Finally got her back on the road

[Wild-Will]

After my travails with my 95 EB posted here: http://broncozone.com/topic/22328-what-are-my-options/

I took her out for a test run. Now I have problems with the cooling system. While driving the temp gauge will settle and stay at maybe the first 1/3 of the analog gauge. When I come to a stop the indicator will rise to maybe the half point but fall back to the first 1/3 when I get back underway.

When I got back home I pinched the upper radiator hose and found it had no fluid in it and fluid down the left side of the radiator and I took off the radiator cap and saw no fluid. Poured maybe a half gallon and it got back up. Did this with the engine running to observe what happens, shut the engine down and saw fluid coming out from under the radiator cap. I bought a new cap this morning and it was installed on the radiator before I left to test and I expected that all would be well.

I purchased a flush kit and I will be flushing the cooling system to clean it out, it does need a bit of cleaning.

I'm also pretty certain I installed the thermostat correctly but, now I'm wondering.

Now, any ideas about what I may need to check and repair to get my Bronco roadable?

 

[Krafty]

after all your issues did you let it run with the cap off and top it up to get rid of ALL the air pockets. i find the heater core is a bad one for holding air. also after changing the cap is the coolant level dropping?

 

[Wild-Will]

Had the cap off with it running when I got back to the house and saw the coolant flowing through the radiator when it was filled. I may do it again with the heat turned on and the flush kit installed. Waiting for it to cool to a decent temp before I start grabbing hot hoses and such.

Found the transmission a little low from when I took the trans cooler off the front when I was trying to make the original job easier. Didn't lose much ATF but I'm topping it off in case that's causing overheating.

 

[Wild-Will]

Flushed out the cooling system and it was definitely needed. All that bright green coolant I put in yesterday came out rather brown. I flushed it out three times getting to clean water then letting the water sit for a few minutes then flushing some more. Lots of brown nasties came out but it's clean now for certain. Must be the last time I had the coolant changed at the garage I used to use they didn't flush just drained and filled when I paid for a flush clean and fluid change. :angry:

I also found it was air-locked to the heater core. I had forgotten that I had done some work to the A/C system and re-routed the heater hose to above the low pressure switch on the suction accumulator, they were higher than the radiator so, air locked.

I put them back to where they were originally and the rest was easy.

I filled the cooling system as full as I could then started her up and waited for the heat to rise. The coolant level rose and fell until the thermostat opened and the fluid fell. I added more to fill it up and eventually the thermostat opened fully but, fluid started blowing out of the filler neck. I shut it down and filled it back up and put the cap on. I'm hoping the system now has enough fluid to keep her cool and I will return to driving her until my wife's car is repaired and I can have my other ride back.

That's another story entirely, we've had a bad run of luck all through 2011, Thank GOD it ends tonight! :lol:

 

[Wild-Will]

Well, will troubles never cease.

I think they did this time. The coolant blowing out was due to a faulty thermostat not opening. I just yanked it out until I could do it over. I also decided that I needed to replace the radiator, the "wings" at the top of the filler neck had most of one broken off and that allowed the cap to lift and release fluid. Replacing the radiator proved to be an adventure too.

Pulled out the new radiator and checked it against the old one, needed to swap out some pieces to make it complete. I then found some of new parts in the box but not all of them, one clip for the fan shroud and one connector for the transmission cooler. I just took them off of the old radiator and put them on the new one, no worries.

Flushed the system furiously and removed a lot more brown and found the tubing from the sensor array on the throttle body was clogged totally shut. Got that cleaned out too so I might get a bit better performance now.

Filled her up, got the top hose hot and topped up the system. Seems to be OK now but, I'll keep and eye and ear open for awhile.

Next trick will be replacing the front wheel bearings, ain't much left to them.