what can i do about the Temp.?

[PaulG]

Okay my truck normally runs at 190 deg. at all times but since the temp. outside has been alot warmer i notice if i beat on it (off line or just getting on it alot) it goes beyond the 190 deg. mark.

now i just bought a camper and noticed while traveling it will also make the temp go past the 190 mark so i guess my question is:

whats to hot for it to run and is this normal? i'm worried about towing my camper and hitting a bunch of hill and i don't want it to get to hot! now it neer goes past the high point of the gauge where it shows operating range but still is there something i should do or chnage maybe a 170 thermostat? or is that to cold for a diesel?

thanks Paul

 

[Bob Wagner]

180 degree stat is recommended

 

[Bob Wagner]

cummins p/n 3954194

 

[B.G. Smith]

Originally posted by PaulG

Okay my truck normally runs at 190 deg. at all times but since the temp. outside has been alot warmer i notice if i beat on it (off line or just getting on it alot) it goes beyond the 190 deg. mark.

now i just bought a camper and noticed while traveling it will also make the temp go past the 190 mark so i guess my question is:

whats to hot for it to run and is this normal? i'm worried about towing my camper and hitting a bunch of hill and i don't want it to get to hot! now it neer goes past the high point of the gauge where it shows operating range but still is there something i should do or chnage maybe a 170 thermostat? or is that to cold for a diesel?

thanks Paul

You need to check the cooling system, you have either some restriction in the air flow across the radiator, internal obstructions in the system from corrosion(truck is probably too new for that) or the most likely item, the thermostat. I am on my fourth one, first one failed under 10,000 miles. Stick with the recommended thermostat. bg

 

[RustyJC]

My truck runs a needle width below the 190 degF mark when empty and a needle width above the 190 degF mark when towing our 13,500 lb 5th wheel. It's done this since day 1 with the OEM 190 degF thermostat. On a long, steep grade when towing, the temp might try to climb higher, but the fan clutch kicks in and drags the coolant temperature right back down very quickly.



Rusty

 

[PaulG]

thanks i think i'll go to 180 deg.

 

[klenger]

Keep in mind that changing the temp rating of the t-stat has no bearing what so ever on the total capacity of the cooling system. Once the t-stat opens up all the way, it has no effect.

 

[Prairie Dog]

klengers rite, your truck wont have any more cooling power and it may actually loose a little gas mileage.

It doesn't sound to me like it's getting too hot. But, if your concerned, try some water wetter like Redline.

 

[carson6]

klenger's right on.....

you can put a 120 degree themostat in it and it won't change the overall capacity of the system which I maxed out two times with my 11k fiver comming up our mountian... ... I need more core's or differnt fan or water mister or ... ?... help

 

[PaulG]

Originally posted by Prairie Dog

klengers rite, your truck wont have any more cooling power and it may actually loose a little gas mileage.

It doesn't sound to me like it's getting too hot. But, if your concerned, try some water wetter like Redline.

i ahve put water wetter in it already and coolant is still good. it doesn't go to the max operating range but i'm just wonder how it will be with the A/C on and pulling a hill just don't want to have to worry about getting to hot. i'm prolly worring about nothing

 

[rweis]

One thought is, why are other trucks not having the same problem? What are you doing that they are not doing? What is your system doing that their system is not doing?



If you are sure your system is functioning correctly and your concerns are truly valid for your application.



Evaporation is a fairly good way to get rid of heat after you are sure the system is functioning properly.



I have toyed with the idea of puting a water mister in front of the radiator. I think the passenger side is where the hottest part is.



A low volume irrigation mister like you see attached to cooling fans at football games at the player bench. I don't think it would take much water, maybe 5 gallons or so. A 12v pump from northern tool catalog, and a small microjet irrrigation head available at Home Depot. A switch in the cab to turn it on / off.



I need to haul my 5er (13k) up into the north Georgia mountains this summer. I have some concern about heat because I can just see me getting stuck behind a cement truck winding my way up the mountain at 10 mph for an hour. I have added an aux transmission cooler and fan for the not locked up (1st gear) transmission heat, but I think that if the cooling system is clean and serviced correctly the fan clutch system will handle the engine heat. I am going to change my radiator fluid and probably the tstat prior to the trip however.



My . 02



Bob Weis

 

[PaulG]

like they said before it only goes about a needle thickness about 190 which is prolly par for course but i was wondering when it's 90 deg out towing highway or up hills if i'll have a problem with heat.

I'm kinda new to towing a camper with this truck but i know for a fact that my clutch fan is working i'm sure i'll prolly be alright.

i know others said going to 180 will not help and will not having anymore cooling power. I think that not 100% true cause if you get the cooling system to react faster (180deg) sure you might now have more cooling"power" but it will start cooling before you wait till it's almost to hot right.

