Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Engine temps when towing

[dnesbitt3]

looks familiar, here's what mine looked like before, for those who haven't washed theirs you just cannot believe how much dirt, oil, bugs and other road grime can be plugged up in the fins.....



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[DNewell]

Thought I would post a picture of my radiator before I cleaned it this weekend. My A/C was working very well at idle.

Click on thumbnail for larger image.

<a href=http://thehugheslogcabin.net/images/radiator/15_15_41.jpg><image src=http://thehugheslogcabin.net/images/radiator/15_15_41_tn.jpg></a>

Good God Mine wasn't that bad, luckily enough.

 

[PAckley]

Good advice on pulling rad and pressure washing. How difficult is the radiator pull? Serp belt replacement? Thermostat and cap are good ideas on a 200,000 mile truck. I will have to locate new hoses before I attempt this, and might also find new silicone hoses for the turbo as a good idea while I am in there. Is that accessible with radiator removed? Any special antifreeze for these engines?

Thanks

 

[dnesbitt3]

The serpentine belt is easy with the radiator out (pretty easy with everything inplace as well). Don't overtighten the housing for the t-stat. The silicone boost hoses are a real pain in the butt to get on with everything in place. I pulled the hoses lose at each end and then pulled the middle connecting pipe out so I could atleast get the hoses started while I wasn't laying under the truck. I wish I had done them when I had the radiator out... I'm sure it would have made things better.



More interestingly I would love to know how long I had been driving with a split boost hose because after the new hoses I had a beast on my hands... . so I'm sure that my boost had been way off for some time.



Good Luck!

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

All else said on the issue, the relocation of my blowby bottle, and covering the front of my radiator with screen has kept BOTH sides of my radiator as new - and all temps normal, towing OR empty...

 

[DNewell]

Good advice on pulling rad and pressure washing. How difficult is the radiator pull? Serp belt replacement? Thermostat and cap are good ideas on a 200,000 mile truck. I will have to locate new hoses before I attempt this, and might also find new silicone hoses for the turbo as a good idea while I am in there. Is that accessible with radiator removed? Any special antifreeze for these engines?

Thanks

Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment, but all I did was unbolt the fan shroud, take off the wiper fluid container as there are two bolts for the fan shroud behind this, and then undo the two bolts at the top of the radiator holding it to the front crossmember of the truck. I undid the top hose because I replaced the t-stat, and undid the bottom hose after taking out the battery and the battery tray. I then pulled out the radiator, after draining it. It was super easy. I had the full job done in about 2. 5 hours, no joke.

As far as coolant, I just used the cheap NAPA stuff. It's rated for the Cummins engine, so I was happy with that. I just mixed it 50/50 with distilled water, and called it good. The truck was sitting on an incline, leaning backwards, so i don't think that the block fully drained, but I got enough new stuff in not to worry. Not a drip afterwards, and the temp has been perfect, even in 100+ degree weather that we're getting right now

 

[NoSeeUm]

I live in bug country, so I have put a screen in from of my radiator as well.



Jim

 

[Jim Brewer]

Radiator removal for cleaning

Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment, but all I did was unbolt the fan shroud ...

You are a glutton for punishment. I found the job kind of a PITA. Here's how I did it.



1) Remove the driver side battery. Cover the + connectors with a rag so they don't short out on something. No need to remove the battery tray.



2) Get under the windshield washer bottle and drain it. When you disconnect the line from the bottom running over to the frame, be ready to be hosed down with washer fluid. It doesn't taste good, so have a drain tube in your hand before you pull it.



3) Removing the washer bottle is a bit of a pain. There are two buttons on the side of the bottle that snap it into place against the fan shroud. I jammed two flat blade screwdrivers between the shroud and the bottle to push them out, then took a drift & hammer and carefully pounded on the bottom of the bottle from under the truck until it snapped out.



4) Disconnect the wires from the bottle pump and sensor - also remove the push in wire mount - pull the bottle out.



5) On the passenger side, remove the radiator catch can. It also has a button lock mount like the washer bottle, but it doesn't need to be drained since it sucks from the cap. I was able to pull this out from the top - also using the screwdriver trick.



6) Remove the cable clamps from the top of the radiator - 4 of 'em. Also remove the little clips holding the shroud to the radiator.



7) Remove the shroud screws - 2 on each side - 10mm heads. Now the shroud should be loose enough to push back from the radiator.



8) Remove the radiator cap and drain the radiator from the petcock with another drain tube. I got almost 4 gals out of it, so make sure to have a big enough catch pan. The petcock is plastic (on the driver's side) so be careful with it. It has a rather coarse thread so pull a little on it while turning (I used some pliers).



9) Remove the top radiator hose.



10) Remove the bottom hose clamp to the radiator (with the shroud out of the way, this is pretty easy).



11) Remove the 2 wire mounts pushed into the bottom of the radiator below the shroud (from under the truck).



12) Remove the two screws on each top side of the radiator and pull it out.



Mine was clogged like everyone else's - with 140K miles on the clock. I sprayed it with engine cleaner and with the high pressure hose at the car wash. It came out almost like new.



Putting it back in is the reverse of above. Including the trip to the auto parts store for engine cleaner & the trip to the car wash, it took me around 4. 5 hours total. I could have done it quicker if I hadn't had to invent a way to get the washer bottle out & if I hadn't tried to remove the battery tray, which I found out I didn't have to do.



Hope this helps ...