North American Turbocoupe Organization



cooling problems 88 just bought
88freebird Offline
Junior Member
#1
I just purchased an 88bird,and have noticed that my temp guage is going to "h" but the car is not overheating(so far)I let it run to see if the fan would kick on and it did,but not very long,the guage does go down after driving awhile,I,ve looked at the FAQ but at this point dont really understand the "tech talk"any suggestions-thermostat,bad coolant etc.
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Pete D Offline
Administrator
#2
By any chance does the oil pressure gauge and the gas gauge also go up when the temp gauge goes up high?
Pete Dunham


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88freebird Offline
Junior Member
#3
No all the other guages seem to work fine and the car seems to run fine also,But its also cold in NY but again no overheating as of yet
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evintho Offline
Senior Member
#4
Is it completely pegged on 'h' or is it just running really hot? Is the coolant level low in the radiator? Is there coolant in the oil? I assume your '88 is a TurboCoupe. Cracked heads on TC's are the rule, rather than the exception! I drove my '87 home 200 miles with a severly cracked head. The temp gauge was right on 'h' but never completely pegged. Never had steam coming out from under the hood either. I'll lay ya odds, you've got a blown head gasket or cracked head or both. If you do, don't despair. It's a common problem with turbocharged 2.3's. There are many options to fix the problem. Some cheap, some not so cheap.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5

1986 Turbocoupe 5-spd - New daily driver!
1988 Turbocoupe 5-spd - parts car.
1989 Mustang convertible (Thunderstang). Built '88 TC shortblock, head by Boport, R/R, T3, Bobs log, gutted, rotated, ported mannys, AFPR, LA3, NPR I/C, etc.
Check out Thunderstang!
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Pete D Offline
Administrator
#5
Don't panic yet. There are things you can check and some stuff is cheap. First thing to do is find out if it's really overheating or is the gauge just faulty (very possible)

Get a cooking thermometer or something that goes up to at least 220*F. Remove the radiator cap while the engine is cold andleave the cap off. Idle the engine and see what the thermometer says vs the temp gauge. See what the # is when the gauge gets to "H" Also note if the passenger side fan comes on when the thermometer reads about 210* F? Let us know what you get
Pete Dunham


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88freebird Offline
Junior Member
#6
Pete,I will try your suggestion today I really dont think it a blown head/head gasket,at least by the way the car runs.It has 123,500mi on it and I,m the second owner.But yes I let the engine run yesterday and the fan did come on.But I,ll get back to you tonite and the thermo test THANKS much!!
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TurboCoupe50 Offline
Posting Freak
#7
Is it the upper or lower fan that came on??? No matter which came on, if it cycles on for a minute or two then off likely there is nothing wrong with the engine.If it were overheating the fan(s) would run continously.

Now about the fans, upper should start when temp is around 210*, then cycle off when temp is back down to 195*-200*. These days it is often bad, so what happens?? The lower gets the duty call, BUT not till the temp is at 225* and will cycle off around 215*. The lower fan is basically a backup for the really hot days the upper can't keep up with the job. Then if everything is OK both would run...

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Three 1988 Turbo Coupes .....
And now a 1987

[This message has been edited by TurboCoupe50 (edited 03-11-2005).]
1988 Turbo Coupe331 AOD

1972 Comet GT

1969 Fairlane Cobra 428CJ 4-Speed
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tps87turbo Offline
Posting Freak
#8
How good is the antifreeze? Is it a 50/50 mix? If that is good, then I bet you have a clogged radiator & thats why its running so Hot. If its the original one, its a 2 row & they are marginal at best. After you run the tests stated above and they check out fine, pull the radiator & take it to a shop to see if its clogged.

------------------
Tony Sceia -

HIS - Red 88 TC, Med Red with Raven Leather & every option, Walbro 255, 3" SS Downpipe with Magnaflow Dual SS 2.5 Cat Back system, 3-core Radiator, Star Stage 3 Clutch, Rebuilt T-5 Tranny, 4:10 rear, 140 MPH Speedo, New Paint, Headlights, Refinished Snowflakes & New Tires.

HERS - Blue 87 TC, fully loaded with every option, Gilies Valve, K & N Filter, 3-core Radiator...just needs a little body work & a new paint job.

87 TC - Bought as a Parts Car, & will remain a parts car now that I found the blue one.
Tony Sceia -

HIS Red 88 TC
http://turbotbird.com/showroom/data_r-z/...a_88tc.php
HERS - Blue 87 TC, fully loaded with every option, Work in Progress
87 Gray TC Parts Car - Gave to BJL and is now his daily driver
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88freebird Offline
Junior Member
#9
I had a tech. friend look at cooling system today,he ran the car until fan came on,it was just about 210deg. he also tried blasting ot front of the condenser and raditor with high pressure water.He suggessted to try a 180deg. thermostat which we will put in monday,but also said that it may need new raditor,and yes it is the origanal,is there a certain one I should get when I replace it?
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Matt S Offline
Posting Freak
#10
I've experienced the same thing twice in mine the first few years I had it before I put in an aftermarket temp gauge, disabling the cluster one. It's never ran as hot as the stock gauge would lead me to believe.

Does it go high, and stay high?
Was the temp gauge up there when your friend said it was 210 and the fan came on?

If it was doing that same behavior at idle when the thermometer and the fans were doing the correct thing...I think it's your gauge/sensor. This is not the same temp sender your computer uses to activate the fans. That one is the sensor plugged into the lower intake right in the middle behind all the injectors.
Your gauge sender is on the block above the dipstick hole and oil level sensor which is in the pan.
http://www.turbotbird.com/FAQPage/engine.jpg

[This message has been edited by Matt S (edited 03-11-2005).]

[This message has been edited by Matt S (edited 03-11-2005).]
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