that point thermostat is out of the picture as far as overheating above the 200degF.
Lower temp thermostat will lower MPG.
Common misconception is that "I am starting at a lower temp, i.e. 160degF, so it will take longer to overheat"
Yes, that is technically true, but..............if cooling system has a problem that 30degF difference might get you 10-20 second delay before you are in the Red, so problem not solved, just lower MPG.

Thanks for the help

I did get the heater core un-plugged and free flowing and pulled the Thermostate out. I ran it 10 miles down the highway ran at normal temp. I started back it most up hill temp stayed normal than I herd the lifters ticking away the temp went up a bit. I pulled over it was running like crap ticking loud a real loss of power. I think my issue is the lifters each time they start ticking it heats up quick. This time it dident boil over out the overflow tank. I cant for the life of me get the distributor out to be able to change the lifters

 

[RonD]

For now I would add some Lucas oil treatment and run a thicker viscosity oil, i.e. 20w50 or straight 40w

The noise is, of course, rocker/pushrod taps, and could be caused by low oil pressure at the lifters.
Oil pressure in an engine is Back Pressure caused by small gaps at the bearings and small oil holes.
The Oil pump pumps more oil that can be squirted out these gaps and holes so the oil backs up and creates a Pressure at the oil filter, where oil pressure sender is located.
Think of the system as a "soaker hose", if you push enough water in and the holes are all equal size then all the holes squirt out about the same amount of water.

As engine ages gaps in bearings get bigger, so pressure starts to drop a bit, this is normal.
And as oil warms up it gets thinner, that is normal
If you make a few holes bigger on a soaker hose the rest of the smaller holes get less water(pressure).

Lifters, push rods and rockers are all at the upper part of the oil distribution passages so need a certain minimum pressure to get good flow.

When you combine high mile engine with warm oil you tend to get tapping, 2.9l was/is known for that.
Thicker oil will cause higher overall oil pressure, so less tapping.
Oil Treatment can help lifter valves so they close better and pump more oil up the push rods.

 

[Big Jim M]

Then too, there is the chance what he is hearing is CLATTER. Doesn't make the noise until he is going uphill! Could be the timing stays too advanced under a load and hence the clatter. Maybe a timing check would solve the problem.
Usually noisy lifters sing at every opportunity.
Big Jim

 

[Spott]

Thanks for the help

I did get the heater core un-plugged and free flowing and pulled the Thermostate out. I ran it 10 miles down the highway ran at normal temp. I started back it most up hill temp stayed normal than I herd the lifters ticking away the temp went up a bit. I pulled over it was running like crap ticking loud a real loss of power. I think my issue is the lifters each time they start ticking it heats up quick. This time it dident boil over out the overflow tank. I cant for the life of me get the distributor out to be able to change the lifters

I'd run it for more than 10 miles before turning around and coming back up the hill, your usual route. It may be that it overheats after running for that specific amount of time, regardless of hills or anything else. The hill may just be coincidentally located.

Also, have you made sure your radiator isn't plugged? Even though it's new, you put some goop in there since it was installed. Try the "flip test" for a straightforward way to test it.

It seems more likely to me that the heat is causing the ticking, and not that the ticking is causing the heat.

 

[88 XLT Ranger]

I appreciate all your guy's help

I put 2 quarts of Lucas and 20W-50 Kendall it helped a bunch a little hard to start in the mornings on cold day's. Now after overheating it a few times it start up again back to having serious lifter ticking. I drive up a steep 5 mile grade up the highway as soon as I get to town its quite as a mouse. I than drive 14 miles to the big town no issues at all now coming home up and down hills it starts ticking than the overheating. I stop let it cool starting it a few times to circulate the coolaint than continue on. It gets to the point the lifters are making so much noise to slows to 6 miles an hour no power at all. Once it cools a bit on we go but like a nasty sewing machine. The Thermostat was open a bit and the little check ball stuck. One thing it don't do is boil over like it did and cools of quicker

Think I should go 3 quarts of Lucas and the rest 20-W50? the Radiator looks to be flowing good with cap off. The darn thing runs like champ until the lifter noise starts than its back to the same ordeal

One other thing is after taking the Thermostat out or should say after removing the center spring and the guts. I had to use the outer ring with rubber seal keep it from leaking. I use to feel it bubbling in the upper radiator hose now it don't seam to do this it never gets in the red on temp I try to keep it under that stop and cool it down

 

[Spott]

Sounds like the old thermostat wasn't opening properly, time for a new one. Get the correct temperature for your engine, don't try and second guess specs on a stock daily driver.

Big Jim M recommends drilling a small hole through the flange of the thermostat, near the edge, to bleed air. Orient this hole at the top during installation.

The fact that it still gets that hot means something still isn't working right, keep at it until it behaves like before.

 

[RonD]

When was the last time the valve covers were off?

Just wondering if maybe a few of the drain holes are getting clogged up.
There are usually 3 drain holes in each V6 head, they allow oil to drain back down into the oil pan, if the rear one was slow to drain then going uphill would mean alot of oil would get stuck in the valve cover area.
So after running engine 15minutes oil in pan starts to get low and hot then pressure drops and ticking starts.
Let it sit and oil drains back to pan.

On the next drive when you start to get the ticking, check the dip stick, oil level.


Yes, you could still have a problem with cooling system, but..........
All engines should get hotter when climbing a hill, my 4.0l temp runs just below 1/2, after climbing a hill for a minute or two temp starts rise and goes above 1/2 then stays there while still climbing, and when I get to flat or downhill it takes a minute or two for temp to drop below 1/2 again

 

[88 XLT Ranger]

When was the last time the valve covers were off?

Just wondering if maybe a few of the drain holes are getting clogged up.
There are usually 3 drain holes in each V6 head, they allow oil to drain back down into the oil pan, if the rear one was slow to drain then going uphill would mean alot of oil would get stuck in the valve cover area.
So after running engine 15minutes oil in pan starts to get low and hot then pressure drops and ticking starts.
Let it sit and oil drains back to pan.

On the next drive when you start to get the ticking, check the dip stick, oil level.


Yes, you could still have a problem with cooling system, but..........
All engines should get hotter when climbing a hill, my 4.0l temp runs just below 1/2, after climbing a hill for a minute or two temp starts rise and goes above 1/2 then stays there while still climbing, and when I get to flat or downhill it takes a minute or two for temp to drop below 1/2 again

The passengers side valve cover has never been off only the drivers side as it was leaking that was back in 2002. Why would it tick so loud after start up when cold than driving under a load up hill 6 miles its quite no ticking? I will check the oil level will do more driving trying to figure out the issue. I wish I could get this under control the issues the Ranger 4X4 is real clean almost like new I kept it up over the years. I am so thankful for all your help each and ever one of you

 

[RonD]

I missed the part about cold tick, I read that it would start ticking after about 10-15minute drive