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Normal Temp for 302
- Thread starter curewood
- Start date
Broncobowsher
Total hack
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2002
- Messages
- 35,237
Usually 192 thermostat
180 is about as low as you would want to run it, 210 is about as high as you would want to sustain. Momentary spikes of 235 are as high as I am comfortable with (long hill climb, etc).
180 is about as low as you would want to run it, 210 is about as high as you would want to sustain. Momentary spikes of 235 are as high as I am comfortable with (long hill climb, etc).
I have a 180 thermostat, Flowkooler water pump, Ron Davis radiator, 14" electric fan, 4 pass oil cooler, new hoses etc. Freeway temp is about 195- 200, idling in traffic it will go 220-225. Seems high to me.
It overheated after i had just purchased it. Went 260 real quick. Electric fan was not operating at the time. So i basically replaced and upgraded everthing in the cooling system from its stock condition. Never knew what the truck ran normally.
Any help is appreciated.
It overheated after i had just purchased it. Went 260 real quick. Electric fan was not operating at the time. So i basically replaced and upgraded everthing in the cooling system from its stock condition. Never knew what the truck ran normally.
Any help is appreciated.
Broncobowsher
Total hack
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2002
- Messages
- 35,237
The 14" fan probably wasn't an upgrade. Very few fans can flow enough air through a Bronco sized radiator to keep a Bronco cool. Spal high perormance series at $150 a pop, EMP are super but run about $300, Best low buck is a retrofitted Taraus fan. Any electric cooling fan that can keep a Bronco cool WILL over tax the stock Alternator. Many of the electric fans actually restrict airflow at highway speeds.
With everything working the best it can in mine, I will still pull 200° with the 180° thermostat at both idle an highway during the hotest part of the summer. My next upgrade will be to go from a 6 blade fixed fan to a 10 blade clutched Explorer fan.
Before I start ventalating various panels I plan on doing a magnometer test on those locations and varify that the pressure drop across that panel will actually move the air in the direction I want
With everything working the best it can in mine, I will still pull 200° with the 180° thermostat at both idle an highway during the hotest part of the summer. My next upgrade will be to go from a 6 blade fixed fan to a 10 blade clutched Explorer fan.
Before I start ventalating various panels I plan on doing a magnometer test on those locations and varify that the pressure drop across that panel will actually move the air in the direction I want
00gyrhed
Bronco Guru
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2006
- Messages
- 2,428
First of all do not trust your gauge. Get a calibrated thermometer or IR gun before you go making changes or worrying about anything you stock gauge or aftermarket replacement says. They can easily be 5-10 degrees off. I had an autometer gauge one time that read 236 Deg F when it was really 184 Deg F. I bet the old Ford stuff isn't any better.
Second as long as your radiator isn't boiling over you are NOT overheating. You are cooling. Fluid is circulating. It is nice to say that you want to stay below the atmospheric boiling point of water (212 Deg F) but it really isn't necessary, and most modern vehicles are designed to run hotter. With a 16# radiator cap straight water does not boil until it is over 250 DEG F. A 50/50 mix of antifreeze increases the boiling point even more. If you go look through a parts book at the idiot light switches you will find that most of them trip the light between 230 and 260 Deg F. What you like to have is a little room under normal operation to avoid problems when something unusual happens. It is OK to run at 240, but you only have a little safety factor until it boils the coolant.
Before you spend any real money chasing overheating problems make sure of the following:
1. The cap is good and in working order. Us at least a 15# cap.
2. You may want to put in a 195 Deg F t-stat. Belive it or not a higher t-stat will help.
3. Verify the gauge is working properly.
4. Make sure you have a burp tank and that it works.
5. Verify your timing is not retarded.
6. If you have a mechanical fan and do not have a shroud you may want to get one. Without a shroud the fan will need to be very close to the radiator. Close enough that it will hit it if the engine moves like if you drop of a ledge. If you have a shroud you need anywhere form 1/2 to 2/3 of the fan(depending upon who you talk to) exposed out of the back of the shroud.
7. Do not run straight water use a mix with antifreeze but no higher than 50% antifreeze. Any thing more than 50/50 is a waste. Even though it increases the boiling point antifreeze actually retards heat transfer so only put in as much as you need to be safe in the winter in your area.
