Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) poll on 12 valves with poor heat

[Gene Arnold]

Mine isn't too bad. I do have a piece of thin rigid fiberglass that I slip between the radiator and the intercooler (with a 6" hole cut in the middle) that helps a lot. I don't do any highway driving in the winter so I don't worry about overheating. I really don't think cold weather highway driving would be a problem though.



Gene

 

[Texis]

My 97 heater is really bad. I too recently changed thermostats and it is worse. The heater only works well after the engine is warm and sitting still. Highway speed and you need thermal underwear to stay warm below 40 degrees.



I have considered adding a small 12V marine heater under the rear bench seat.

 

[fest3er]

My 97 heater is really bad. I too recently changed thermostats and it is worse. The heater only works well after the engine is warm and sitting still. Highway speed and you need thermal underwear to stay warm below 40 degrees.



I have considered adding a small 12V marine heater under the rear bench seat.

A few years back, a shop installed a Bumper-to-Bumper t-stat, which worked fine until the temps got under 40F or so, like yours. Then the engine took forever to warm up. Replaced it with a Cummins t-stat and the problem went away.



I'd bet you would get great heat if your (truck's) gross GCW was 12,000 or more.

 

[surfbeetle]

I have a 9 mile commute one way on the freeway. Originally, I would not get heat until mile 7. Then I added the TST #5 plate and I get heat at mile 1. I also use the block heater so I have heat when I leave home. Once it's hot, I have great heat, just takes time to heat up.

 

[Texis]

Thanks I may try the Cummins T-stat. My truck has the block heater and I use it often. Takes about 5 miles to get hot air, there is just never any volume of air. Blows your head off on the AC settings?

 

[SRath]

bmoeller: "The CAC gets plenty of air with the cardboard attached to the grille. In these temps in the winter, the gap between the grille and CAC provides plenty of cold air. Plus, I don't block off 100% of it anyhow. No change in EGTs on or off the truck going down the road. "

By that same reasoning, blocking the grille is not very effective at keeping "plenty of cold air" from reaching the radiator, as well as the intercooler. Again, that would defeat the purpose.

 

[DonTX]

Enough Heat

My truck provides plenty of heat now. I had a similar problam when I bought it, seemed you had to have the blower on hi all the time for hear or AC, and the blower seemed to be noisy and vibrating some. Thinking the bearings were failing in the motor, I finally pulled the blower motor and fan, there was the problem! It had been parked under some small leafed trees, and the fan cage was full of leaves, slowing the flow to a small breeze, and putting the fan out of balance.

It takes only a few minutes of easy work to pull the motor and fan and check the fan and the cavity for debris. I then put on the Geno intake filter, so I would never have that problem again.

 

[Grizzly]

I had a 95, 12V, which I ordered new. It took a long time to warm up, but I figured that's what happens when you have a lot of cast iron and 6 gals of coolant to to warm up. I now have an 05, 24V, which I also ordered new. The 05 has 7 gals of coolant, which warms up in about half the time of the 95.



george

 

[mtarcher1]

heat poll

I pull the fan for winter use in order to get heat more quickly into the cab (for me) and to make sure the engine is at operating temp sooner (for the engine). I use a grill cover and have an exhaust brake which helps a little too. The truck is usually hauling a stock trailer so I do have to watch the temperature gauge if I pull either of the two mountain passes out of our valley if is is over 35 degrees out. I've never had any issues with overheating but have had to stop to pull off the grill cover on a few warm days to get air moving over the engine. I should point out that I'm a 1995 and all stock so I'm not making excess heat. It was -25 here a couple of weeks ago... . I don't think the cab or the engine would warm up much under those conditions without a heavy load or some of the things I described.

 

[DODGEDADDIE]

TBurow

YA,,I have the SAME ISSUES as you have,,It's almost like driveing the air cooled VW's

I run no fan an completly block of raidator,,But not heat till 12-15 miles,,

THEN GREAT HEAT,,,,



Mike In Maine

 

[surfbeetle]

TBurow

YA,,I have the SAME ISSUES as you have,,It's almost like driveing the air cooled VW's

I run no fan an completly block of raidator,,But not heat till 12-15 miles,,

THEN GREAT HEAT,,,,



Mike In Maine

Oh heck in 25 years with my bug, I never had heat since the heater boxes were replaced with quiet packs and a header. I hated those cold mornings.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

Temps are suppose to drop over the weekend and we actually had a tinsy weensy skiff of snow this morning. Still, really doesn't count for a real winter. A feller could get use to this



Yesterday I fastened my ol' homemade plastic radiator cover in place. I hemmed and hawed about doing it since OR is rather balmy compared to WY and MT, but decided might as well do it whilst I was puttering about getting the dogs heated shelter up to snuff for winter.



Bottom line is my CTDs have run cool, but I'm use to putting some sort of grill cover on all my vehicles for the winter.

 

[The patriot]

My 98 12 valve has never had good heat. It's still running the stock T'stat because other than the sucky heat I've seen no reason to replace it.

On cold mornings (cold here is 10-20 F) it'll take 5-8 miles of 50 MPH running before the gauge begins to move. Longer for actual heat. Plugging it in dont make a substantial difference. Yea, it starts up better, but takes almost as long for heat.

I dont like the cab warm, fact is I'll drive almost all winter with at least one window opened. So in this respect I'm not asking too much from it.

I put on the grill covers (IIRC Lund is the brand) and it's a little better. When I feel motivated I pull the fan assy and it also helps a little... . with the MPG's too.