Engine overheating?

1997 LINCOLN TOWN CAR
200,000 MILES • 5.4L • V8 • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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LIAM_
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
For a while my car was running as a V6 due to two misfires, I replaced all the spark plugs, fixed that immediately, ran like a dream. My friend and I did a 0-60 test, and it blew off the rear hose of the intake manifold, replaced that, and then there was a crack in my radiator, we replaced the radiator.

Car can barely go 4 miles before it overheats now.

We ran it through an OBD 2, that is dated for 90-2010, and there were no codes at all indicating coolant shortage or that the closed system was somehow leaking. The Water pump is also fine, the thermostat works fine, and is actually rated for a lower temp than the old one but neither the new or old one made a difference.

We’ve run out of ideas for how the hell this thing overheats, and any help is greatly appreciated!
Apr 8, 2023 at 12:58 AM
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STEVE W.
  • Experienced Mechanic
  • 15,308 POSTS
Overheating that fast sounds like either a head gasket issue or the constant misfires damaged and plugged a converter. The first thing would be to do a head gasket test. https://www.2carpros.com/articles/head-gasket-blown-test
One test that is even faster is to take a cooling system pressure tester and connect it up with a cold engine. It should show zero pressure. Now start the engine and watch the gauge. If it starts showing any pressure in under a minute you have a head gasket issue.
Apr 8, 2023 at 10:45 AM
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