Cooling system doing my head in

[Bob696]

I put my 90 (200Tdi) on the motorway and the temp guage starts to go up. 50-70MPH dosnt matter. On friday night it only got as far as about 90% but it is still annoying.
Spent all day driving lanes and minor roads on sat. and the temp gauge never moved (6 hours driving!)
Came home on the A roads frequently crusing at 55-60 and no reaction from temp guage except when I got on some steep hills within a mile or 2 of home.
Cooling system has been flushed twice (2nd time with some rad flush in), rad has been cleaned, heater is bypassed, guage changed, sensor changed and no thermostate is fitted at all.

So whats to do next?

[Wolfie]

no thermostate is fitted at all.

No thermostat is not a good idea as it can adversely affect the water flow around thw engine, the system is designed to have the restriction in there.

So I'd suggest a new one as the first stage.

I've suffered from hot running in H recently, but whilst towing M on a trailer. Coming back from scotland it got so hot that I decided to take the spotlights off the front. Looking at your photos I see you have some large spots, might be worth removing them until the weather cools down a bit.

Regards

Wolfie

[ian_s]

i'd say to inspect the water pump, and see just what state its in.
i had a problem with an old astra once, took the water pump out and it only had 1 vane left
no wonder it didnt work too well

[Hangover]

It's the rad mate,you can't clean them out as the crap just gets stuck in there,it won't be the water pump they hardly ever go.

[Ollie]

I had exactly the same thing happen a few months ago.
I changes the water pump and thermstat, and re-flushed the coolant, will the same problem.
Would  work fine, then for no reason pump up to 80%.
I re-flushed the coolant and since then, (three months nearly), the problem hasn't re-occured.
I have even bought an electric fan, but haven't fitted it yet as I don't want to upset the balance!

Ollie

[KevinStorr]

Hi Bob saw you at the weekend.

First question have you got a standard intercooler or have you fitted at up-rated one.

If you have and it is the one which fits in front of the rad then a problem can be that the fan sucks air in from the side where the old intercooler used to fit, instead of sucking it through the rad.

This can be solved by making a baffle around that side of the fan to close it in.

[Ollie]

Vinnie110,
I have an uprated intercooler from Allisport, full lenght one that sits infront of the rad, useful information, Thanks :D
I'll go take a look, when Laila's back from the Doc's, (Dr.Joe Edwards) :shock:


Ollie

[KevinStorr]

Ollie,

Mine came from Allisport has well. Was lead to believe that intercooler designed to let air through but I found on the motorway after at bit temp would go up to red until I slowed back to 55-60. Speaking to a mechanic friend he told me about the problem so I made up a baffle out of some thin alli and haven't had the problem since.

[Ollie]

Ollie,

Mine came from Allisport has well. Was lead to believe that intercooler designed to let air through but I found on the motorway after at bit temp would go up to red until I slowed back to 55-60. Speaking to a mechanic friend he told me about the problem so I made up a baffle out of some thin alli and haven't had the problem since.

That sounds exactly like my problem :P
Do you have a picture of your baffle :?:

Ollie

[KevinStorr]

I will try and get one

[Bob696]

Thanks for the input guys. Not thought of a baffle (yes got the allisports intercooler) so will give that a go. I have a water pump to fit as well as a leccy fan. I was hopeing to solve the problem before my hols but I will probably give myself more time after the hols and do most of it in one go rather than fafing around.

Vinnie, was it on the tresure hunt you saw me or as I went through kiddy on the way home on sunday?

[drmike]

Have you fitted a thermostat yet?

I had the self same problem and fitting the correct thermostat solved it. There was no stat at all there but you do need to get the right one.

Cheap too.

Mike

[KevinStorr]

That sounds exactly like my problem :P
Do you have a picture of your baffle :?:

Ollie

Can't get a good picture at the moment. But it is just a bit of alli riveted to the fan cover and then has a rubber seal strip along the edge sealing it against the rad. The edges of the alli are then silicone to the fan cover to seal that.

Try speaking to Jeremy Fearn Tel: 01629 732546 I believe his intercoolers come with this modification.

[Ollie]

Bob,
I had a chat with a chap from Allisport at Billing yesterday. He see's this type of problem all the time, and assures me it's a blockage in the rad :!:
He suggested flushing it out/using a rad clean to try and shift it.

Looks like the reduced air flow shows up rad issues that have always been there, but didn't matter until you/I fitted the intercooler :shock:

Cheers
Ollie

[KevinStorr]

Here are some pics of the baffle as good as I can do with out taking a part.



The highlighted area is the mod which blokes the hole which your small landrover intercooler once occupied.

Flushing the rad can help if it is blocked. but if you have a gaping hole the the fan to suck air in from which is an easier route rather than through the intercooler and rad then thats what will happen.

As the guy from Allisport said the intercooler reduces your air flow so you need to get the best from the air flow you have.

As I said before J Fearn is well respected in the performance upgrade department on landrovers and his intercoolers come with a baffle to fit for the reason above.

[Ollie]

Vinnie110,
Many thanks for making the effort to take and post the pictures, I can just make out how you have quite simply implemented your solution.
Much less complicated than my ideas :D

Cheers
Ollie

[KevinStorr]

No problem.

Like I said I think it is important to try a make the rad work to its best and if the fan can suck air past the rad then that just reduces the air flow over the rad and if you think about it the intercooler as well.