428 thermostat

[zray]

Instead of exactly when a thermostat starts to open, maybe a good question to ask would be do all thermostats flow equally once they are fully open, at say 200°?

the factory stock 190/192 thermostats are not fully open at 200 F. They open fully at 210-212 F if they are within factory specifications. .The shop manual is a pretty handy reference to know those specifications. I keep one in the garage, and one in the bathroom. So no matter where I am, there is good reading material close by.

As far as your question goes, yes they all flow equally when open if from the same manufacturer. 

Z

 

[2112]

As far as your question goes, yes they all flow equally when open if from the same manufacturer. 

Z

I thought someone mentioned one manufacturer's flowed better than the others.

[shelbydoug]

There are two sizes for the FE's. The Shelby's take the small one. The Cobras take the large one. How much that effects the flow, I don't know but there has to be some kind of effect?

There was only one type back in the day. There are now "high flow" designs. This is one area where you want to use the improved high flow design as opposed to an original Ford stamped unit.

[zray]

As far as your question goes, yes they all flow equally when open if from the same manufacturer. 

Z

I thought someone mentioned one manufacturer's flowed better than the others.

I tried a few high flow thermostats, but not all of them by any means. The Stant, Milodon, And Edlebbrock are the ones I tried.  They may flow more than the original Ford / MotorCraft thermostats. I have no reason to doubt them.

But in my case this increased flow did not translate into. a lower coolant temperature as measured by my mechanical AutoMeter temperature gauge. This is completely anecdotal as I wasn't adhering to scientific protocols in my comparisons,  but the increased flow, if any, didn't translate into a lower engine temperature for me.

On the other hand, a FlowKooler water pump did lower the engine temperature when driving around town in stop and go traffic, by nearly 10 degrees.

certainly YMMV.

Z

[shelbydoug]

I don't think the issue is with a thermostat that is restrictive. People remove the thermostats entirely and get the same results.

[zray]

I don't think the issue is with a thermostat that is restrictive. People remove the thermostats entirely and get the same results.

+ 1000 ..... just takes a while to overheat, if that's what it was doing before.


I was taught to have a checklist when trying to diagnose a tricky overheating issue. By tricky I mean the obvious stuff has already been checked, like a loose belt, low coolant level, bad thermostat that won't hold pressure, collapsing radiator hose or other hose blockage, etc.

First start where the heat is produced, and work backward from there:

1st  flush the block at best you can. If a lot of crud comes out, consider having a radiator shop do a professional block flush

If car still overheats, then ...

2nd. Check radiator flow with an IR gun as the car goes from cold to warm(er). Any cold areas or areas that are slow to warn up, indicate a plugged up tube.  Have the radiator professionally boiled out.

If car still overheats, then ...

3rd. Check water pump for broken or damaged impeller. Replace water pump if in doubt.

More often than not, problem overheating is a combination of #1 and #2.  It's amazing how much a radiator filter will help in preventing overheating issues from retuning. I like the Tefba filter, and AeroFlow is making a nice black anodized aluminum version of it
https://www.aeroflowperformance.com/af64-2043

after I had 6s1117's engine overhauled in 1999, & even though the block was boiled out, I put on a Tefba filter.  That thing continued to catch iron dust and iron grit for the next 2+ years until it slowly tapered off. Over a 1/2 cup total.  All of that would've ended up plugging the radiator w/o the filter in place.

Z

[shelbydoug]

I'm thinking that it may be worthwhile to ceramic coat the exhaust manifolds? That stuff does reduce radiated heat which is the majority of the problem.

GT40's used a lot of sheet metal ducting. It's ironic that such a small car would have more room to do so then the Mustang chassis and a big block.

[2112]

Well, if we are covering overheating, it goes without saying that if timing and fuel delivery aren't correct, you can be fighting that source of excess heat generation as well.

[shelbydoug]

Well, if we are covering overheating, it goes without saying that if timing and fuel delivery aren't correct, you can be fighting that source of excess heat generation as well.

It's not necessarily overheating. It's more the inability of the engine compartment to disperse the heat.

[2112]

Do all FE's use the same thermostat? With the '67 housing/neck being different, does it take a unique T-stat?

[Bob Gaines]

Do all FE's use the same thermostat? With the '67 housing/neck being different, does it take a unique T-stat?

No they all did not use the same thermostat. The earlier FE's used the larger diameter thermostat and the later (Approx. Dec 66 on up) FE's used the smaller diameter thermostat.

[427heaven]

+1  And large diameter holes flow better then small ones-

[Vcode]

Here's two PI intakes showing the difference in the thermostat hole size.
On the left is a C6AE-H on the right C7AE-F

[2112]

Do all FE's use the same thermostat? With the '67 housing/neck being different, does it take a unique T-stat?

No they all did not use the same thermostat. The earlier FE's used the larger diameter thermostat and the later (Approx. Dec 66 on up) FE's used the smaller diameter thermostat.

Do you know what diameters those are? As an example, I know a 351C uses a 2.12" O.D. diameter

[shelbydoug]

The indentation on the FE housing that I have is 2-1/16". So probably 2" is what the thermostat is. I have some thermostats in the "drawer" in my shop but I'm not there right now.

I just happen to have the housing with me playing with it. Contemplating this surgery thing on the Scott Drake unit.