Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Took a long trip in 24V, have some questions

[rbagley]

I'm still new to the world of CTD, so humor my simple questions.



I just got back from a vacation in several of the National Parks. We drove from Spring, TX to Glacier National Park over labor day weekend. This park is in Montana, right on the border of Canada. My 98. 5 24v ran like a top and really impressed me with its ability to pull long grades in overdrive. We went over the pass in Raton, NM at 65 mph and never lost speed and it never kick down out of overdrive.



First question:

On this grade and other grades the only way I could tell we were climbing is that the temp would increase. My truck usually runs slightly to the left of 190. On these grades, it would increase to half way between 190 and the next white mark, which should be 215. So it was running at about 203. It would do this on longer, but smaller grades also. We had about 1000 lb. s of gear in the back. Is this normal or OK?



Next question:

I have done a search, and think I understand, but want to clarify. One morning in Montana, the outside temp was approximately 35. When I started the truck, it was putting out a small amout of white/blueish smoke. The engine also sounded different, not as much clatter as usual. This is because of the low temp and combustion of the fuel not being complete, right?



Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

Your engine temperatures don't sound bad. But your truck could have the faulty thermostat. See the TSB Below:



http://dodgeram.info/tsb/1998/07-08-98.htm



White/Blue smoke on cold start-up is normal. You answered your own question.

 

[98rammer]

if it's not the thermostat, it also could be bugs and crap in the radiator. others can chime in with their experience as some say to use high pressure water, some say to use compressed air, etc.

 

[dmurdock]

Only thing i can think of is the transmission cooler may be heating it up... . might want to check the thermostat though. I've dragged my 5'er all over the mountains and the temp pretty much sat on 190 (although i did get the pyro to 1400!... and that was with a bone-stock truck!)

 

[B.G. Smith]

Trip

The smoke on 35 deg. startup at altitude is normal. Better check the thermostat, the rubber cap on the thermostat comes loose and restricts the flow even when it is open, with the truck in OD the TC would be locked up and with only 1K load it should not go over 190F. bg

 

[emjay]

My 2000 only gets that hot pulling my 7000 lb trailer up a long steep grade in hot weather, otherwise, just to the left like yours, or right on it if it's hot outside and I'm stuck in traffic. Another thing to check is your fan clutch, when mine gets hot, you can really hear the fan kick in. In any case, like HEMI Dart said, those temps are not extreme for coolant. With a 15 Lb. (I think that's stock) and 50/50 antifreeze & water, you're pretty safe up to 230. While running that hot is not normal, I don't think you'll get any permanent damage from it.

 

[EricBu12]

also his engine is brand new, apart from pulling the loads, it is fighting to do a break-in. I noticed on mine, that after 10,000 miles, it started to run smoother and a little quieter, not as much clatter like under load... .

I would say it is ok for now, just let it work in and see later on if it still does it when hauling. Also the MPG's will go up. I get 21-23 hwy now.

 

[rbagley]

Thanks for the replys folks. I will be changing the thermostat out first off.



I did notice a lot of bug buildup on the smaller coolers in front of the radiator.



I had a interesting demonstation of how strong the CTD is on this trip. I was cruising north on I-25 across Wyoming at about 80mph and slowly overtook another CTD 4x4 Quad like mine. Don't know what year. He was pulling a huge bumper pull camping trailer. This trailer was shaped like a brick and must have been heavy because his back end was setting down a little below level with the front end.



Anyway, he must not have liked me passing him as he juiced it up and slowly passed me. I didn't like the view from the back so I bumped the cruise up to about 87 and passed him again. The crazy SOB dropped the hammer and the last I saw he was over a mile ahead and I figured he deserved the road his way.



I don't know how fast he was going, but it had to be in excess of 90mph towing that office building. Pretty impressive if you ask me.

 

[EricBu12]

Suprised you didn't see him in the ditch later on with very bad sway. saw a truck do that when he was going downhill and he rolled the trailer into the ditch but the truck remained upright. It was a TT toybox type.

 

[SOLER]

Originally posted by rbagley

I figured he deserved the road his way.

He deserves to be dead, towing a load like that in a manner skuch as he was



That's freakin' crazy and stupid!



I hope you get you temps under control. I may have overlooked, but were you loaded?

 

[rbagley]

Originally posted by SOLER

I may have overlooked, but were you loaded?

I had about 1000 lb. of gear in the bed. I'm going to do a complete cooling system clean-up. New thermostat, change hoses and coolant, and clean the bugs out of the radiators. My transmission cooler has a lot of bugs in it. Any suggestions as to how to get those out?

 

[lschultz]

I use compressed air to get them out of mine. You could probably get them out with water too. Get you a piece of wire and cut it to go over your condenser/radiator and you want get many bugs on it. Some use screen wire. I think the wire I have has 1/4" squares. Them grasshoppers are still bad around where we live. Just go to hardware store and get you some wire and you want have to clean them bugs off that much anymore. It's been talked about on here before. I think some tie the wire to then inside of there grill. Thought about doing that but have not.

You will see that smoke around here when?it gets cold. Mr truck runs 1/2 mark most of the time sometimes a little less.

 

[emjay]

There are several ways to skin that cat. If you do a search, you'll find discussions on the subject, but right off hand, I think the most common methods are compressed air or high pressure water from the back of the radiator.

 

[harleebkr]

Re: Re: Took a long trip in 24V, have some questions

Originally posted by harleebkr

don't know what happened-looks like i posted the same message as the original from rbagley. Let's try again-I just got back from 2000 miles from Ft. Worth to Lake Powell- no load- and temps went to about 205 on a 95 degree day in the mountains-185 or so rest of the time. '99 2500 QC LWB 4x4 - PS- mileage was 24. 7 in the mtns and 23. 3 at 80mph on I-40.

 

[rbagley]

You got much better mileage than I did. My best was 21. 5. Averaged about 19 over 5200 miles.

 

[harleebkr]

Originally posted by rbagley

You got much better mileage than I did. My best was 21. 5. Averaged about 19 over 5200 miles.

Could be the tires and use of the a/c. I run the stock Michelins (xlt ms) which improved mileage about 1. 5 over Goodyear Wrangler at-s I had at one time, and no a/c on. the a/c drags my mileage down another 1. 5 mpg-glad Fall is on the way to TX!

 

[Pit Bull]

Mine alway goes a little above the 190 mark (1/4 of the way to the next mark) when it first gets warmed up and then drops to 190, from then on if it goes up it is usually about the width of the needle. Kinda pulses, I figured it was the thermostat opening and closing. Think I need a new one? It's a 2000 truck with around 50K miles on it. Done this since I bought it with 34K miles on it.

 

[dcava]

I've got an 02 QC 3. 54 gears and for the first 5-7K my temp would bounce between 185 and say 200 under normal driving with no load. Somewhere along the way it stopped and now stays

just to the left of190 all the time.

 

[Mingoglia]

My '01 5-speed goes a little past 190 when I'm on the freeway pulling grades. I always have the hammer down and am probably going close to 3k RPM because I'm doing 90 on the open roads outside of Phoenix. My truck actually runs a little warmer when I'm empty than it does when I'm pulling my 11k trailer. I don't know if it's because it's running a higher RPM because of the speed or because the turbo is spinning more boost when it's loaded down which keeps the EGT down which indirectly keeps the coolant temperature down.

 

[HTRDHLR]

I use water to clean the condensor. Now if you can tell me how to get the "Knee" divit out of it from Moe Larry & Curly at 5 star I would appreciate it.