99 Ranger 4.0 Heat (lack of!) running cold

My 99 Ranger which has a issue with warming up, after driving for 30 minutes the air from the heater is luke warm to say the least; The upper radiator hose is cool enough to hold with a bare hand and not have to let go. The truck has 110k mile on it, I just bought it used this summer with 102k miles, the truck came from southern Texas (The truck is in Missouri now) were it spent it's prior years and I doubt if anyone ever even used the heater or had anyone worrying about lack of heat. Also the temp gauge during the summer would never reach the middle of the normal range and since it's gotten cold here in Missouri (13 degrees this morning!) the temp gauge hasn't raised above the "C" level on the gauge. The radiator is full, strange thing too after driving 15 minutes, it was still cool enough to remove the pressure cap with it sending some fluid into the overflow tank but none the less still not hot enough to really consider burning hot of even too hot to hold for the most part.

Any thoughts of direction to go here? I have a new thermostat to try this weekend, anyone else have a similar issue with getting their Ranger warmed up ? :) I know some vehicles are cold natured, I had a old 76 Chevy 3/4 ton that required cardboard in the front of the radiator once the temp dropped below 30 but eve it wasn't as cold as this truck! I considered the heater core might be clogged but it's not like it's ten years old or older granted it does have 100,000 mile plus but considering the temp gauge never shows normal temp, could it be the water pump too, I have had a bad water pumps leak and such on other vehicles but never stop pumping and wouldn't that cause the truck to over heat?

Reply to
The Wes'ter
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You'll probably find no thermostat in it at all.

Reply to
gw

Don't take me wrong, I want to help. In the time it took to write this essay, you could have installed the thermostat and answered your own question.

Reply to
bonGOfury

Prior information can't hurt.

I'm the other way around... guys that type next to nothing deserve no more than next to nothing answers. They tend to get pissed off by the lack of effort back in those answers too. :/

OP, my guess is you'll find a 160 degree thermostat in there, but there's been posts here about those little Rangers needing cardboard covering the radiator even with the right thermostat.

I've seen a 160 degree thermostat ruin an engine before, it was a

460 and I tried to talk them out of it buy couldn't, even with the "water in the oil" speech and all. :/

Alvin in AZ

Reply to
alvinj

I have seen the flames of those asking thing like, "My truck won't start unless i jiggle the thing under the hood, do I need to replace the #3 fuel injector?"

:)

Thermostat was my best thought, going deer hunting in the morning and free time this weekend will be limited.

Reply to
The Wes'ter

I just replaced the thermostat in our 99, 4 liter Ranger. Took 20 to 30 minutes. Just make sure it fits right. Autozone ended up giving me one for a 95 Ranger after the one they had listed for a 99 didn't fit.

Another thought, running the engine out of its normal heat range cannot be good for it.

Reply to
bonGOfury

Whu Hu!

Got the thermostat and coolant replaced and all is well; the old coolant was nasty! I may wait a month or two and get it flush and replaced but now the heater puts out hot air and the temp gauge indicates correct engine temp (at least as far as Fords do with the indicator going to midway of C & H).

Reply to
The Wes'ter

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