2002 T-Bird Cooling system

[Gerry-Dee]

My 2002 T Bird overheated. Ford dealer said could be the fan assembly and if they replaced it with new part it may not solve the problem as the pump may be the issue but no way to test it and that part is no longer available.

Has anyone had this issue and if so, what was resolution. I am in eastern PA. If anyone knows of mechanic who worked on this issue, would appreciate a point in the right direction.

[007Cruiser]

Welcome, Gerry. Your 2002 has a different system than the subsequent years. I would suggest that you speak to Thunderbird Bob. He’s a member here but he also has a part supply business and is very knowledgeable. He has his own website for his business:

www.Thunderbirdbob.com

[Gerry-Dee]

Thank you so much for answering. You have given me a ray of hope

Best to you.

[BillyL]

There have been posts in the past about 2002 owners converting their cooling fan system to a electric system. You can do search on this forum and probably find some past postings with more information on the subject. As noted, you can also contact Thunderbird Bob for information as well as parts. IMHO, the ford dealers are not the best source for repairs to these cars. Hopefully another member can point you to a mechanic in your area. Good luck welcome to the forum.

[merlot4]

Welcome to TBN, Gerry! As others have pointed out, this is a common problem with the hydraulic fan.In the archives of TBN there are entries for this problem, and If you go to Google, and type in: converting 2002 thunderbird to electric cooling, there are entries] that outline the process.Note that the Lincoln LS had the same system, and the fix for that will likely also be good for the Tbird. Best of luck, please keep us posted as to how things work out.

[2K2BIRD]

Here is a detailed description of the conversion process I saved somewhere along the way in case I ever needed it.

This is a write up on how to convert your factory hydraulic cooling fan to an electric cooling fan saving you a lot of money. I have done this conversion on 4 Lincoln LS's including 2 of my own. This should be the same process as the 2002 Birds.

I didn’t take step-by-step pictures but here's the info as I remember. You will need to purchase a Flex-a-Lite 183 cooling fan and a 99" or 100" x 13/16" multi rib v-belt. Removing the hydraulic pump is a pain so don’t say you weren’t warned.

**Before you start, UNHOOK THE NEGATIVE BATTERY TERMINAL**
Fan Removal
1. Remove intake tube and MAF housing
2. Remove radiator shroud/cover
3. Remove upper radiator hose and lower radiator hose (good time to replace thermostat, DCCV, coolant reservoir, etc at this time since you will need to bleed the cooling system after)
4. Unbolt the silver AC canister from the fan shroud and zip tie out of the way
5. Unbolt the aux heater pump from the fan shroud and remove the electrical connector.
6. Unbolt or cut the lines going to the hydraulic unit on the fan. These will be full of fluid so drain them into an oil pan and cut the hoses going to and from the cooling coil leaving an inch or two so you can plug them with a 3/8” bolt.
7. Unbolt and remove the fan shroud. I believe there are 2 bolts towards the top of the shroud and 2 bolts about halfway down, it’s tough to pull the shroud up and out of the engine compartment because the brackets on the bottom are big. Take your time and don’t put a hole in the radiator.

Hydraulic Pump Removal (the fun part...lol)

1. Jack up the passenger side front of the car and support with jack stands.
2. Remove the alternator. 1 wire harness, the battery wire, and 3 bolts. It takes some maneuvering to get it out once it’s loose but it will come out without removing the lower control arm.
3. Remove the hydraulic pump. Remove the electrical connector. I couldn’t remove the smaller steel line on top of the hydraulic unit so I just broke it off. There is a bolt behind this line, it is the worst one to get to. I used a 10mm 3/8" drive socket with a knuckle/swivel and a few extensions or you can use a 10mm wrench from above where the reservoir is. Remove the other 3 bolts and the pump will come out the same way the alternator did.
4. Remove the hydraulic fan pump reservoir by removing the 2 bolts and two hoses.
5. Plug the hoses going to the cooling coil that is located between your radiator coil and the AC coil. There will be no pressure here, it’s just to keep excess fluid from leaking from the cooling coil. I just threaded a 3/8” bolt into the hose ends
6. Reinstall the alternator
7. Install the new shorter belt in the same way as the old belt. The upper idler pulley is smooth and the ribbed side of the belt will ride on the pulley. The shorter belt is a 99” or 100" x 13/16" 6rib v-belt.

