Cooling Issues

[GreatDaneHummer]

Ok guys, lets see if as a collective we can solve this issue with my cooling. Here are the symptoms auto Dr's.

- Cracked radiator with over heating was the starting issue.
1.) Replaced radiator with CSF all aluminum OEM replacement.
2.) With everything taken apart, replaced water pump with:
http://www.autozone.com/cooling-hea...-3-7l-mfi-dohc/536555_381126_0/?checkfit=true

- Truck over heating with no fan kicking on. Just spinning at idle RPM. Over heating as in needle to the top RED. Not the 3/4 miss understanding many of us deal with.
3.) Replaced fan clutch with:
http://www.napaonline.com/napa/en/p/TEM271306/TEM271306_0224185585

I did use 50/50 OEM spec'd coolant.. When sitting in traffic my engine again over heats with the AC going from cold to mild air. As soon as I am moving you can hear the fan running like a MACK truck making same noise and the temps drop down to the center half way mark within 1 min of moving. I spoke with 4speedfunk last night (CJ) and he thinks there might be air in the water pump and system that is sitting around the water pump at idle causing it to over heat not actually pumping coolant. I did not have it vacuum filled with coolant after everything changed. I just kept topping off the coolant reservoir as it settled during operation. I am to the point of just changing over to an all E fan setup due to frustration but come on... this should be working great. I should not be having such issue with cooling with all these new parts. The thermostat was also changed 5 months ago. Is there a fuse or something that can go bad or relay that tells the fan clutch when to kick in?

 

[alrock]

I agree with 4speed that air could be in the system and that's a much cheaper fix. I also think if you look up the e-fan conversion on this motor that not everyone is convinced that it's a good solution.

The fan clutch is mechanical so there's no fuse to worry about.

 

[650Hawk]

Are you sure that the new fan clutch is good? I've gotten bad ones in the past. If it's hot while sitting still, that fan clutch should be roaring, not just when you are moving. Try this; let it sit and get hot. Turn off the engine, then, while holding (lightly) the fan, have someone start it up (or YOU start it while THEY hold it). It should yank the fan right out of your hand. If it slips, the fan clutch is bad (new or not).

 

[GreatDaneHummer]

Ok fan clutch is good and running when at idle but still not able to control the temperatures.

 

[amrg]

Ok fan clutch is good and running when at idle but still not able to control the temperatures.

Before you go with an efan setup, I recommend you rule out air in the system and any faults with the cooling system.

If you are going with the efan option, I believe you were gona swap your engine for a V8. If so, a single efan will not cool properly.
I went with an efan due to restrictions on my engine swap. The intake manifold is 3" lower and as a result there is no way the clutch fan will clear the intake tube going into the tb on mine.

On the V8, single efans dont pull enough air to cool. Supermod has a kit for the V8 and its a dual efan. At the moment Im building my own setup and hopefully it will be a solution for my cooling problems.

 

[GreatDaneHummer]

I was thinking of something over kill like this: 4000 cfm?

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/der-16927/overview/

 

[Hunner]

Try putting coolant directly in the radiator instead of the overflow tank, if you have not already.

 

[GreatDaneHummer]

Did that. Its at the top. Keep the suggestions coming my friends. We have got to come up with a solution. I am going to have it vacuumed today. Pray it works.

 

[Ghostbuster]

Water pump not working?

 

[4speedfunk]

Did you ever do beer bongs in college? Same basic principle....

[video=youtube;nThsFGa1vuE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nThsFGa1vuE[/video]

 

[amrg]

I was thinking of something over kill like this: 4000 cfm?

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/der-16927/overview/

I was looking at those before I went with another set of fans.
From the reviews those are spal fans. When I checked the spal catalogue, those fans don't pull 2000 cfm.

