Help My M1009 is cold

[tklm539]

Was hoping for a little advice.

I brought my m1009 in today to a garage to have a block heater installed. I figured that I did not want to loose the plug inside the block which would be my luck.

I have a temp gage installed in the truck and it normally runs between 170-180 depending on the outside temps. When I got it from the garage today, the gage was not reading. I drove about 25 minutes... nothing. There is heat in the cab.

I returned to the garage and there was a lot of the usual, we did not do anything. I said i would drive it longer and see. After 45minute drive, I was reading 130. When I stopped the truck, it went to 160. As soon as I began to move, back to 130.

I noticed that the fan is on all the time. Its a new truck to me, so I am not sure if it should be. I checked the wire for the gage and it is attached.

I am bringing it back tommrow, and any advice would be great. They said all they did was put the plug in on the drivers side of the block, but it just seems like to much coincidence.

Thanks
Tom

 

[ida34]

Did you check the coolant level? Were you getting heat from the heater?

 

[tklm539]

Coolant is good and heat is coming from the heater. If it were not for the gage, I would not think anything is different.

Is the fan supposed to be on all the time?

Tom

 

[mangus580]

Which fan are you reffering to?

 

[ida34]

It is a mechanical fan with a clutch. It will spin all the time but sometimes it is slipping instead of spinning the same rate as the waterpump is moving. It will always spin. They never stop. I don't think that has anything to do with your problem. Do you have a thermometer to physically check the temp of the coolant? I would check it with a mechanical gage next.

 

[Tibby]

It sounds like your temperature gauge was reconnected when you returned to the garage. Were you getting a lot or a little heat in the cab? If you didn't have a lot of heat, that combined with your low temperature readings makes me think your thermostat is stuck open. The engine can't warm up because the thermostat is not regulating/restricting coolant flow to the radiator. The fan on my M1028 runs all the time, as I believe it should. I may be wrong on that. They may or may not have done anything with the thermostat. Pull the thermostat (cold engine, naturally). If it is open, replace it.

 

[tklm539]

I will have to get a manual gauge. to check the temp by hand.

The heat is working. It is hot. It was not cold today, so it is hard to tell, but it seems to be about the same as usual

I was thinking the thermostat to, They said they did not touch it, it seemed strange that it would go while they were working on the truck.

I am assuming it is in the bottom hose of the radiator? I have only replaced one on a 1930 roadster for someone I work for.

At the price this shop is charging, I think I will do it myself.

If it where the thermostat, that would explain why would the gauge go up when the truck was parked and off for a few minutes.

 

[mangus580]

Thermostat is right on the top front of the engine.

Did you ever get a blanket for the grill? what was the outside temp when you noticed the problem?

I noticed in our 'Burb last sunday night... it was like 5° out, and it was all we could do to heat the interior. The engine just could not produce enough heat to maintain engine temp, and heat the cabin, competing with the LARGE cooling system. Thats why you see so many diesel using the grill blankets.

I have always had trouble with my 1009 in the winter. I was very happy to get a grill blanket finally...

 

[tklm539]

Mike,

I am getting the blanket this week. It was like 45 here today. I was getting 175 on the temp gauge when it was like -5 out.

Is the thermostat between the large radiator hose on the passenger side and the motor?

If so that will be much easier. The 1930'ish Ford had it on the bottom. I had to drain out the whole system. While getting nothing on the new paint job. PITA

Thanks
Tom

 

[Tibby]

I don't use a grill blanket . What I do is cut a piece of cardboard large enough to cover the width of the radiator and about three radiator cores high. I put it right in front of the radiator at the very bottom, actually touching it. It ensures that some coolant doesn't get cooled too much. It helps with heat and hasn't caused overheating. I have driven mine that way at 60 degrees ambient temperature without a problem (no heavy loads though). It is a BIG radiator. I do take the cardboard out for the warmer months. I also try to keep the radiator fins as clean and straight as I can.

 

[Croatan_Kid]

The thermostat is located in the top of the water crossover pipe on the front of the intake manifold on the top radiator hose. The picture is of the 6.2 in my M1008, the M1009 should be the same. I circled it in red.

On a side note, my M1008 reads dead on 175 when completely warmed up. I'm sure it's actually like 190-200 degrees because my temp gauge is where the block off plate was in the rear of the passenger side head which recieves cool water directly from the radiator.

 

[tklm539]

Problem solved!!!

I pulled the thermostat and it was working fine, so I figured I would mess around with the temp wire.

I loosened the nut that holds the temp wire in the block. Large piss of air released before I got fluid. I think it was air locked because it works fine now.

Thanks for the help
Tom

 

[Armada]

Tom, what happened is that when they put the block heater in, there is now air trapped in the motor. The temp sensor is on the top of the head so that is where the air settles during idle thus giving you a false coolant reading. You need to bleed the air out.
Start the truck up and let it run until the coolant is warmed up. Then crack open the connection at the temp sender. When coolant starts to come out, tighten it. This will bleed off any air trapped inside. Once should take care of it, but if you notice the same thing with the temp gage, there may still be some air trapped that worked it's way to the sender. Rebleed and you will be good to go.

 

[Armada]

Ha, posted at the same time! Glad it's fixed.

 

[tklm539]

That is funny timing!!!

Good to know I did it right!! Thanks Paul, hope all is well in MI. Truck is living outside now so a block heater was a must. STILL KEEPING IT CLEAN!!! Driveway looks like a skating rink.

 

[CCATLETT1984]

also fyi, over time any small amount of air still in the engine will be absorbed into the coolant.

 

[jatonka]

That new winter grill cover you are gettingshould help