The heat doesn't get warm and I have changed the t-stat

1- first off, it takes a good, engine thermostat to get good heat.
(input) (its called a heat exhanger) bad input ,gives bad output.

we connect a scan tool an see ECT at 180F or more, holding and in the normal driving distances, if you STAT is 2001, its old and slow, get it out of there. if true. old stats can cause overheating and engine damage to any sign of sluggishness or wrong temps, its kicked to the curb, fast. ( if a smart cookie) LOL.
Second, is the fan, yours works. end fan.

Third,are the dampers , these must change at your command.
the FSM covers these tests. do you want to do them.?

its at alldata.com too.. login and read HVAC.

no water in the radiator or the water pump went out or the water pump housing unit went out

try changing the thermostat and make sure all the air is bled out of the system this should help your heat problem.before changing the stat with the motor at operating temperature grab the heater hoses to see if they are the same temperature or not.if they are the same then change the stat.if not the same temp then the heater core may be plugged or partially plugged and will have to be changed.still change the stat as they do get tired and won`t work properly.

that's like the thermostat not working properly... open the thermostat and see the different. if change positively, change the thermostat.

The feature than can determine the way the pump turns would be whether they were driven by the smooth side of a serpentine belt on the one had, vs. the grooved side of a serpentine belt or a V belt on the other hand.

It would really be a good idea to get a numeric reading on the engine temperature...

Of course, the number one issue is the thermostat. If it is too high of a range, or is not opening properly, the 4-core radiator will never be called on.

Next is the possibility that steam/vapor is collecting around the t-stat. I had a big problem with that in an Aries K. Once it got hot enough to open the t-stat a few times the temperature settled down.

If the fan is not doing its job sufficiently you will get overheating at stop lights and in crawling traffic, but cooling that is fine above maybe 15 or 20 MPH.

If the bottom radiator hose has failed, it can collapse due to the suction of the water pump. For the whole length of that hose you should not be able to flatten the hose by hand. It should have a spiral of wire, a "spring," inside it that prevents that. If that wire has corroded, and isn't doing its job you can get compromised flow.

When the engine is cold, start it up. Before long, the heater hose that comes out neat the t-stat should start to warm up, while the upper radiator hose stays cold. The closed t-stat forces circulation through the heater system. This causes flow over the hot surfaces, and carries the heat from the area of the cylinders to the area of the t-stat. without that, the water's heat would take 10's of minuted to get to the t-stat.

Next, when the heater hoses get too hot to touch comfortably, but before the engine overheats, the upper radiator hose should start to warm up. The t-stat will start to open, and a little hot water will sneak out of the engine, heating the hose a little. That will introduce a little cold water from the radiator into the water pump, where it will get quickly mixed with the water circulating through the heater system, closing the t-stat pretty quickly. So the initial warming of the upper radiator hose will be pretty slow.

If it overheats before the upper hose gets too hot to touch, you have a t-stat problem. Either the t-stat is failing to do its job, or it is not getting the heat signal it needs to operate properly.

If the heater system is clogged or plumbed wrong, it will not allow the requisite circulation.

I hope this gets you on the road to fixing your overheating problem. A 302 with a mondo radiator as you describe should have no overheating troubles, even in the desert!

try skewing the engine coolant temperature sensor with a multi-meter and a temp vs resistance or voltage chart. the ect could be out of range and not set a code. also check actual engine temp with an infrared thermometer. hope this helps

it can be one of 2 things,,,,the water pump being bad or the heater core is partially clogged

Check your coolant levels 1st, on both cars. If you've already changed out the T-stats, then you need to move on to the temp sensors, might be bad, but if your check engine light is on, pull the codes and see where that points you.

It could be a faulty thermostat. Did it do the same thing before u replaced the t-stat? It sounds like it's sticking closed, then all of a sudden it opens, coolant flows correctly. I'd consider changing it again. Check to make sure parts store is giving u the correct temperature thermostat also. Maybe it's too high for your Ford, delaying the opening.

is the car looping at idle...if so it could be your head gasket..had to change mine