Its getting a bit warm in here!

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sun Jun 05, 05 11:38 pm

Could it just be an airlock? if it is, how the hell do I get rid of it?

AllKiller · Post by **AllKiller** » Mon Jun 06, 05 12:03 am

Thats roughly a 260f gauge then and if it were up there you would know it. And i certainly wouldnt go anywhere near the rad cap at that temp.
Been here done this.
My guess your pumping the water round too fast no time to cool the motor,rising steadily is a sure sign,water speed out combatting incoming air speed, low rear end gears compound this if you are running 3.90 / 4.10 and up, if not ok
I doubt if its an air lock.
Get a auto meter water temp gauge (capiliary) type
I would go with the original water pump,
junk the modded stat and put another one in,
mechanical fan flexi but large blades as close to rad as poss with spacer, about an inch to 2 away,
Dont worry about the shroud if you dont have one
Pull that electric pump out its not going to help the mechanical pump
14- 16 lb rad cap
the electric fan should be set to come on around 205 f. It wont get there if alls ok everywhere else.
Aim 170 - 180 f
What gears you got in the rear ?

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Mon Jun 06, 05 8:58 am

I agree with Allkiller on some points but...

Don't use a flex fan. Use a stock heavy duty fan or a shrouded electric.

I used a "painless wiring" electric fan kit that allows you to adjust the fan so it comes on at around 185F and off at 175F.

If your water was reaching 120C you would be wearing it after removing the rad cap and you would have no skin. I don't like the idea of an electric pump on a street car.

You want to keep the number of electrical things to a minimum on Mopars. The stock wiring often means bad connections particularly at the bulkhead connectors. So at idle you can often have a charging system not putting enough out. So things like the fan and your pump will start to go slower and slower in traffic just when you really need them to be working at their best.

AllKiller · Post by **AllKiller** » Mon Jun 06, 05 10:24 am

Yes I was late last night when I did this,
I was referring to but never mentioned, the Kenlowe thermostatic switch that you can pre set to come on and off at you settings, 185 on, and off at 170 or what ever you deem necessary.
And the a large blade flexi fan I had on moved more air at tick over than the original, and is less power robbing at speed, and I mean LARGE blade, Not those thin Ali things you see with razor blade like blades.

Mine was so effective that i had to take it off and put one of those above mentioned skinneys on, due to the fact that on the way to Brooklands last year , Sitting in traffic for over an hour to go 4 miles the engine temp NEVER went over 145 f and 120f when driving.
WAY to LOW.
I mentioned these things coz it worked for me, and I was having lots of overheating problems that plaqued me for months
electic fans just were not up to it or will let you down just when you need it.
And was most cost effective, which I believe was a concern too.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Mon Jun 06, 05 3:05 pm

I think it was an airlock. I decided to have another test this morning and found that the rad needed a bit of water (not much, but some). I was actually on the 'phone to Tony at Kenlowe whilst I was watching the temperaute rise and rise untill it got to between 90 and 100C and levelled off. It popped over 100 as the stat opened, and then settled back down to around 90. The fan turns on and off happily.

I haven't road tested it yet, but it sat at idle for about 15 minutes with no problems. Fingers crossed that this isn't a bit previous, but it looks like its okay. Thanks to everyone for their help, I just wish I could have got it all done before the Guildford Cruise last night!

AllKiller · Post by **AllKiller** » Mon Jun 06, 05 4:02 pm

Thats just short of 210 f, @ 208f thats too high mate, borderline boil over. Safety limit..... NOWHERE !

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Mon Jun 06, 05 4:28 pm

I've got the fan cutting in sooner so its droping to 85-90 degrees, but that is just sitting their idling, so I guess I'll have to tinker with it after a test drive.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Wed Jun 08, 05 11:43 pm

Okay, big news flash. I just sorted out the wiring job I did (followed the kenlowe instructions to the letter and ended up running a 20 amp fan off a temp live connection....I know, I know, I got it sorted) but the temperature still rises and rises.

The gauge started reading just under 120, so I killed the engine and went to vent the water through the stant cap. I released the lever and nothing bar a brief hiss and splutter came out. I took the cap off with my bare hands and stuck my finger in the water to find it was at 'tepid cup of tea level'. The temp controller on the kenlowe was set at half way betweeen normal and cold for it to start running at 80 degrees, which was a little odd. I then tracked the wire from the temp sender back until I found a nasty yellow crimped fitting on the cable. It seems that I have an original sender with an aftermarket gauge. I'm guessing that the gauge is not giving me a true reading as, at that temperature, I should be laying in a burns ward about now. I'll get a new gauge and sender and report back. Anyone got any recomendations on brands and suppliers for the right instrument?

Holly · Post by **Holly** » Wed Jun 08, 05 11:53 pm

You usually get the sender with a new guage - maybe you should pull back issues of Street Machine and look up how they did the Hawaii 5.0 Mustang guages

If possible ditch an in-pipe capillary fan switch if thats what you have - they're a PITA, and after 6 months things tend to start leaking etc. I got a fitting for a regular (ie. Escort or whatever) fan switch fitted to my rad when I had it recored, no probs since then

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Thu Jun 09, 05 1:40 am

I bumped into the owner of a yellow RR with a very sorted 440 at the guildford cruise (really nice chap, let me know if he is on list) and his top hose constantly dripped coolant, which he just played off as 'par for the course'. Mine seems solid as a rock, no leaks from the top hose or shonky conections to the electric pump. However, I'm not sure where a capillary gauge should go, or how it should be routed into the bay. I assume that running a capillary next to an exhaust manifold would rate as one of the more stoopid ideas I've ever had!! I'd like to go electric if I could, as it seems to be a damned site easier, but can anyone tell me what the thread is on the sender unit?

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Thu Jun 09, 05 3:51 am

If your gauge is reading 120 but the water in the rad is cold it suggests either the gauge is wrong or the stat is stuck shut.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Thu Jun 09, 05 10:12 am

It has to be the gauge as you can feel a rush of hot water when the stat opens. I've just come off the 'phone to Declan at Real Steel who is sticking a load of gauges in a box as we speak.

Holly · Post by **Holly** » Thu Jun 09, 05 11:18 am

Ideally the capillary for the fan switch should go in the rad exit hose (ie. the bottom one), so that it switches on the exiting temperature - this makes mounting the switch tricky as it needs to be accessible and dry (!). I don't know the normal thread for an in-rad fan switch, but any rad place should be able to advise you

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Thu Jun 09, 05 11:43 am

Thanks james, but I need the thread dimensions for the temperature sender for the gauge, not the fan. Its the little brass thingamy on the water pump, just under where the heater hoses come out.

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Thu Jun 09, 05 5:31 pm

The stock temp sender is 1/8" NPT.

Mopar Muscle Association UK

Its getting a bit warm in here!

STOP THE PRESS.....IT ONLY BLOODY WORKS!!!!