Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Branches New England SVT OVERHEATED

MTOSVT,

I am sorry that you see my post as criticism. We are dealing with a VERY SERIOUS MATTER.
I don't know who is telling you how to diagnose this Head/Gasket problem, but doing it with a pressure tester is WRONG.

When you put a Pressure Tester on the Radiator, start the engine, and let it run, it WILL build up pressure, and it is capable of building up MORE PRESSURE, then the Radiator cap can regulate.
Putting the testor on your radiator is like locking the lid on a pressure cooker.

YOU WILL GET PRESSURES GREATER THAN 15 PSI ONCE THE ENGINE HAS WARMED UP TO OPERATING TEMPERATURE WITH THE PRESSURE TESTER INSTALLED IN PLACE OF THE RADIATOR/COOLANT CAP.
This is not even overheating yet !
Once it starts to overheat, you could blow a HOSE, or even your radiator.
There is a great potential here for someone to get sprayed with VERY HOT coolant !
This is NOT funny.

If you are looking for pressure leaking from the cylinders, past the Head Gasket, into the coolant, here is what you do...
Run the engine with the radiator cap OFF.
As the engine gets warm to hot, you will see the fluid in the radiator/coolant jar bubble, as if someone was blowing bubbles in it. This is the pressure escaping past the Head/Gasker into the cooling jacket.
You do not need to pressure test the radiator for this.
There also should be a thin slick/film of grease present in the coolant jar, and if coolant is leaking into the engine oil, your oil will turn a chocolate brown color.

At this point, I hope that the Coolant Pump solves your problem, because it sounds like this is your only problem.
You only complaint so far has been the high temperature, no misfires, smoke or fluid leaking, no oil in the coolant, or coolant in your oil, so there is NO EVIDENCE of a Gasket/Head Failure at this point.
With the number of people on this site who are EXPERIENCED with automobiles, OTHER THAN FORD, and WITH FORD, we are putting our collective thoughts together and speaking out loud to you.

You posted here for help. Yet you are listening to TWO Technicians, and eight CEGers, including myself, are diagnosing your problem as a Coolant Pump.

Please post your results, after you have swapped out the coolant pump.


Pete...