What you need is:

1. High amp fans (gives a ball park indication of power). Spals biggest 12" fans pull 30 amps.

2. Fans that pull high cfm when there is resistance. Most numbers advertised are free flow, in open air numbers. Once you have a rad+condensor+trans cooler infront of the fan those numbers drop significantly and this is where you need to select your fans (spal publishes their test numbers for various resistances, a 2000 cfm fan would flow 1600 cfm when there is a rad+condensor, 1400 cfm with a dual row , condensor and a trans cooler)
3. A good shroud with openings as to not block air flow on the highway (the one in the link has those openings which is good)

 

[rascole]

With radiator cap off let the engine idle for awhile. The lack of pressure in the system will allow the water pump to push the air out. When I replaced my pump, thermostat, and sensor, I had not problems with trapped air. I am waiting for delivery of my new CSF radiator on the 27th. So I will have to repeat the process.

 

[Happy Hummer]

I agree. Back some time ago replaced tstat and rad in Happy 07 h3 and had a similar problem. Ran it on wheel ramps rad cap off. Problem solved lot of air in system.

 

[06PullUouT]

I'm on the side of trapped air as well.

I used to just use a funnel with electrical tape to burp the cooling system, now I use this. Best $30 I've spent recently...





The system burps itself, no more spills and no more burned fingers squeezing damn hota$$ radiator hoses!!

 

[GreatDaneHummer]

Ok guys; went to Jiffy Lube and had them vacuum and fill my coolant system. Problem is still happening. The temp gauge went all the way to RED and my AC was blowing mild temp air... There is absolutely no air in the system. I am very frustrated right now.

Fan was running but didn't sound like you hear other cars where it gets loud under the hood when sitting... I am so pissed..

 

[06PullUouT]

Do you have a scan gauge to see the actual temperature? I remember seeing a TSB about the temp gauges in the gauge cluster being faulty on some, I think the wording was uncalibrated.

Are you getting the "ENG HOT" in the DIC?

 

[GreatDaneHummer]

Only 1 time did I get it but the air conditioning going to mild temp shows its over heating.

 

[06PullUouT]

Did you measure the voltage across the ECT sensor and verify it is working correctly?

 

[GreatDaneHummer]

Nope. What should be the voltage?

 

[alrock]

Well, if the new thermostat is stuck closed, that could be the issue. Or if the new water pump isn't working properly. Another question - does it overheat without the a/c on? I assume the system is holding pressure and that the upper hose is firm and not squishy when it's running. I have a crappy aftermarket radiator that does not seal properly against the radiator cap. I've actually had silicone tape around my cap to increase the diameter to match the radiator so I can finally get a high pressure seal.

 

[4speedfunk]

Yeah you got something not right. There are some crazy ideas out there...bigger fans, shrouds, clutches, blah, etc. Clearly...throwing $$ at it is not working.
I live in the same climate and I drove around all day Monday in record high temps. Bone stock crappy plastic radiator, all original pump, t-stat, fan, and 7-year old Dex-cool. The radiator is partially blocked by the winch and probably loaded with mud...and with AC blasting all day, and stuck in gridlock traffic...the temp gauge never wavered from dead-center.

 

[GreatDaneHummer]

At this point I am frustrated and not sure what direction to go. I don't think its the parts, everything seems to be working ok. I have to get something figured out between now and my trip to Colorado.

 

[rascole]

I would pull the pump and Tstat back out and verify they are working properly. IMO I would bet that one of them.

 

[alrock]

At this point I am frustrated and not sure what direction to go. I don't think its the parts, everything seems to be working ok. I have to get something figured out between now and my trip to Colorado.

You need to include the parts in your troubleshooting, even if they are new. They could be DOA, they could be DOA returns that were put back on the shelf, they simply might be poor design. You stated "everything seems to be working ok" but obviously it isn't. There are not many components in the cooling system. I realize you're frustrated here. You've done some good troubleshooting so far, now you have to start eliminating issues one by one.

 

[GreatDaneHummer]

I wish I had a really good mechanic here in Chicago to help me trouble shoot this. Having this solved and piece of mind is easily worth paying for.