Normal operating temp range for E-450 10 cyc Gasoline
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- Dallas Baillio
- Posts: 1181
- Joined: Sun Jul 02, 2006 10:52 pm
Normal operating temp range for E-450 10 cyc Gasoline
I recently bought a Scan Gauge and have it set to record engine coolant temp. What is high end of the temp range that I should be concerned about if exceeded?
Dallas Baillio
2001 26RSB
Born Free Leap'n Lions RV Club Member
2001 26RSB
Born Free Leap'n Lions RV Club Member
I would say you are safe up to about 215-220. After that the high-speed fans will already be working and you'll want to back out of it a little. Normally you should run between 190-200 I should think. You might consider getting a Predator Tuner coupled with a cold-air intake and a lower-temp thermostat. You'll have to run Premium afterwards, but the tuner allows you to set your low and high-speed fan settings to keep the engine running about 15-20 degrees cooler to complement the lower temp T-stat and your engine will be happier.
The clutch on the engine fan that is supposed to engage around 215 degrees failed so that the temperature on the Scan Gauge kept going up on a hard, uphill pull. I let it get to 240, whereupon the check engine light came on and it started to boil over. An immediate pull over and throwing water on the radiator with the engine running got things under control. And fortunately there was no engine damage.
Later, I had NAPA install a new clutch, but it also does not engage. Checking with a local radiator shop the owner recommended using only Ford OEM components so I'll do that.
The Ford instrument panel temperature gauge is a smoothed out representation of the actual temperature. It didn't go out of the normal range until the Scan Gauge reading was well up in the danger level.
Later, I had NAPA install a new clutch, but it also does not engage. Checking with a local radiator shop the owner recommended using only Ford OEM components so I'll do that.
The Ford instrument panel temperature gauge is a smoothed out representation of the actual temperature. It didn't go out of the normal range until the Scan Gauge reading was well up in the danger level.