Radiator Testing?

al0389

al0389

LIMA!!!
Driver
Ive replaced just about everything on the FC except for my radiator. The water pump, thremo, water pump housing, hoses, heater core bypass (since it was leaking), and a good efan has all been replaced/installed/performed within the last 3-9months. There are no leaks in the cooling system now but it still runs rather hot. Is there a way to test the radiator flow/efficiency or any good shop anyone can reccomend? I don't want to go out and buy a rad if I don't need to, I'm a little low on funds right now...
 
Has a fairly new autometer temp guage, and the OEM temp sensor was replaced with the water pump housing. I've bled out the system twice in the last two weeks, just to make sure..
 
It's normal to be around 185-200 in Florida with a rotary. You could have an air bubble. Whats the temp?
 
The car normally runs at 1/4 between C and H, or 180F-190F reaching 200F -210F if I constantly rev it high. Now during city driving it'll reach 200F and on the highway it'll sit at 210F if I were to even get on the gas and drive it hard it will definitely raise above 210F, or half. Since I'm afraid to damage the engine when it gets too hot, I'll chill out and ride a little slower, and even stop if the temp begins creeping up to high. I know hotter temps will make a car drive hotter, but last summer it wasn't going as high, or creeping as fast as it does now, and I used to beat the shit out of the car compared to how i have chilled out now. Which is why I want to comfirm the status of the radiator, since everything else has been handled.

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Last year I was riding with only the OEM temp guage and the stock clutch fan and I replaced the fan because the clutch went bad on it. During the spring, it began to run hot from the bad fan, then the heater core took a shit and began leaking coolant. So I got an aftermarket guage to better monitor the temp, and bypassed the heater core and got the efan. It ran perfect after that, for about a month, then the level sensor on top the radiator began to leak and i plugged it to stop the leak. The water pump housing was replaced in the winter because it had corroded and was beyond repair. I'm afraid to say its safe to assume the radiator may be corroded or clogged, so i want to check it out before replacing it. and if it is needing to be replaced, ill have to park the car until i can afford to fix the issue next month.
 
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Goto a junkyard. Rip a radiator cap off a car that will fit yours. Drill a hole in the radiator cap. Goto homedepot and pick up a air compressor fitting. Put fitting onto cap. Block off all inlets/outlets on radiator. Stick it in water and see if it bubbles (leaks) when you put air into it.

Could be a clogged rad though. May have to just get another one.
 
do you have the front underbody cover on? it directs flow through the radiator and very important in FCs but even so if everything else was fine it shouldnt creep like that. how do you have your efan rigged? manual switch or thermosensor? and it might be a dumb question but which way does your fan blow? you could have the polarity reversed, very unlikely but hey. also does the fan pull massive ccf? most common fans from junkyards are from the domestics, buicks, ford, etc v8 or v6. no sissy fans what so ever!
 
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remove fan run car and check temp on rad in diff spots to see if its even or atleast close. Every sqare inch should be within 15 degrees from the rest understand?
 
BILLFISHER21 said:
remove fan run car and check temp on rad in diff spots to see if its even or atleast close. Every sqare inch should be within 15 degrees from the rest understand?
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hot and cold spots between the rad?

I'm guessing a cold pot has restriced flow?

hhn2002 said:
do you have the front underbody cover on? it directs flow through the radiator and very important in FCs but even so if everything else was fine it shouldnt creep like that. how do you have your efan rigged? manual switch or thermosensor? and it might be a dumb question but which way does your fan blow? you could have the polarity reversed, very unlikely but hey. also does the fan pull massive ccf? most common fans from junkyards are from the ford Taurus v8 or v6. no sissy fans what so ever!
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Early model Ford Contour 2 speed fan set to high. Had no issue until summer hit


The fan is hooked up to a relay with a sensor, wired to turn on only with the ignition, and to turn on after a certain temp. The sensor is set to activate at 160F (non adjustable) but where I had placed the sensor the fan was actually turning on at about 175F-182F. I checked it with a infrared thermo sensor and while watching the cars temp on the dash as well.

