help e350 running hot

[jpattt24]

hi all, i know this is not a e350 forum but i am having trouble with my e350 van running hot 230 degrees. it has a 460 4 barrell 1987. i replaced the radiator with a new one, replaced the thermostat 192 degree as per ford and thats what was in it also. i also replaced the clutch fan. the water pump is not leaking, and the timing has not been messed with. and no catiletic ? converter on vehicle. i can not figure out why it is running hot. can it be a bad pump ? blades or what ever, i cannot see any water flowing in the radiator at all. but i checked my 67 f100 which does not run hot at all and cannot see any water flowing in it either. i hate to do all the work to put new pump on it. and it not be the problem but i am stumped on this one. any suggestions would be greatly apreciated.

[ScreaminZ]

A number of things can cause a vehicle to run hot. One way to tell if the antifreeze is flowing is to run the engine for a few minutes and keep feeling the upper radiator hose. When it gets warm enough to open the thermostat, the hose will suddenly get hot if it's flowing properly. Also, the carburetor could be out of tune and causing it to run lean. Is the temperature that high all the time or just when idling or just cruising or what?

[jpattt24]

hi, yes the temp is that high at idle or cruising. it has the factory carb on it and seems to work fine. i geuss i will pull the pump and inspect it. and yes the top hose gets warm but i think there is something up with the pump. thanks for your reply!

[george worley]

I would check the colant temperater with a heat sensing gun or thermometer first before I removed the pump. I have had sending units not read correctly on my 390. Guage reading in the center and then suddenly go all the way to hot and than drop back to the center. Changing a water pump on a e-350 van is no fun,I know I have one as my work van.

[fordman]

i have read that the new thermostats used by ford were 210's. but i am not up on the newer stuff. i am only passing on what i read. other things i know about newer water pumps is after a certain year i think when serpetine belts were introduced. that reverse rotation water pumps were introduced.

how ever it could be the thermostat is bad and not opening. it could be maybe a slack timing chain. so it is throwing the timing off enough to let the engine run hot. but that doesnt seem likely. unless it is getting so hot it overheats.