The fan I purchased was a Flex-a-Lite 183 for a '03-'08 dodge ram. The brackets can be easily modified to mount the electric fan to the radiator. I still had overheating issues using the temp controller, I never could get it adjusted right so I just wired it to come on when the key is on and removed the temp controller. It works just fine. The fan comes with installation instructions that will tell you how to install and wire it and aluminum mounting brackets that are easy to modify to the shape you need. You will need to make a custom bracket if you want to bolt the ac canister to the new fan shroud. You also need to mount the aux heater pump to the new fan shroud with a screw or bolt.

After you install the fan, put the upper radiator hose back on and follow the fill and bleeding procedure for the coolant system.

The Flex-a-Lite fan is about as loud as the stock hydraulic fan on high. It cools my Ls perfectly, I sat in gridlock for 45 minutes on a 105 degree day and no overheating issues.

I also have not upgraded my alternator because the LS PCM will not allow it to charge properly. I have not noticed any problems with the factory alternator but I don’t have a 1000 watt audio system either.

As far as wiring, you can attach the power wire of the fan to the large power wire under the fuse box in the engine compartment and attach the ground wire to a reverse polarity relay and use a switched power source to power the relay. I found a switched source under the dash, I believe it’s a green and orange wire under the steering column.

I also installed a toggle switch to turn my fan off manually. I did this for the drag strip, I turn it off as soon as I stage and turn it back on as soon as I hit the return road.

I hope this has answered anyone’s questions about the electric cooling fan setups. Replacing the hydraulic fan this way is cheaper than replacing almost any one part of the hydraulic system alone. This cost me about $270 total.

[Elky64]

Glad I do't have a 2002......The complication of a hydraulic drive cooling fan is unimaginable to me. What nut in ford engineering approved this???
Anyway, you didn't say(in so many words) that this component failed. These cars can overheat if for whatever reason there is an air lock in the cooling system. If so, that doesn't cost anything to fix, just time.
Shop manual tells how to bleed, or there are a few write-ups in the tech section.

[007Cruiser]

So there you have it. Easy peasy.

When is the Kutztown fair?

[Gerry-Dee]

Wow, lots of info to chew on. Thank you to everyone for your help. I'll do my research and hope I can hook up with a good mechanic to get my gal back on the road. I'll update.

Kutztown fair is usually end of August beginning of September. I'll check on date and post.

Have a great weekend everyone!

[Gerry-Dee]

Correction....Kutztown Fair is August 4 - 9, 2025. If you meant Kutztown Folk Festival, that always started weekend of July 4 but may not be held this year as they are looking for someone else to take it over. Check on-line for updates.

[007Cruiser]

I meant the fair. I haven’t been there in many years. It’s a great place to visit if anyone wants to drop by.

[2K2BIRD]

Glad I do't have a hydraulicfan......The complication of a hydraulic drive cooling fan is unimaginable to me. What nut in ford engineering approved this???

I don't think the system is particularly bad. The problem is the lack of available parts 23+ years later. My 02 has189K with the fan still doing it's job. If it goes out tomorrow I don't think I will have a reason to complain but I'm sure I would.

[BillyL]

Again, you will need to find a local mechanic that is familiar with these unique cars and their many maintenance quirks and, for most of us, the dealership mechanics are not the best option. The dealerships do not see enough of these cars on a daily basis to be familiar with them, they do not do any problem "troubleshooting" anymore but refer to the computer to tell them what parts to change out and only want to deal with new car maintenance. Fortunately, these cars also share the same engine and electronics with the Linclon LS and Jaguar S type models produced in those same four years. I was able to find a Jaguar trained mechanic at a local repair shop that specializes in sports and custom car repairs.

[007161947]

My suggestion would be to take it to a Lincoln dealer because being similar to a Lincoln LS their mechanics should be more familiar with the T Bird.

[Elky64]

Hi Gerry-Dee,
Just wondering how you made out with your problem??