And I have never had the underbody cover, it didn't come with the car when I bought it a few years ago. Never found one at the junkyard, and didnt bother going to the dealer. I know about the cover needing to be there, but didn't feel the need to go out and get it since it never acted up.
FlyinFINN said:
Will an FD one work? Ill give you mine free, hows that?
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I'll need to check fitment on that. Thanks.
 
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yea if ur water pump was corroded badly imagine how corroded the rest of your system is and then that all collects in your radiator. do you run enough coolant to stop corrosion? usually 20% coolant 80% distilled water is best. if you find that the fd radiator wont work try removing your current radiator and reverse flushing it with your garden hose for the time being if your in a tight spot.
 
hhn2002 said:
yea if ur water pump was corroded badly imagine how corroded the rest of your system is and then that all collects in your radiator. do you run enough coolant to stop corrosion? usually 20% coolant 80% distilled water is best. if you find that the fd radiator wont work try removing your current radiator and reverse flushing it with your garden hose for the time being if your in a tight spot.
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One of the last owners had rebuilt the motor, I had bought a thermostat to replace it as maintanance since I had no record of it ever being done, to find out that it had been removed. The person that had removed the thermo had caked on so much silicone that did not make a proper seal. It did not leak out, but leaked enough to allow coolant to soak in the threads of the thermo cover bolts, and corrode the shit out of it. The housing broke when I tried to unscrew the bolts. And today I found another leak , I left the movies about 30 minutes ago and found a nice little wet spot on the floor. The area seemed to be directly under the rad. So I guess I know where the problem is now...

And as for the coolant ratio, I have heard so many ratios for the rx-7 that I should put in, its ridiculous lol. I have heard it should be 50/50, 60/40, 70/30, 75/25. (coolant/distilled water) I just make sure that the ratio is at least 50/50 but if I recall correctly I think last time I did it, I had somewhere around 60% or 70% coolant, the rest water. I guess it's whatever combination you feel comfortable with...
 
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is your fan a puller or a pusher? pushers (in front of the rad.) dont work too well on the highway. i have a pusher on my car an city driving i see 190. on the highway it rises to almost 200 but never past. i bet with better ducting you could reduce your highway temps. since my car used to run alittle cooler without my bumper on
 
coolant lowers the freezing point and raises the boiling point of water. here in florida we rarely have freezing temps hence less antifreeze is actually needed. people have a misconception that straight coolant has better cooling properties than straight water, which is incorrect because the more coolant you add the lower the heat transfer ability. antifreeze/coolant has two primary functions 1) helps keep water in its liquid form and 2) prevents corrosion. i say no more than 50/50. its a double edged sword, too little and you risk corrosion, too much and it doesnt cool as well.
 
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homeskillet305 said:
is your fan a puller or a pusher? pushers (in front of the rad.) dont work too well on the highway. i have a pusher on my car an city driving i see 190. on the highway it rises to almost 200 but never past. i bet with better ducting you could reduce your highway temps. since my car used to run alittle cooler without my bumper on
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Well, if you put it that way, it pulls. It sits behing the radiator, and the shrouding covers a good 97% of the radiator.

hhn2002 said:
coolant lowers the freezing point and raises the boiling point of water. here in florida we rarely have freezing temps hence less antifreeze is actually needed. people have a misconception that straight coolant has better cooling properties than straight water, which is incorrect because the more coolant you add the lower the heat transfer ability. antifreeze/coolant has two primary functions 1) helps keep water in its liquid form and 2) prevents corrosion. i say no more than 50/50. its a double edged sword, too little and you risk corrosion, too much and it doesnt cool as well.
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I see where you're coming from now, I knew what coolant was meant for, but not the other side of the blade... =P I'll have to refill the coolant soon anyway, I looked at the radiator today and it dirty as hell. The fins cracked when I puched on them, instead of bending in. And it had a nice amount of dirt, grime, grease whatever you want to call it collecting up on the lower side of the radiator. I'm guessing coolant is seeping out of somewhere and collecting dirt as I drive. I'll clean it out and wait till i can get another on there.

FINN, the FC radiator is about 4 inches wider, and 2 inches shorter than the FD radiator, and the outlet is on the driver side instead of the passenger. With a little fab work, and hose routing, it should fit in.
 
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