ENGINE wont warm up.

TYTILIDIE

TYTILIDIE

METH HEAD
Like it says, I can not get my engine to warm up to save my life. 145* is what it gets to. The truck had a 185* when I got it and I swapped it out for another 185*. Still wont warm up. Tonight we got home and I grabbed the hoses and all of them were pretty cool. You guys have any suggestions?
 
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turboj91

New member
Re: ENGINE wont warm up.

Sometimes the theory "new only means no one used it before you" applies. If you really want to know what the stat is doing, put it in a pot of water with a temp gauge. It's a starting point.
 
berzerker

berzerker

wookie
Re: ENGINE wont warm up.

fan clutch locked in or seized , block off front of radiator with piece of cardboard and see if it helps the temp come up .
 
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turboj91

New member
Re: ENGINE wont warm up.

WADR, I would think that if the fan was locked, he would hear the noise. With his experience on these trucks, he should have picked up on that. And,

The thermostat regulates water flow and should shut down when the temp is that low and only open when the temp comes back up. If the water in the radiator is stone cold, the stat will open briefly and shut again when the cold water makes it up to the stat. This cycle will repeat constantly to maintain temp or the stat will stay open if the system is able to maintain water temp above the stat setting.

When the wife is not looking, get a pot of water on the stove and heat that thing up with a thermometer in the water. Compare the temp on the thermometer to when you see the stat open.
 
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denny

Active member
Re: ENGINE wont warm up.

How is the heater core plumb? It could be acting like an open thermostat.
 
TYTILIDIE

TYTILIDIE

METH HEAD
Re: ENGINE wont warm up.

First of all, I am not slave to my wife. I do what I want when I want. If I told her we were having antifreeze as a side dish she would mope but she would eat it, or drink it:lol:

I read Dave's post and had responded. The heater core is plumbed the way it should be as is everything else. I am about to go pull the tstat out and drop in the pot and see whats up. I picked up a 190* just in case.
 
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DoubleVision

New member
Re: ENGINE wont warm up.

To get a bum thermostat that`s new is commonfold in today`s day and age. Over the years I`ve had to purchase 3 before I got a good one. Ever since first thing I do before installing it is check it a pot of water. I had one in my cutlass that ran normal temps in the summer around town, but in the winter it would run 140 max, even with card board blocking half the radiator. On the interstate it would run 230 and I didn`t like that much. I finally took it out and checked it, it opened at 180 as it was supposed to but after it opened it didn`t close until it got down past 100 degrees. I`ve even gotten bad ones that were the 10 buck a pop high flow deals.
 
TYTILIDIE

TYTILIDIE

METH HEAD
Re: ENGINE wont warm up.

Well it was definitely the thermostat. You can see how the it got stuck on the fail safe mechanism. ****in POS!!! I guess I have never had any part bad out of the box so I would have never thought. Oh well, live and learn.
liftervalley001.jpg
 
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turboj91

New member
Re: ENGINE wont warm up.

TYTILIDIE said:
First of all, I am not slave to my wife. I do what I want when I want. If I told her we were having antifreeze as a side dish she would mope but she would eat it, or drink it:lol:

My reply was never intended to show any disrespect to your wife (or you). It was my attempt to put some humor into the situation. Your wife has to be cool, she drives a Ty.


I read Dave's post and had responded. The heater core is plumbed the way it should be as is everything else. I am about to go pull the tstat out and drop in the pot and see whats up. I picked up a 190* just in case.
Click to expand...

I know you responded to Dave's post but only after reading the prior thread from the link provided. Thought it was funny/ironic that Dave and I has suggested the same thing and suggested the same method of checking and I had not yet read his response/suggestion until after I posted mine. And our wording was quite simular. Guess great minds think alike.

Glad to see you found your problem. Chaulk another one up for my "theory".
 
SY2932

SY2932

Administrator
Re: ENGINE wont warm up.

Isn't that a "fail safe" thermostat? They have "ears" on the inside that lock it open in the event of an overheat condition...
 
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TYTILIDIE

TYTILIDIE

METH HEAD
Re: ENGINE wont warm up.

It is a fail safe. The "plunger" is stuck on the ear. As much as I would like to say that it over heated, it never warmed up period. I suppose it could have been stuck this way from the day I bought it but dont really remember as I didnt really inspect it. I think there may have been stop leak put in the coolant as there is crap all over it. Looks like I may have a partially plugged heater core too. The original tstat was funky looking. It had a big barrel looking thing on it. Never seen one like it.
 
TYTILIDIE

TYTILIDIE

METH HEAD
Re: ENGINE wont warm up.

I think the view on it is that it is better to have it stuck open than stuck shut to avoid an overheat.
 
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