Cooling our Surfs

[KERRSURF]

Probably posted before but well worth a read, Opinions please.

http://www.toyotasurf.asn.au/forum/v...er=asc&start=0

[Sancho]

Opinions? Well, there is one slightly dodgy assumption in there, two reasons to take that with a pinch of salt and one overriding fact.

The assumption is that it's a mistake. There is no evidence for that assumption and it seems to have missed everyone's attention that it's possible that the original designer factored that obstruction into the calculations when sizing the various cooling pipes and pump.

First reason to take it with a pinch of salt is that Australians know about as much about diesels as Americans so will be expecting the engine to react like a petrol engine and not get much hotter when it works hard.

Second reason to take it with a pinch of salt is that Australians will also find any excuse to suggest that something 'foreign' is worse than something made and/or designed there.

Notwithstanding my borderline racism there, the overriding fact is that a properly serviced 3.0 being operated within reasonable parameters does not overheat. The people that are modifying their coolers as described are probably just compensating for a loss of cooling efficiency elsewhere, possibly in the viscous fan, possibly because they have winches or spots in front of the the radiator, possibly any other number of possibilities.

The other possibility is, of course, that they're just working them a lot harder than they were designed to be worked, in which case increasing coolant flow might work. If I had an overheating problem, though, I would aim to eliminate all other possibilities before playing engineer and starting to re-design the system.

[TonyN]

Sancho hits the nail on the head, the Surf wasn't designed to be a LandCruiser. Overheating isn't an issue using it normally, ie as a mid sized SUV for family use.

Try to drive a cross a desert in Oz, or tow heavy trailers, or bury it up the windows in mud and you will work it harder than invisioned.

That stuff is good advise you uprating your Surf, but a stock Surf on stock wheels driven normally will work completely fine how it came from the factory.

With a little work, ie, suspension and and cooling system upgrades, it becomes a fantastic 'midi' Landcruiser.

On 31" tyres and a up to spec cooling system they don't get that hot, its only when you start going to 33's,or M/T's with 20 year old abused rad and fan and reving the nuts of it offroad that most problems occur.

Don't for get the Ozzies are often 100's of miles form anyone, in blistering heat, they need a far more bullet proof setup than costs often let a manucature spec a car, especially one designed to just drive around a Island at 55mph, then get scrapped after 10 years (ie Japan)

[Ploddit]

especially one designed to just drive around a Island at 55mph, then get scrapped after 10 years (ie Japan)

Like UK 4 runners then.

[MWS]

Probably posted before but well worth a read, Opinions please.

http://www.toyotasurf.asn.au/forum/v...er=asc&start=0

Hi Alan. I read thread that ages ago, and at the time, I thought that it seemed to be a bit of a "Red herring". After all, the restriction created at that bottom hose is still less than the restriction that the coolant flow encounters as it passes through the thermostat and its housing....Cheers....mick.

[Bogus]

You could, fit a properly sized independent ATF cooler with a thermostat, and a radiator from a manual. Youve now got rid of your so called restriction, and you have stopped adding heat from the ATF to the engine water jacket. Im sure , in our cold climate, that just fitting the ATF cooler and leaving in the auto rad complete with its so called restriction would be just fine though.

[Vagrant No2]

My opinion , is one that was disscussed and used by a few members on here that do use Surfs for larger towing , to fit a aftermarket automatic trans oil cooler before the inlet to the rad cooler . This will cool a large amount of excessive heat from auto box and then the main coolant rad will maintain the auto coolant as designed . ie reheat the auto fluid if over cooled or further reduce the auto fluid temp as designed .

[KERRSURF]

Thanks for the replies folks, Vagrant that seems logical.

The reason I have been doing a bit of digging is because on longer climbs my surf heats up a bit (towing a camping trailer), normal running is around 90 to 94 but on climbs and under load this can spike to 110.
I have a new rad and hoses are all fine, no coolant loss or boiling occurs.
I recently renewed the oil in the viscous fan so I knew it was working properly.

I have a new water pump and toyota thermostat being delivered tomorrow to make sure everything is tip top so I will post results to see if it changes anything.

[KERRSURF]

I'm thinking about adding a trans cooler for towing, is this suitable?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

[wishbone]

Hi Alan,

I've got a Pajero oil cooler that I'll be fitting to my 3.0. Worth a look.

Rob.

[KERRSURF]

Cheers for that.

Where and how do you intend to mount it?

[wishbone]

If it there's enough space it will go behind a custom bashplate at an angle (with fibreglass ducting to get an airflow to it.) If not then in front of the main rad where the aircon rad used to be. Am planning to fit a fan to it as well but that will only happen if it goes behind the bash plate. (standard aux rad will be in front of it if it goes in front of main rad)

I should have enough space behind the bashplate as I've got a 4" bracket lift to fit to the front.

I'll make the brackets to fit it once I know where it's going.

Cheers,
Rob.

[KERRSURF]

Ok thanks, just working out where I would mount mine, I still have the AC rad and gubbins.

[yoshie]

Best simple way to cool the box Alan would be to drop it back onto 31" road tyres.
Save you some fuel on those long runs north

[Predictable Bob]

I'm thinking about adding a trans cooler for towing, is this suitable?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

I think I've got a 13 row Mocal on mine BUT it still has a tendency to get hot when towing a 1500kg tin tent up long hills in hot weather.

I'm seriously considering getting Dr Anglegrinder to fit a completely separate ATF cooler like he's got in the Bullet