Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) high temp problem

[TJany]

i was driving through NY on 287, sitting in traffic and noticed my engine temp climb to 215 degrees. In other threads i noticed ppl say that the fan coming on is LOUD, i never heard it. is there something that controls the fan or do i need to replace the fan clutch? i was not towing and the truck was empty so i don't think there is anyway the engine should have gotten that hot. Also, assuming i need a new fan clutch, is there something better than the factory clutch out there? i know my dads big rig had a fan clutch he could turn on from in the cab, is something like that worth it let alone available for our trucks?



TIA Tim

 

[hensign]

Stock truck? In heat like this you should pretty much hear nothing but the fan every time you step on the throttle especially with ac on. Check around the blade(engine off of course) on face by rad near clutch is it all grimy and oily? Yes you need a fan clutch. Yes the are aftermarket alternatives but they, and even OEM are expensive. I just went OEM since I am not into fiddling with stuff while climbing/towing. Now if I could just get the power I had when my fan did nothing.

 

[AKAMAC]

Try your local Cummins dealer for the parts. I'd do the t-stat and fan clutch. Good luck, Mike

 

[TJany]

i haven't inspected it to hard, but a quick inspection and it's not that bad, the truck cools back down to 190 as soon as you get moving again, so i'd imagine its not that bad. and yes the truck is stock, thanks for the replies, i'll have to swing by a cummins shop. hensign, i see your from jersey to, what part? i'm in west windsor



TIm

 

[PC12Driver]

How clean is your radiator?

Have a look:

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=131245&highlight=radiator

 

[ox1]

Gunk possibly too

My truck was always running aboot 190* but never gave it a thought. Wasn't ever over that it seemed ~~ maybe on occasion - but not a problem...



Over New Yrs a cpl yrs ago we were going over Monarch Pass in SE Col with a lightweight three place snowmachine trailer in tow and the motor wanted to truck right over the top, but the rad said no. I had to downshift and run R's in the lower gear to keep the fan running faster to get the heat out. I couldn't believe it - but wrote it off to thin air. (??? longshot I know - but ????) I had installed a new stat - but no diff. ???



Next spring the wifey was hot and wanted the A/C "fixed. (Generally I wouldn't ever know if it wasn't working) She took it in to get serviced, but they said that everything seemed to be working fine. Then they got the heat gun out and found that the condenser wasn't cooling. They pulled things apart to find some "gunk" on the condensor and proceeded to clean it off with brake cleaner or similar.



Not only did that fix the A/C, but the motor runs 15* cooler now too. Oo.





Nobody has a clue what the "gunk" was or where it came from. Maybe there ever since new? Can't imagine that - but have no clue how it woulda got in there. Keeping in mind it was NOT in front of the intercooler - but rather behind it. ???





Just another thing to add to your "could be's". :-laf

 

[WestTN]

Ox1, that gunk on theradiator was from the crankcase vent tube bottle. You need to clean the radiator and move the bottle to a better location. And until that is accomplished I wouldn't run the A/C. Inadequate air flow over the condensor can cause some serious over pressure in the A/C system. My old truck blew off the freon through the relief valve while idling in hot weather because the fan clutch had failed.

 

[ox1]

Oh yeah?



I'll give that a look. Thanks.

 

[TJany]

well, spent yesterday workin on the truck... i pulled the radiator and what a mess it was... it was at least 40% blocked, think i found my overheat problem. the interesting part is it was mostly dirt, and i don't believe the crankcase vent caused the problem, in theory any vapors would be blown away from the radiator anyway, but the backside of the radiator was fairly clean anyway, the front side was nasty.



Tim

 

[PC12Driver]

I agree. My bottle was gone and the vent tube relocated shortly after I got my truck, and my radiator was pretty well plugged. The fan side was fine; the front of the radiator was caked.

 

[TJany]

well... the truck ran 200 degrees towing an empty fertilizer spreader today... guess i should have done the fan clutch while i had the radiator out of the truck. how hard is the clutch to change? anything i should know before i start taking it apart?



Tim

 

[TJany]

anybody know of a cummins dealer/parts center in Central New Jersey? now that i need parts i guess i need to find one



Thanks

Tim

 

[hensign]

Hey Tim,

Cummins dealer I use is in Newark just off route 1/9 near intersection with NJTP and 78 and 22. It is right by where 1/9 truck breaks off. I am in South Plainfield, NJ just south of rt22. Metropower (973) 491-0100- 41 Doremus Ave

Did you find any oil on the fan that would have leaked out of the clutch? You will need a wrench for the clutch as it screws onto the waterpump.

Looks like I will be spending next week doing a head gasket on mine, I finally got all the parts together and am tired of addin antifreeze all the time.



Hadley

 

[SSchulte]

my truck runs at 190 today 200 in traffic ac doesnt blow cold i had it chared a month later warm again what did you use to clean it with today check engine came on i wonder if fan is toast

 

[TJany]

thanks for the info on Metro Power, i was hoping for something closer, but haven't found anything as i'm down in West Windsor...

To clean the radiator, i pulled it out of the truck, which really isn't a big deal, than threw some truck wash on it and allowed it to soak for a few minutes, and CAREFULLY pressure washed it, cleaned right up... be careful pressurewashing it though as you can easily damage the fins, make sure to shoot straight through the radiator and not on an angle



Tim