I have a ford van with a 302 that overheats after numerous attempts to correct. The water pump, radiator, thermostat, hoses, radiator cap and electronic components have been replaced. The last person that worked on it said it probably has a cracked head and or needs a head gasket, but I'm not losing water out of the tailpipe..?
Any insight would really be appreciated. thanks

 

You will not always lose water out the tail-pipe with a crcked head. Sometimes a head will crack in a location where combustion from the cylinder will enter the cooling system through a port causing compression to build up in the cooling system and overheat.

There is a special tool out there that can detect combustion gasses that uses a special liquid that will change color indicating if the head is cracked or not.