I just replaced the thermostat and fan clutch as well as draining the coolant and adding some radiator flush and water. I drive for 10 to 15 minutes with no problem and then the truck will start to overheat. The cooling system was full of crud but I have flushed it out twice. Once with just water and then the second time I ran vinegar and water in it for a while. I don't know what else to do at this point. I read some other threads but they were no help. My father in law read online that a clogged catalytic converter may cause overheating. That is the only thing I haven't checked yet. Any other suggestions?

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2002 Ranger XLT/3.0 Flex/Auto/4dr
1966 Beetle

water pump

when you did the flush/fill did you make sure that you got ALL of the air out of the system? The 3.0 loves to get air pockets during a flush and fill.

I'd also check the pump. Or, has it ever overheated badly? Possibly bad head gasket or warped heads. Hopefully just the air pockets though.

Good luck.

I didn't think it was the water pump because there is nothing leaking from the weep hole and the water pump shaft was not loose when I was replacing the fan clutch. So what is the factory installed water pump impeller made of? Is it plastic or metal?

So how do I get air out of the coolant system? I have thought that air in the system might be causing problems because I have squeezed the top radiator hose and it just felt void of liquid, but I figured the system was designed to get rid of the air through the overflow tank.

I wasn't able to check the catalytic converter today but that hasn't been marked off of my list.

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It has been in the red a few times, but not for very long. I had a VW Jetta that was diagnosed with a cracked/warped head and it was acting very different. I'm hoping the heads aren't warped or cracked. There is no water in the oil or coming from the exhaust.

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2002 Ranger XLT/3.0 Flex/Auto/4dr
1966 Beetle

The catalytic converter looked fine.

Is there a way to find out if I have cracked/warped heads without having to buy a special kit or tool? ...and/or how do I remove air from the coolant system?

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2002 Ranger XLT/3.0 Flex/Auto/4dr
1966 Beetle

You can check for cracked head with a compression test, you can rent them from autozone etc...

I'm pretty sure to get the air out of the system you have to take the radiator cap off and run the truck possibly with the heat on high

Not sure if that's right though, someone will correct me

1993 Ford Ranger STX 4x4 4.0L 5spd manual

Yea, that's what I've always done. It can take some time on some vehicles.

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2001 Ranger XLT
3.0 V6-Flex
Auto 2wd
136k miles

You nailed it buddy. I was underneath the truck looking at the bottom of the breather box and when I glanced at the water pump, I noticed that there was another weep hole that I could not see from the top and it was weeping. I took the pump off and to my surprise, there was no impeller left. The lack of regular maintenance caused the corrosion of the impeller to epic proportions. Two days earlier, the radiator cracked on the passenger side.

I'm ready to install the new pump and was wondering if I need gasket sealant, or just the gasket by itself. I have a paper gasket, if that makes a difference.

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2002 Ranger XLT/3.0 Flex/Auto/4dr
1966 Beetle

I would always use a thin layer of sealant on that paper gasket. And I do mean thin...

Yeah just enough to help hold the gasket in place.

Sent from my VM670 using FRF App

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97 ranger reg cab 2.3 5 speed. 2 wd no ac. Mods after market jvc head unit & throttle cable. 06 mirror upgrade.

Thanks guys! Thank you everyone! I'm wrestling with a broken water pump bolt. It's the one that all the accessories on the driver's side had to be moved for. I have banged on it with a hammer, ground it down so the stud remover tool will fit around it and it has broken the stud remover tool and ruined a socket in the process. I suppose it would be bad to install the water pump without that bolt? When it rains, it pours. Literally. I'm waiting for some bad weather to blow over so I can finish cussing and pulling my hair out.

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2002 Ranger XLT/3.0 Flex/Auto/4dr
1966 Beetle

Don't know much about the 3.0 water pump but can you get a screw extractor to work maybe? Did you try spraying it down with PB Blaster first or try heating it up?

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1992 Ford Ranger XLT, 4.0 L, Auto.

I have nothing to heat it up with and I haven't tried the PBlaster because I figured that the end that is stuck is too deep into the block.

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2002 Ranger XLT/3.0 Flex/Auto/4dr
1966 Beetle

Here are some pics of the water pump and the radiator.

The impeller is completely gone. Corroded to death.

It was paper thin. I'm surprised that it didn't overheat sooner.

The crack. It went up and on to the tube for the hose.

The broken bolt. It won't budge.

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2002 Ranger XLT/3.0 Flex/Auto/4dr
1966 Beetle

Do you think I'll be ok if I just put the water pump back on without this bolt? I can't get the damn thing off. I have soaked it in PB'laster and have hammered on it numerous times and it still won't budge. I have no torch to heat it up with. I'm ready to just throw it back together and cross my fingers.

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2002 Ranger XLT/3.0 Flex/Auto/4dr
1966 Beetle