Ford Repair: ford aerostar van, ford aerostar van, ford aerostar

Question
Hi James! I have a 1992 ford aerostar van that is getting hot. Normal range for the van reads between the r and the m
on the temp gauge and lately its gets up to the a and sometimes the l on the gauge, its takes about 20 minutes of highway driving for it to get hot like this and i don't want a blown engine! any ideas on what to check first? I never noticed it getting hot before but its been warmer lately and ive had it on the road (highway) more than usual, its mostly a "to town" and back van. It is a v-6. thank you!

Answer
Replace the thermostat and flush/clean the coolant system in the process. An inline adapter will need to be installed to do this properly. They are relatively inexpensive. I would flush the system before replacing the thermostat. Repeat the rinse process several times to be sure and get the cleaning additives out of the system. Of course, be sure and take the proper steps to secure the old coolant.