With all that in place and working with your set up the next step may be the the removal of the electric fan. Especially a 13" fan. That sounds small for a 302 with no mechanical fan, but it depends on the set up. Do you have the mechanical fan in place? What some people do not realize is that an electric fan in front of the radiator with a mechanical fan behind the radiator does not necessarily increase airflow. It can actually reduce air flow. So if that is the case here you may want to remove it and try it without the electric fan.
Some people get away using only electric fans but I have never had good luck with electric fans here in Texas. Most people I know run more radiator to allow them to use electric fans. I use to run two side by side 18" electric fans on a 4 row 80 model chevy truck raditor in my Jeep, and it would over heat if I set the idlke up to 1200 rpm or so when running the winch.
I run a 302 with EFI, 195 Deg F t-stat, four row radiator, custom shroud, 18" fan, fan clutch, and I run about 210 (+/- 3) Deg F everywhere I go. In fact I just finished building the shroud and putting in the fan clutch. This weekend we drove over an hour in 101 Deg heat at 75 with no trouble. Before the change I ran about 225 under the same circumstances.
Second as long as your radiator isn't boiling over you are NOT overheating. You are cooling. Fluid is circulating. It is nice to say that you want to stay below the atmospheric boiling point of water (212 Deg F) but it really isn't necessary, and most modern vehicles are designed to run hotter. With a 16# radiator cap straight water does not boil until it is over 250 DEG F. A 50/50 mix of antifreeze increases the boiling point even more. If you go look through a parts book at the idiot light switches you will find that most of them trip the light between 230 and 260 Deg F. What you like to have is a little room under normal operation to avoid problems when something unusual happens. It is OK to run at 240, but you only have a little safety factor until it boils the coolant.
Before you spend any real money chasing overheating problems make sure of the following:
1. The cap is good and in working order. Us at least a 15# cap.
2. You may want to put in a 195 Deg F t-stat. Belive it or not a higher t-stat will help.
3. Verify the gauge is working properly.
4. Make sure you have a burp tank and that it works.
5. Verify your timing is not retarded.
6. If you have a mechanical fan and do not have a shroud you may want to get one. Without a shroud the fan will need to be very close to the radiator. Close enough that it will hit it if the engine moves like if you drop of a ledge. If you have a shroud you need anywhere form 1/2 to 2/3 of the fan(depending upon who you talk to) exposed out of the back of the shroud.
7. Do not run straight water use a mix with antifreeze but no higher than 50% antifreeze. Any thing more than 50/50 is a waste. Even though it increases the boiling point antifreeze actually retards heat transfer so only put in as much as you need to be safe in the winter in your area.
With all that in place and working with your set up the next step may be the the removal of the electric fan. Especially a 13" fan. That sounds small for a 302 with no mechanical fan, but it depends on the set up. Do you have the mechanical fan in place? What some people do not realize is that an electric fan in front of the radiator with a mechanical fan behind the radiator does not necessarily increase airflow. It can actually reduce air flow. So if that is the case here you may want to remove it and try it without the electric fan.
Some people get away using only electric fans but I have never had good luck with electric fans here in Texas. Most people I know run more radiator to allow them to use electric fans. I use to run two side by side 18" electric fans on a 4 row 80 model chevy truck raditor in my Jeep, and it would over heat if I set the idlke up to 1200 rpm or so when running the winch.
I run a 302 with EFI, 195 Deg F t-stat, four row radiator, custom shroud, 18" fan, fan clutch, and I run about 210 (+/- 3) Deg F everywhere I go. In fact I just finished building the shroud and putting in the fan clutch. This weekend we drove over an hour in 101 Deg heat at 75 with no trouble. Before the change I ran about 225 under the same circumstances.
Dave in Houston
Jr. Member
Believe it or not my '74 still had the original thermostat and radiator cap up until this past weekend, when I replaced both along with the water pump. The original thermostat was 180 and cap was 13lb. And it runs at 180.
Whistler
Jr. Member
Atlanta heat, humidity and traffic keep me around 220 at peak. Typically run between 180-190 with 180 TS. Like 00gyrhed said, if it isn't boiling over, you aren't over heating.
SaddleUp
Bronco Guru
Not necessarily bad but also not running as efficiently as it could. You will probably get more performance from the fuel if it is running a little warmer than that though. Ultimately the best way to check the performance would be to use an O2 sensor and then tune it to that. (Yes, O2 sensors are even useful to tune carbed motors)
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