'82 F-150 runnin' hot

[athughlett]

I just need a little history lesson here as I have never owned a vehicle this old before. This thing has me in age by about 5 years. Lol!

My great grandpa gave me this truck recently and it's been sitting in a shed for a while. At the ripe old age of 93 he hasn't driven it much over the last 10 years. The first drive I had with it, the thermostat seemed to be intermittently opening and closing. Therefore, I replaced the thermostat and flushed the radiator.

Now, given that I live in Texas, it gets to the point of overheating simply driving down the highway. Granted there is no overdrive and the engine is turning 3000 rpm at 70 mph, but I just wanted to know if there was something else I needed to be looking for to help cool this thing down. As it stands, I either have to avoid the heat of the day or cut the speed back to 55 which seems to piss other drivers off.

[jethro]

you could add an electric fan and run mostly water and a "water wetter" type additive to try to help keep temps down

[Gene]

If it cools down when you slow down, I would look into the radiator. Either it is not flowing as well as it should, anymore, or there is an air blockage getting to it.

Does it have a catalytic converter? When they start to plug up, they also cause overheating.

A problem with the fan would show up when going slower, and not so much when going faster.

[athughlett]

The catalytic converter had been cut off long ago. Flow through the radiator sounds like a possibility though. When I shut it down and walk away, I hear a bubbling sound coming from the engine compartment. There might be a rusty obstruction restricting water flow. According to some of my other family members that have driven the truck recently, it runs hot naturally. This extent just seems ridiculous to me.

Is there an easy way to test flow rate? I might look into getting an electric fan to put on it. Maybe I can even retrofit another radiator on somewhere. Lol!

[powerhoghp]

You could add an oil cooler. Check the water pump and see if the belt is turning it efficiently, make sure the tensioner is working properly and not allowing the belt to wobble/slip. Is it running lean?

[athughlett]

It IS running lean. I think I may have a crack in the carb. Where might I find one of these said 'oil coolers'? Last time I checked the belt, it was functioning properly.

[powerhoghp]

Gassers are converse to Diesels, in that more fuel can make them run cooler. Check the carb before you proceed much further. You can just look through summit's catalog and find an oil cooler, though you may have to make a few other changes as well.

[athughlett]

Cool thing. I'll definitely look into getting that carb replaced. I was actually wanting a four barrel anyways. That will be the first order of business. Thanks for the info. This vehicle is a learning curve for me. First one to have the bright headlight switch in the floor. Haha!

[powerhoghp]

Lol, nice. Have any pics of the truck just for kicks?

[athughlett]

Not yet. My wife is currently with it at work and I can't seem to bring myself to remember to have a photo shoot while it's daylight.