Anyhow how thanks everyone for your imput you guys have been great i know what route i'll be taking now

 

[RustyJC]

Originally posted by PaulG

like they said before it only goes about a needle thickness about 190 which is prolly par for course but i was wondering when it's 90 deg out towing highway or up hills if i'll have a problem with heat.

That sounds normal, as I said previously, for a 190 degF thermostat. I haven't had any overheating problems towing in 100+ degF ambient temperatures during Texas summers with my 190 degF thermostat.



Rusty

 

[Texas Diesel]

Re: Re: what can i do about the Temp.?

Originally posted by B. G. Smith

Stick with the recommended thermostat. bg

I agree but follow who's recomendation? Cummins sells the 180F and Dodge sells the 190F. When my tstat went out and I went to Cummins S. W. they only had the 180F and said that Cummins uses the 180F in ALL apps for the ISB except Dodge. The parts guy said he thought that the 190F one was used by Dodge to lower (a miniscule amout) the emissions and/or was mandated by the EPA (Eliminate Petroleum Altogether).



Whats the story here?



I have 180's in my 12V and 24V figuring that Cummins knows what is best

 

[DPelletier]

Bob,

On your mister idea, make sure you use distilled water or RO water (something with little or no mineral content). We supply and install evaporative coolers, and I can tell you that any increase in cooling effect would be quickly negated by a mineral build-up on the rad if you use water with a high mineral content.



Dave

 

[B.G. Smith]

Re: Re: Re: what can i do about the Temp.?

Originally posted by Tejas Deezul

I agree but follow who's recomendation? Cummins sells the 180F and Dodge sells the 190F. Years ago somewhere on a hill, far, far away (or was it is a low place in the road?) some wise man (maybe an automotive engineer) decided that 180 deg. F was the optimum temperature for an engine to operate for best performance and longer wear of internal parts. The 180 deg. thermostat was born and installed in just about all engines. (Back then when the engine started to overheat general consenses was It needed a 160 deg. thermostat or no thermostat at all. It didn't help back then and it still won't help today as stated above. The 190 deg stuff came out when the "engineers? started trying to deal with the pollution issues. The lower temp thermostats still wouldn't help but would cause the computerized system not to work as designed, usually causing more pollution and reduced engine performance and fuel econemy. I think I will stick with Cummin's recommendations. My truck has an oversized cooling system, it is hard to get it up to 190 deg. let alone above that with the 180 thermostat. With the thermostat not working properly (broken yoke on top, rubber seat loose) it would go above 190 every time I made a stop and re-entered the highway and got up to speed pulling my trailer (19,400 gcw) then it would fall back around 190 and stay there unless I got above 70 mph. The gage went all the way over and the check gages alarm went off on Eagle Pass in New Mexico. I got a new thermostat in Taos, and later went over Monarch Pass in Col. without getting above 190 deg. Also on the same trip, went on to Lompoc Cal. , up to Lake Tahoe, from there back down to Las Vegas then back home, no more overheating until the next thermostat failed. bg

 

[carson6]

very good point!. . dpelletier we don't want to ruin our hi dollar cooling sys.

 

[WestTN]

The stock fan kicks in when the air flowing over its clutch reaches 206 Degrees. That gives you an operational heat range of 16 degrees. A 180 thermostat increases that range to 26 degrees and a 170 to 36 degrees. I prefer to limit the range as temperature changes increase wear. So does lower oil temperature. I pull a 7700 lb Travel trailer and sometimes also carry My full height slide in camper. I am still using the original 190 t-stat with no problems.

 

[Slow Six]

I ran a 195 thermostat in my 94 for over 250,000 miles with a lot of heavy towing. On hard pulls temp. would be 200 to 210 constantly. Never had a problem with the engine. I sold the truck a year ago and the new owner is pushing it even harder with no problems. I feel that a diesel works better when they are warm. A lot of diesels I have used over the years usually ran over the 200 mark when warmed up and working.

 

[OTRPU]

Thermostats aside, if your a heatin like I am you may need to try and back flush the bugs, crud and whatever else might be a cloggin airflow through the radiator. I've got a screen in front of mine and it's always plumb full o' bugs. A really good backflushing calls for radiator removal, saturate it with something that will soften stuff up for an hour or so and gentle spray through every inch of her. Gotta be careful, High pressure car wash spray will collapse the fins. Then you get no air through. But when going up a mountain it's too late, all I can do is back outta it alittle. If it's got whiskers, get it rodded. If that don't work, replace it. Makes a big difference. Right now the shape things are in I can't run the hills at 65. . . unless I want to boil the radiator dry.



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Cheers,

Steve J