Overheating issue

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ForeverScrewed

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Hey guys, need a little help here. The car is a '97 LSC, 104K miles, bought it around a month ago.

I noticed the anti-freeze looked pretty old, so I decided to change it out along with the thermostat. Drained and flushed the old out, filled it back up with coolant and started the car, waiting for the thermostat to open up so I could top it off. The coolant never left the radiator/overflow tank, and after a while the car started getting hot.

I let the car cool down awhile, drained the coolant and took the thermostat out, thinking maybe I got a faulty one,but still it got hot and it seems like no coolant is getting to the motor. Took both hoses off the crossover pipe and both were completely dry (other than condensation from getting hot).

Now, my first instinct is the water pump is failing, (I beleive its probably the original pump). But before I replace it I just wanted to see if maybe you guys thought something else could be going on.
 
Did you fill through the crossover and purge the air?


While it's all open I'd replace the water pump anyway. It's incredibly easy to do on this car and a brand new one is only $35, preventative measure. I've never heard of a water pump 'in the process of' failing as in not effectively moving liquid. The only way I would think a typical water pump could fail is if it suddenly seized entirely, after all it's just a turbine propelling liquid through the system.

New Motorcraft OEM thermostat, new water pump, fill through the crossover and purge the air and you'll be good for sure.
 
I cannot for the life of me get the top off of the fill port of on the crossover pipe, I'm afraid I'm going to break it off the pipe or break the pipe itself, but that makes a whole lot more sense...
 
ForeverScrewed said:
I cannot for the life of me get the top off of the fill port of on the crossover pipe, I'm afraid I'm going to break it off the pipe or break the pipe itself, but that makes a whole lot more sense...
Click to expand...

most people on here will tell you that if you use plyers or a pipe wrench, or some sort of variation of that, it'll come off. I had the same thing, and I and many others tried to get it off that way, and nothing worked, not even heat. I ended up drilling a hole in the center where the entension or rachett is supposed to go and taped it I then put a bolt in to fit. I used a magnet to catch shavings as I drilled it so it would not fall into the crossover tube. This was easily 6-7 years ago, and I have used this modification since, but with a smaller funnel since the opening is not nearly as large as what it would be with the cap removed.
 
If you can get it to a shop, have a nut welded to the crossover cap. Have one on mine for several years now.
I need to remove it occasionally and keep the threads greased.
 
I finally got it. Heat and channel locks did the trick. No more overheating. I feel like an idiot because in the back of my mind i knew i had to do that. LOL live and learn.
 
I had to use a 12" pipe wrench and 18" breaker bar and held my breath, but everything turned out fine.
 
I was in the same boat, and I couldn't get it off my 97 (the fill port on the crossover). I did what I usually do on the 4.6, and popped off the rear passenger heater hose, and instead of waiting for fluid to show up there (like the 2v), I filled it from there, and that got me past it over heating and I could top it off. Not ideal but it worked and wasn't a long process.
 
Well, I had to get that darned fill off the coolant crossover as I wasn't able to fill it from the rear heater hose completely. I sprayed it with PB Blaster and next day I was able to get it off with a 1/4 drive ratchet (I was ready to step up to a longer 3/8 drive with adapter, then 3/8 drive with a longer handle, then vise grips). I am not sure if it is a good candidate for anti seize or not, it wasn't corroded or gunky, just really tight.
 
I just go with vice grips in the first place. Grasp the lip and crank it.
 
Now that you've got it off, I'd swap it out for a stainless plug with a hex on top. It'll make it a no-hassle deal down the road.

after1.jpg
 
I need what is attempting to hide behind the plug in that picture...

Now that I think about it, mine probably came out because it was pretty warm from starting up the car and attempting to get it up to temp (and it spewing cold coolant out the degas bottle).

Most of these I have seen have a nut welded on them, I didn't recognize the plug in an aviator because it had a nut welded on, and smoothed.

I used anti-seize on the threads, and didn't go crazy tightening it,it isn't pipe threads and has an o-ring to seal it.
 
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