i have a 1998 EL Falcon and a 1991 Ford Raider, both are having trouble trying to stay cool.

Falcon......it was getting very hot on the freeway duiring spring even without the AC running, i did a radiator change and a cooling system flush thinking that would fix it and on the hway yes it does indeed it barley gets to 1/4 way, but if your sitting in traffic with the AC on or off (doesnt make much diff) you can watch the temp guage rise higher and higher untill it gets to about 3/4 before the fan kicks in, but for only 30 seconds!, i talked to my mech at Ford who told me that the thermos should start as a soon as i push the AC button, and they do but the tempreture just keeps going up (when standing still) untill it gets to 3/4 then the fan kicks in.

Raider......Tempreture guage tells me its running fine but you put your hand under the bonnet and it will cook it!, i had the radiator, thermostat and cap replaced all brand new! & a complete system flush but its still running hot and the gauge is telling me its only running half way, i put the timing gun on it and found that its running about 6deg BTDC (not sure what the timing is suppose to be) but the car itself feels like its running splendidly, since i had the fuel pump changed it has never missed a beat, talk about a tough little engine!

can anyone help with this little mystery with the tempreture and if the timing is correct? any help would be great

BTW: the Raider is also running a little rich (read very), does anyone know how to set the mixture (if you can)

How clean are the aircon condensors? If they block up with stones, bugs, grass seeds, etc. they'll impede any airflow through the radiator. Also, when the holes in the head gasket start to block up with corrosion the coolant flow from the block is reduced & can cause overheating.

What sort of coolant are you using & how much glycol does it have in it?

On the falcon, it could be that the ECU temp sensor is out of wack.
The fans should come on at half temp, the fans should come on with the ac.

not sure of the brand, but its what ever Ford decide to put in it

have you put a master gauge on the raider yet?

there is no point in second guessing the gauge. have it checked properly as i'm %100 sure your 'hand thermometer' isn't accurate.

Is that hand of your's calibrated???.......LOL....use a temp gun or something. Is the clutch fan working properly in the Raider????

im fairly certan the fan is working, but i was thinking of going to a solid fan instead of the clutch.

I suggest checking the water pumps.
If the pump is cavitating badly it will not be moving enough water through the system to keep everything cool.
Any pitting on the blades of the water pump will cause this. Also some water pumps will always cause cavitation, even when new, due to poor design.

Just a thought.................