Ford 2000 Overheating

fredkotewa

New User
I have a 1975 Ford 2000 that is overheating. It stopped for me twice while moderately working it. It did not seize up but just stopped. The heat gage was maxed to red. So far I have changed the V-belt, changed the thermostat to 160* from 168* because that was all they had, pulled the radiator and checked for good flow, checked the upper and lower hoses for a collapsed hose, pulled the water pump and checked for any play or worn impeller, and checked to see that the thermostat was not in backwards. When the tractor is idling @ 1300 rpm's for 15 minutes, the needle on the gage will be maxed out but the temperature on the intake manifold will be no more than 150* at any point, and the thermostat still will not open. This is done using an infrared heat gun. So the last thing I do is pull out the thermostat and run the tractor without it. Ran tractor for over an hour from 1100 rpm's to 1600 rpm's while it is setting still and it ran beautifully with the needle never going over the mid point of the gage but the temp. still not more than 150*. When I first started it, I had the radiator cap off and I really had a good flow of anti-freeze going thru the radiator, so the pump is working very good with no overflow. So my question is, why can't I run this tractor with a thermostat in it because the manual states that it should not be run without a thermostat? Does anyone have any good idea's?
 
Sounds like you need to do an engine flush of the cooling system. Drain the coolant out and then fill with vinegar and run it till good and warm then let cool and drain the vinegar out. You may have to do it a couple times if real bad
 
What is the fuel gauge reading? The Thousand series had a voltage stabilizer. See if the fuel gauge and temp gauge are working together. Could be you just need a new voltage stabilizer. Its mounted on the back of the dash.
 
The Thermostat will actually help cooling because it slow the flow and allows for a higher temperature differential through the radiator. A 180 or 188 thermostat is best for those, 160 is way to cold. Shoot the infrared at the head, should read about 10 degrees above thermostat, block should read about 10 below. I would trust the infrared more than the gauge.
 
fredkotewa- "When the tractor is idling @ 1300 rpm's for
15 minutes, the needle on the gage will be maxed out but
the temperature on the intake manifold will be no more
than 150* at any point"....

Why are you taking the temperature of your INTAKE
manifold?
 
When the gauge was maxed all the way to the red, and the engine quit, what else was happening?

Was it blowing steam? Churning and boiling inside the radiator hose? Clattering, loss of power? A strange smell, unique to a hot engine?

Those are symptoms of an overheated engine, an engine heated to the point it quit running.

If those symptoms were there, you probably (now) have a blown head gasket or cracked head.

Head gasket, or cracked head problems can be magnified by a thermostat, as it helps trap steam and combustion gasses in the upper cooling chambers of the head.

Symptoms are mysterious coolant loss, blowing coolant out the radiator, even when the engine hasn't had time to come up to temp, misfire, steam out the exhaust, even on a warm day, liquid locked engine. Not all symptoms are necessary to indicate a problem.

But if it was showing to be over in the red, but was not blowing steam, or empty of coolant, it very well could be a defective gauge. Shoot the head with your infrared up around the thermostat area, spark plug area. That will give the critical temp areas. Avoid the manifolds and lower block areas.
 
I'm sorry, but I neglected to say that while running the tractor for over an hour, I did have a can of radiator flush and water in it. I than drained it all out and flushed it out with a garden hose until everything was running clear, and then put anti-freeze in it. When the engine did quit, nothing else was happening. No steam, no noise. It just died. tried to start it 10 minutes later and it fired right up. When using the heat gun on the intake manifold, I was checking the water intake port and the outlet port right in front of the thermostat. Also the fuel gage is reading accurate. Do you think that vinegar flush would be better than the rad. flush that I used? Thanks for all of your information.
 
You need to get several readings with the non-contact thermometer. Check the radiator with the thermometer as well as the area around the thermostat and the temp. sending unit. I never trust a gauge unless I can prove it is good. I also would not keep the thermostat out unless I could prove it was not working properly and then I would replace it with a new one.
 
okay,, assuming you have a gas model with the thermostat mounted on the front edge of the intake manifold... That model MUST HAVE a tiny bleed hole in the thermostat flange, or the hot water will never get close enough to the thermostat to open. You can either buy a thermostat with the tiny bleed hole or drill one your self. Must in the flange close enough to the center that it will flow a tiny bit of water, even when the thermostat is closed,, this way the water movement will allow hot water to get near the thermostat, and then open it. If the hole is to near the edge, the housing will cover it, and not let the tiny bit of water flow through. This hole will also allow you to bleed all the air out and get the water next to the thermostat. Some models are more sensitive to this, and the gas model 3cy engine is EXTREMELY sensitive to this.
 

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