[Spridgets] High engine temp NON Spridget

[bjshov8 at tx.rr.com]

With the needle hovering at the "o" and the "a" it might be perfectly normal.  You would need a real temperature gauge to tell for sure.

A head gasket leak can only show up as overheating, or possible bubbles in the coolant, and not any other kind of leaking.  It depends on where the headgasket fails as to what intermixes with what.

If it is overheating when driving and not when sitting still, then that sounds like something is inhibiting the flow of coolant, or possibly the radiator is dirty inside or outside and isn't transferring heat well enough.  For sure if it doesn't overheat when sitting still then the fans are working fine.  There could be a problem with the water pump, or the suction hose could be collapsing.


> > In between dr visits and stuff I am trying to fix a problem on a 1998 F700
> > Box truck with a 7.0 (429) MFI engine.  The truch as set for 6 months
> > before
> > I got it and had to do a major tune up, new in tank fuel pump and I
> > nstalled
> > new thermostats (has two, 165 degree and 180 degree.  Truck runs great now
> > except for one isse.  It cam idle for hours and the temp never gets above O
> > on the normal on the guage.  Drive it 2 or 3 miles and the reading gets up
> > to the A on normal.  Radiator was clean inside, no crud flushed out of the
> > block, and has 50/50 antifreexe mix in it.  Soooo.. Where would all of you
> > start on trying to isolate the problem.  Tomorrow I am going to install an
> > aftermarket temp guage to get an exat temperature reading.  If it is high
> > then what next?  If it had a blown headgasket wouldn't I see water in the
> > oil or oil in the radiator?  It never makes the 13lb cap spew wter and I
> > haven't pushed it that far anyways.  Ideas and possible causes and trouble
> > shooting ideas would be appreciated greatly