Greetings, all. This is my first post on the forum, and I'd sure appreciate some feedback.
I just purchased a 93 SC with manual transmission that's had engine and transmission replaced by Ford about 6,000 miles ago. On the couple of days that we've had 85+ degree temps outside, I notice the faster I drive the car on the highway, the hotter it runs...a couple of times to within 10% or so of red. When I slow down a little, to 50 or 55 mph or even slower, it cools down pretty well, but still sometimes leans a little farther right than I'm comfortable with. (I should say, though, that the engine runs smooth and has good acceleration, and I have not seen steam coming from underneath the hood at all.)
I spent a while reading posts here in the Tech forum, and it looks like the consensus is that the first (and easiest) thing to check is the radiator cap, so I did, and found a 13 psi piece of crap on the radiator that I can hardly believe hasn't blown through the hood by now. It won't even tighten down properly. It obviously needs to be replaced, but my question is this:
The radiator appears to be the small stock radiator. It certainly doesn't look like a custom aluminum job. So do all the SC stock radiators use 16 psi caps? I'm seeing 16 psi everywhere I look - here in the forum, on Napa and Auto Zone. Surely a worn out 13 psi cap could make the car run hotter than it should? I just want to be sure that I get the right cap for it when I go for a replacement. I've already figured out that it's a smaller-than-normal cap; I was going to try the 16 psi cap off my 94 Lincoln 3.8 but it was too large for the neck of the radiator on the SC.
Also, if you have any pointers about routine maintenance for SCs that differ from "regular" auto maintenance, I'd appreciate hearing them, too.
Thanks a bunch. It's been a while since I had a car with such personality. I'd like to take good care of it.
Jane
I just purchased a 93 SC with manual transmission that's had engine and transmission replaced by Ford about 6,000 miles ago. On the couple of days that we've had 85+ degree temps outside, I notice the faster I drive the car on the highway, the hotter it runs...a couple of times to within 10% or so of red. When I slow down a little, to 50 or 55 mph or even slower, it cools down pretty well, but still sometimes leans a little farther right than I'm comfortable with. (I should say, though, that the engine runs smooth and has good acceleration, and I have not seen steam coming from underneath the hood at all.)
I spent a while reading posts here in the Tech forum, and it looks like the consensus is that the first (and easiest) thing to check is the radiator cap, so I did, and found a 13 psi piece of crap on the radiator that I can hardly believe hasn't blown through the hood by now. It won't even tighten down properly. It obviously needs to be replaced, but my question is this:
The radiator appears to be the small stock radiator. It certainly doesn't look like a custom aluminum job. So do all the SC stock radiators use 16 psi caps? I'm seeing 16 psi everywhere I look - here in the forum, on Napa and Auto Zone. Surely a worn out 13 psi cap could make the car run hotter than it should? I just want to be sure that I get the right cap for it when I go for a replacement. I've already figured out that it's a smaller-than-normal cap; I was going to try the 16 psi cap off my 94 Lincoln 3.8 but it was too large for the neck of the radiator on the SC.
Also, if you have any pointers about routine maintenance for SCs that differ from "regular" auto maintenance, I'd appreciate hearing them, too.
Thanks a bunch. It's been a while since I had a car with such personality. I'd like to take good care of it.
Jane