Overheating

My car was overheating a few months ago so my husband looked under the hood and the reservoir was empty he filled it up lasted a few months then it done it again had a friend look at it said the thermostat was sticking and he changed that lasted about a month then yesterday I was driving I noticed a clacking noise and it started to lose power then the check engine light and battery light came on and my car shut off, uncle came and radatior was bone dry he put three gallons of water(thats all we had he didnt think it would be the raditor thought it wouldve been the starter or altornatior by the way I half explained it to him o the phone) while he was filling it up it was just pouring out started looking at it more and seems like all the hoses are good and like the raditor itself doesnt have a leak and saw that the water was coming out of the thermostat housing if I replace this and get a new thermostat should this fix my problem or would it be something else thank you for you your help!

**note: my a/c started blowing out smoke the first time it overheated so I stopped using it, but the heat still worked and few months later the heat would work just took longer than normal to get warm then when the friend put the thermostat on he noticed that the housing looked like it has been sealed before but was not leaking then and the reservoir and radatior had the stop leak mixture in it from previous owner (i bought it used)**

**** also I was wondering how I would clean the radatior and reservoir my self as I do not have much money to spend have one vechile and im the only one working****

Were do you have one of those done at? And like when my car would start to overheat I wouldnt drive it I would pull over as soon as it would get hot I always keep a eye on the thermostat gage cause when I was younger I had a car that had that problem also. It hasnt shown any signs off smoking coolant mixed with the oil(my husband just changed the oil a couple of weeks ago) and the only timed it has ever lost power was when it shut off. I really hope that it isnt a head gasket. My uncle and his friend said that the reason it lost power and shut off like that was cause of the thermostat that was put on

I just came back from the mechanic. Here's what happened. I saw the check gauge light on yesterday after I took it for an oil change. I drove a really short distance to go grocery shopping and when I turned on the air it ran HOT(I live in Miami and it's August)
Took it to the mechanic and on my way to the mechanic who is less than a mile from me, the coolant gauge read H. They diagnosed and found that the radiator cap was bad. I drove to the parts place, and then the engine started to overheat. The guy put on the new cap I bought and on my way home (less than 3 blocks away) I overheated. Now, is there still a problem OR does my engine need to just rest and cool down?

The mechanic said that the fan clutch is fine but the thermostat had to be replaced. THE WHOLE THING. He told me that I could drive it without the thermostat but I didn't feel comfortable doing that. His argument was not convincing. So I'm waiting for the car tomorrow or Thurs. Hopefully it won't overheat again because I don't have another $400+ to spend on a bigger problem.

Question, can a car truly drive safely without the thermostat?

Based on what you said, I don't appreciate being price gouged and will gladly take steps to rectify the situation. I was told that the part was from the dealer and the cost was $298. The rest was labor and taxes. Could it be the larger system containing the thermostat? I'm just trying to figure this out

Let me know

I've had this 2 door Explorer for some time now, and a few months ago it started losing power in the engine, not anything sudden, just a gradual decline. This went on for awhile, then I noticed that it was missing pretty badly. Then, it seemed to be lurching into gear, and now, it will overheat, even if just sitting idle. There is also the smell of something burning, but I don't see any smoke.

Any Thoughts?
Thanks

He told me thermostat when he meant thermostat, sensors, housing, the who thing for $298. So it's not just the little thermostat. That's what he meant by the whole thing

As far as your boiling question, yes. When the mechanic took off the radiator cap, it was so hot and pressurized that the cap on the coolant box popped up. It was somewhat scary.
What they are going to do is that they're going to try the cheaper option that you mentioned; piece by piece. From what I understand the housing component in my car is plastic which has been warped and cracked because of the heating and cooling. So I'll find out the verdict tomorrow. It may not cost me $400 but they'll let me know what happened.

Engine Cooling problem
1996 Ford Explorer Four Wheel Drive

Engine overheats. Runs fine other than that. Why is it overheating and is it a cheap fix?

It leaks water out of the back of the intake gasket. Does that mean its a bad gasket?

About 3 weeks ago my wife told me the check engine light came on and very sporadically the truck would pull when accelerating. The engine was running hot. I recently had my transmission flushed and a oil change. Now there is steam coming from the radiator. The engine is not running hot, there is nothing leaking and while the truck was cold I check the fluids in the radiator and it was full. I don't know much about cars any help would be appreciated.