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I recently purchased a 1989 Coachmen with a Ford 460 engine on a John Deere Chassis. I noticed when I first drove it that it ran at about 220-230 degrees. The last few times I have tried to drive it, it has overheated completely (250+ degrees)!
I changed the thermostat, changed all the hoses, checked the fan clutch (it seems to be working normally), and made sure the water pump was working (it seems to pull that water fine).
I just got back from driving a few miles down the road. It heated up to 230 degrees and held at speeds up to 55 mph. Is that too hot? I don't want to crack the block or blow the head gasket. I am about to take it on the interstate and see if it gets hotter than 230 degrees.
I would be overjoyed if someone could reply to my post and help me.
If 230 degrees is too hot, what are some other options?
Thank you!
I have a 32' Cruisemaster 1991 W/460 F.I. Ford Had the same problem. Ended up being the transmission slipping and buliding heat in the transmisison cooler. Once transmission was repaired the engine temperature dropped and has been fine ever since, By the way I haul a 24 ft trailer with this rig racing every weekend, 160,000 miles still running strong all over the country.
Well...my 1989 Coachmen John Deere Classic has been in the shop for more than two weeks. They thought they had found a radiator (for $700) that would fit, but it wouldn't. So...they sent the old radiator to the shop and are having the old core replaced with a new one ($875). The core of the old radiator was bad. It was also apparently inadequate--it was built like a car radiator and had round tubes instead of flat ones. They radiator shop is replacing it with the type of core they would put in a big F-350 truck. The water pump was also bad (just barely leaking water--so you couldn't tell). When I finally get it back, I will let you know if it is still overheating. By the way, this one has an oil cooler and transmission fluid cooler on the front of the radiator. As far as we can tell, both are circulating fine.
I have the same problem. Been working on it all winter. It is a 1988 Mallard with ford 460 on a John Deere Frame. I have a C6 transmission with aftermarket GearVender overdrive. I have changed hoses, built a shrowd, tried different thermostats. Do you have a transmission/oil cooler in front of your radiator along with and A/C cooler?
What is your tranny temp, mine seems to drive at about 195 working, 170 cruising. My water temp is following the tranny temp. 230 working and about 190 cruising with no thermostat. If I pu a 160, or 180, or 195, it runs 200 to 230 all the time. Maybe I have tranny issues. Like to hear if you found a solution.
Thanks,
MIKE
Sounds like its running pretty warm.You might run it by a radiator shop and have them use the infrared gun on it.He can tell a lot from the test.May be your gauge is off and he can tell by the temp reading. Good luck Mike Also check cap and if every thing checks ok then check timing and proper operation of EGR can cause heating problems. Mike
My rame is also the John Deere but I have the E4OD trans. I have a 160 thermostat in it now, runs about 180 normally. but I dont have a trans temp gage installed. I do have a trans cooler in front of the radiator now. But that was installed after the initial overheating problem. The one thing I noticed was the temp would rise quickly going up grade pulling the tailer. it would shoot up to 220 to 250. The trans finally failed and was rebuilt by a local shop. I thought the engine overheating contributed to the trans failure but it was just the opposite with the new trans in the motorhome the engine temp dropped to normal again. Ran good again for about 1 year started overheating again I suspected the trans this time and took it back in to the trans shop they checked it out and found the trans case was cracked by the valve body. Rebuilt the trans with new case. Been running strong no overheating for last 2 years.
I have a Holiday Rambler vacationeer 1997 with a ford 460 I dont know what type of tranny? auto with overdrive. comming back from mexico,300 miles, it ran cool and great untill I was at the boarder and traveled 100 yards in 90 minutes, eng was cool the whole time, but the tranny puked 7 qts and put us on the side of the road. it doesn't have a tranny temp guage and no idiot lights came on put 7 qts back in and it ran like a million bucks, im worried that this will happen again, I plan on having a temp guage installed and a cooler too, if it doesnt already have one, if it does i am going to add a fan. any ideas out there would be greatly appreciated thanks
1988 H/R Alumilite w 460 Ford E chassis. CLean rebuilt radiator, 185 themostat,mechanic temp gauge & stock,new hoses, water pump,etc. At constant 55 Mph running tem 195 to 200, but when try to running 60 to 65 (in 70 MPH zones) temp starts creeping and continues to 220 to 230, until returning to 55 mph and under, runs fine, all temp back to normal. Lowered heat range of plugs below stock, no change, plugs look fine. Could this be a case of higher rpm lean out due to low emission changes in carb, with fixed plate secondary jetting on the stock FoMoCo (Holley) version carb?? Anyone having same experience with a cure?
