truck temp

bradjh · Post by **bradjh** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 2:42 pm

i was pulling my trailer and happened to look down and temp was over half way 200 degrees or what ever... Cooled down after running for a few mins.. was 90 plus here today... Now i noticed my truck sounds like a jet when i start driving i know it did it before when i pull out of the driveway in the morning but i think its worse? any ideas how hot can i let it get before i mess something up?

Post by **HenryJ** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 2:52 pm

Look for oil on the center of your fan clutch or around the shaft. If it is leaking you will need a replacement.

The fan roaring is normal when it reaches an engagement temperature.

Did your engine puke coolant? An engine that is too hot will purge coolant and a refill may be needed once it cools.

How hot is too hot? That is hard to say. It may depend upon the load it is enduring at the time, the amount of time, the lubrication and condition of the lubrication. I would guess the 230-250 degree range would be considered hot.

If you are running Dex, change it. It degrades quickly after being over heated. Air in the system is also a big problem for Dex. Service the system now. Time for an oil change too. Heat breaks down oil too. If you got it hot you are due for a service. Wait and you risk failure.

roadrunner · Post by **roadrunner** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 4:52 pm

Check your air flow side of the radiator also. Mine was starting to run warmer than usual and I too noticed more fan roar than usual. I removed the top half of the shroud and dropped a trouble light behind the radiator (engine off of course) and got a shock

. I hadn't checked it for a while and the air flow was 80-90% blocked.

Needless to say an hour or so with an air blower both directions with the front grille section removed followed by an hour with a garden hose remedied the problem.

Afterwards not only was the excess fan noise gone but the truck ran cooler and the ac worked much better as well. I also encountered a built in dirt trap. The area by and above the license plate acts like a scoop for air and unfortunately bugs etc. I found a pile of butterfly and grasshopper wings etc blocking nearly the bottom 1/3 of the air flow piled between the ac condenser and the radiator. I now check it much more frequently since it is grasshopper season out here in NW KS.

bradjh · Post by **bradjh** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 4:26 am

I am still running the dex cool.. I have never flushed and filled a radiator before i dont want to mess anything up. If i go to the dealer for flush and fill will they put dex back in? Could it be a bad thermostat.. on a regular day under normal driving conditions what should my temp gauge read?

Post by **HenryJ** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 4:33 am

The dealer will likely put Dex back in. You can do that, but change it every two years just like other coolants. I don't know how many miles you have, but if you are over 100k miles , changing the thermostat is not a bad idea.
Stock temperature is 195-205. The stock gauge tends to read on the high side, so expect it to look like 210 or around there.

JaVeRo · Post by **JaVeRo** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 6:51 am

roadrunner wrote:Check your air flow side of the radiator also.

I second what Roadrunner said.

Check between the radiator and AC coils.

James