Meekumslr Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 Hi all, Not sure I’ve asked in the right forum but I’m after advice. I took my truck out last weekend and cooked the engine by boiling it. I found out the drain tap at the bottom of the rad was leaking (new radiator core recently). I got away with it and it’s running fine but I thought I’d fit a temperature gauge which I ordered (new tractor pattern part as the truck is a Fordson). The gauge is in Fahrenheit and working well when put in boiling water but with my truck ticking over, it doesn’t move from 100F which is 37C. Does anyone know what Temperature a Ford petrol engine Should run at? And would the engine not get hot enough ticking over to move the gauge? Also, 60 seconds after putting the sensor in boiling water, it’s down to 170F/ 70C, so I’m unsure if this gauge is faulty at lower temperatures? Can anyone help? Many thanks, Neil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Ashby Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 I take it you are running a pressure system as your truck is post war ? if so around 140F to 180F should be the idle temperature from a cold start after 5 or 6 minutes, time to temperature is dependent of course on ambient temperature. Running on the road I would expect to see it controlling via the thermostat between 140F to 210F depending on condition of the engine, engine load, and ambient temperature. Try using an infra red heat gun to check the temperature at head, rad header tank, rad bottom tank this will give you a better indication of whats going on with your cooling system. They are cheap as chips off e-bay and reasonably accurate. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meekumslr Posted May 14, 2020 Author Share Posted May 14, 2020 Pete, Many thanks for your reply. Its not a pressurised system... I have an overflow. The one pictured is the one I bought. It fits great but won’t register on tickover. I will get a temperature gun on it (my mechanic has one) and see if the temp is low. Are non pressurised systems cooler than pressurised? Neil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Herbert Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 (edited) The whole point of pressurized systems is that the higher the pressure, the higher the boiling point. That is why opening the radiator cap when the engine is hot produces an eruption of boiling water as the pressure drops. Just because the truck has an overflow doesn't mean that it's not pressurized. It depends on the design of the cap - does it have a spring loaded disk that seats in the filler neck just below where the overflow pipe joins ? I assume that you have tested the engine thermostat in a pan of properly boiling water to see that it works ? David Edited May 14, 2020 by David Herbert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meekumslr Posted May 14, 2020 Author Share Posted May 14, 2020 David, I took the thermostat out when the radiator was overhauled and didn’t replace it. The filler cap is just a brass solid threaded cap that unscrews. Is it not good not to have a thermostat? The truck has no heater so I didn’t bother refitting the thermostat after the new rad core was fitted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 21 minutes ago, Meekumslr said: David, I took the thermostat out when the radiator was overhauled and didn’t replace it. The filler cap is just a brass solid threaded cap that unscrews. Is it not good not to have a thermostat? The truck has no heater so I didn’t bother refitting the thermostat after the new rad core was fitted. You need the thermostat in the engine, in order that the engine warms efficiently enabling a good start off from cold, once the engine reaches working temperature the thermostat will open. This is probably why you have a low temperature on your new gauge as the water is passing round too quickly. The thermostat is nothing to do with the heater, they were fitted long before heaters. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Ashby Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 21 minutes ago, Meekumslr said: David, I took the thermostat out when the radiator was overhauled and didn’t replace it. The filler cap is just a brass solid threaded cap that unscrews. Is it not good not to have a thermostat? The truck has no heater so I didn’t bother refitting the thermostat after the new rad core was fitted. That's why your gauge is registering a low temperature then Neil without a thermostat you need to heat the whole system up to operating temperature and that will take time most certainly with a new radiator fitted. Old by which I mean pre war cooling systems often did not have thermostats but any system that had them the reason is to reach operating temperature as quickly as possible as this limits bore wash and oil dilution as a result from prolonged use of the choke and also to reduce engine condensation and get the whole internals hot enough to get any formed converted to vapor and expelled from the crankcase via the breather. Pete 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Ashby Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 Sorry Richard our post crossed there Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 Just now, Pete Ashby said: Sorry Richard our post crossed there Pete No worries, we all are putting the same point over! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meekumslr Posted May 14, 2020 Author Share Posted May 14, 2020 Guys, thank you so much for your replies. I have just ordered a new thermostat and gasket and will fit the gauge after I fir the thermostat and see where we are. Again, sincere thanks for your answers to the post. Neil. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMP-Phil Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 Hi If the temperature gauge you were testing is brand new, when you dip the end in boiling water it should read 100 C or 212 F but if it doesn't, try dipping the sender end in cool water then back into boiling back and forth a few times. I've had one of these direct tube type where the gauge just needed to loosen up. But more important do the same with any new thermostat. With a thermometer, kitchen type, in a pot of the water heat the new thermostat and watch as it opens and at what temperature. I've had 140, 160, and 180 F new thermostats not open for the first time until the water was at a rolling boil. Once they have been cycled from 100 F to 212 F a couple of times they start opening and closing much faster. More important they should open at their rates temperature. Having thermostat in old or new engine is particularly important if they vehicle doesn't get driven enough to drive the condensation out the engine and the oil. Cheers Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 1 hour ago, Meekumslr said: Guys, thank you so much for your replies. I have just ordered a new thermostat and gasket and will fit the gauge after I fir the thermostat and see where we are. Again, sincere thanks for your answers to the post. Neil. Neil, I think you mentioned getting the gauge from a tractor part supplier. Be aware that it is possible that the thermostat is for the Fordson Major diesel which I think opens at a higher temperature than thermostats in petrol engines. You never saw many petrol Fordson Majors (50's models) so cannot be certain if they were both the same rating in this case. You will know when you get it as the opening temp is usually marked on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meekumslr Posted May 14, 2020 Author Share Posted May 14, 2020 Phil, That is cracking advice and I did notice the gauge wasn’t quite reading right in boiling water so I will do exactly as you’ve mentioned to loosen the gauge and the new thermostat. Thank you for that information. Richard, it’s definitely for a petrol as the stated the engine type E1ADKN is petrol (the K being Kerosene) and E1ADDN is Diesel. Again, I may not have known that so thank you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Ashby Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 1 hour ago, Meekumslr said: Guys, thank you so much for your replies. I have just ordered a new thermostat and gasket and will fit the gauge after I fir the thermostat and see where we are. Again, sincere thanks for your answers to the post. Neil. Come back here and tell us all how things are with the stat fitted Neil it's always useful for all of us to know the successful outcome of problems Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meekumslr Posted May 14, 2020 Author Share Posted May 14, 2020 I definitely will Pete. Waiting for the thermostat to arrive then I’ll be straight in it. well I got nothing on the gauge today so we will certainly know with a thermostat in it. Im also going to treat the gauge and thermostat (when it gets here) to Phil’s hot and cold conditioning as I feel the gauge isn’t quite giving a true temperature. I will post the outcome in due course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meekumslr Posted May 18, 2020 Author Share Posted May 18, 2020 Evening all, well, the thermostat And gasket arrived And I fitted it this evening. I ran the engine with thermostat fitted and new temperature gauge connected for half an hour. The thermostat is rated to open at 74C. After running it for 5he half hour, I now have 170F which is 76.6C (not far off 74C for 5he thermostat. Now I know why there are two leg vents and the whole screen folds out.... it gets bloody hot in there now as the bulkhead/ back of engine is right on your leg. However, much more snug in the winter. well done chaps and thank you again. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted May 18, 2020 Share Posted May 18, 2020 Well done, sounds like you have cracked it! regards, Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Ashby Posted May 18, 2020 Share Posted May 18, 2020 Well Neil looks like your sorted now thanks for coming back with the update Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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