Thanks for your input. My motorhome is in the shop and they want to put a new radiator (costs $700.00 for the radiator itself). How can they check the transmission temperature? Should I have them do this first? Thanks!
I have a 91 ford 460 that overheats. I replaced the fan clutch and a 195 therostat. When I start it up and run it till it warms up the heat guage go very high and the engine light comes on. If I shut it off and wait 1 minute then start it up, the heat guage is in the normal position and with no engine light. I have let it run for ten minutes after starting it up and it stays in the normnal range and is ok. What in the world could be happening? I have not flushed the radiator. The antifreeze is green in color so I'm thinking it ok. Please Help!!!
I would love to know if the radiator fixed the problem. I have did more testing on mine. It runs about 205 at idle and 220 on the road, at 86 outside air temp and air conditioning off. I notice that the fan clutch never engages at cruise speed, uphill, flat, downhill, I never hear it, does yours come on and off when youget up to 250 degrees? I am going to run it until it gets worse. The easy way to check if the tranny is running up the water temp, is to bypass the tranny cooler. If the water goes up then it probably isn't the tranny cooler driving the water temp up. Be careful not to cook your tranny. My tranny got up to 210 in about ten minutes of driving and water temp stayed at the 220 degrees as always.
38 Foot mallard on John Deere Chassis, 460 with a C6 tranny. I have the same issue, 195 degree thermostat, idle 205 degrees runs at 220-230 degrees at 55 to 70 mph all day. Climbs a little higher going uphill. I have given up trying to find it. All I have left is a high flow water pump, or a new radiator. Do ypu have a tranny temp gauge. I am at 175 degrees, about 200 pulling a car. Whats yours? What is your timing set at? What kind of mileage are you getting? I get 8. I was thinking about a fuel adjustment also, before I try a radiator or pump. Doesn't seem like the four barrel is kicking in like it should going up a hill. Maybe I am to lean.
MIKE
I have an 1989 Mallard Overland 36' 460 C6 on a John Deere Chassis.
I feel it is running to warm 220 to 250 on the guage. I had the radiator rodded and replaced the water pump, thermostat and fan clutch. I was taking a potential buyer on a test drive yesterday and it was running warm and I was telling him the water at the top hose was only around 195 so to show him as he was driving I pulled the cover back and shot the hose, it was 196 197 and about 10 seconds later it blew to hose off the intake..... Got it shut down and cooled off. Got water in it and antifreeze and was taking it home, running 40 to 50 it was running 240 to 250, So I am looking at a possible head gasket leak. I plan on doing a compression test tonight and see if I can see something there. I have checked the vacumm advance and it works, I have the timing set @ 10 degrees, (per the directions from the previous owner) The motor was replaced @53K and then new heads install @65K it now has 73K on it.
A friend has said fords have an issue with seeping head gaskets and sometimes you have to retorque the heads.
I need help here please. I am not sure where to look next.
My Ford 460 runs great in the cooler months. I have a problem in the warmer climate, 60 degrees and higher. Especially when I am towing my boat (750 lbs). The engine sounds like it is missing, sputtering, and it will shut down eventually. I will let it cool and it runs fine for another ten miles or so and does it again and again. If I take the dog house off when it happens it will run very well. I have put a new Ford ignition module on it, new stater, new coil, and had it retimed.
I was just wondering if any of you guys have a solution that has worked for any of you I put one in a 79 ford F350 and it is overheating and I can't figure it out
email Andrew Stringer
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