Lately I’ve noticed my fan running more than usual. Strange considering the cool weather. Read in a few threads of trucks running hot after cam phaser replacement, which I had done about a year and a half ago. Gauge on dash is fine. So I plugged in my ScanGuage and water temperature is consistently 205-222. Highway, idle and everything in between. This seems too hot.

 

222 seems a little high, I see 201 to 205 when stopped in traffic..
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Seems I have seen with the cam phaser replacement, they should also do thermostat. Wondering if yours was done? Also, seems very important to use oem.

 

On these trucks Ford monitors cylinder head temperature and this is whats reported to any scan tool. Unless you mount a sensor into the coolant you never really know what it is. The dash board gauge is just an estimate of the coolant temperature but once the motor is fully warmed up it will always indicate the same as long as the PCM thinks the CHT is within normal range. If you do overheat the gauge will move to the right side (HOT) and you’ll get other indicators lighting up.

205 to 222 CHT is pretty normal in my book. I don’t know why replacing the cam phaser would effect the CHT temperature. This is nonsensical to me. Maybe when replacing the cam phaser it’s just easy to replace the thermostat at the same time. Just make sure you use the Ford OEM part otherwise it’s been reported that this will cause overheat issues.

 

I had the same exact issue. After phaser replacement, truck would run consistently around 218-220 in town and around 225-230 on the highway. Often times if I taxed the engine by going up a hill, when I would get the top the fan would turn on pretty high, so much that my wife even noticed (and she typically doesn't). Took to the dealership and they replaced water pump and thermostat. Since then zero issues and truck runs between 195-205 consistently (in town, going up hills, highway, etc.)

 

I have a 2019 3.5, i monitor engine coolant temp and yesterday at 50 degrees I hit a high of 222, i think it was the highest after i got off a long stretch of highway.

I towed a 5k 25ft camper home, it was about 75 degrees, checked it numerous times and it was 210-218, highest it recorded was 236 again, i think it was when i was stopped at a light.

No cam phasers here, 34k miles

 

Don't you have to break open the cooling system to replace the phasers? I'd want yellow fluid and a new t-state if the cooling system was left open for a few days for a VCT swap.

There is at least one report of a dealership using a (Motofab?) thermostat, which isn't even the correct type of thermostat for our trucks, and it will make the truck run hot.

As far as temps, 205 is the starting point for a fully warm truck. This is the temp at which the thermostat is fully open, and I believe also the temp the system attempts to keep the coolant at or above for emissions. 205-225 is the normal operating temperature range. Above 225 the system will start working harder to remove heat from the coolant.

Have we checked that the air diverters are cycling fully? Don't have anything gunking up the front of the condenser?

 

My 17 is throwing heat in the vent system way before 205*, around 135-140*.
Full operating temp in my 14 GT500 is 170*, below that engine torque & max rpm are limited, a red indicator in the tach goes out @ 170*..
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I'm sure your GT500 is similar to other Fords where 170 is the MINIMUM operating temperature not close to full operating temperatures. Human sense of touch perceives temperature as warm when it is close to body temperature so once the heat coming out of the vents is 100 degrees it will feel warm to you.

Our trucks like running between 205-220, once temperature hits 220 the cooling fans will turn on to drop temp to 205. That scenario is with the A/C off, with the A/C on the fans will run all the time as long as temperature is warm enough and it will usually maintain between 195-205. I find that once ambient temp gets down into the 30's even with the A/C on the fans won't run as much and the truck seems to control temperature while driving by opening and closing the grill shutters.

 

Have you been running the defrost more than usual in all that wet, cold weather that you guys have been having out there? The A/C compressor runs when the defrost is on, which will make the fans run.