3.0 cooling ?

[mud-ge]

there has been a lot of disscusion on the subject of cooling and over heating onthe forum.Has any body considered switching on the air con fan ,either manually or automatically ,it could be possable to install a sensor in to the AT fluid line,or even just a temp gauge this would allow more control of temp before it builds ,and utillising half the rad which would not necessary be used until i was hot enough for the AC unit to work ,this is just a thought and i am quite expecting someone with a better knowledge than mine to prove me wrong,any thoughts please the "summer is a coming" AND IT MIGHT JUST MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE

[laser_jock@work]

A mod some people have considered is fitting a big, indepedant electric cooling fan with a thermistor in the cooling top hose plus a manual overide switch in the cab (for use in heavy traffic or offroad). The company which markets these things suggest you can even remove the fluid clutch fan to save fuel.

I don't think switching on the air con (in order to get that little electric fan at the front of the rad going) will have much effect - other than putting addition load (therefore more work & heat) onto the engine.

Personaly on the 3.0L I think things are best left as they are but you must satisfy yourself that it's working okay. Water flow to the rad and airflow over it must be optimised.

Here's a cooling system effieciency checklist:

1) Fluid clutch fan- should run free when cold and be stiffer to turn when hot, but run less than the engine rpm at high revs. The fan should suck more air through the rad if the engine is warmer. At higher revs (it assumes the car is travelling faster anyway therefore more air flow) so it begins to turn less relative to engine rpm- thus saving fuel. Turning that big fan at 3000rpm takes a lot of energy- the fluid clutch mechanism is essentially a fuel saving device.
The silicone fluid in these fans tends to leak away over the years- so it's worth having them checked.

2) Radiator- make sure the cooling fins are not blocked with mud / flies etc as this will have an effect on it's cooling efficiency. A radiator / cooling system flush with a hosepipe every now and then is a good idea to make sure the radiators cores are not blocked with crud (you will be amazed at what crap comes.

3) Coolant- renew every two years but don't over do it on the antifreeze - it's the water that takes heat off the engine NOT the antifreeze (60 water / 40 antifreeze in the UK is about right). Other additives are available to improve water-to-metal contact called surfactants (e.g. Redline Water Wetter) which migh improve engine-to-water heat transfer by a few percent. Also use of cooling system cleaner flush chemical prior to refill, dissolves some of the crud in the waterways which should also improve heat transfer a little.

Note- some 2.4L import engines have failed shortly after the owners first coolant flush & refill- the suspected reason?- the gunk used to temporarily conceal a cracked head was washed out!

Nevillef

[mud-ge]

cheers mate ,the check list will come in handy ,there is no apparent problems at the moment , but about to tow with the surf for the first time and was just looking for a quick answer to any problems,before they happen,should have bought a manual instead of the 3.0ltr auto

[marky]

cheers mate ,the check list will come in handy ,there is no apparent problems at the moment , but about to tow with the surf for the first time and was just looking for a quick answer to any problems,before they happen,should have bought a manual instead of the 3.0ltr auto

What are you towing & how heavy is it ??

[TonyN]

Personaly on the 3.0L I think things are best left as they are but you must satisfy yourself that it's working okay.

Nevillef

Bingo, this all you need to worry about. virtually all cooling problems come down to wear and tear and correct servicing, leaking rad caps, stuck 'stats, blocked rads, airlocks, perished hoses, headgasket, worn pump, etc.

Don't worry about making it better, just make sure its right.

[da SLUG man]

on the 3rd gen there is an issue on the aus site mentioning that the way the oil cooler is set up it blocks the flow of water into the rad... i've only had problems when it's full of mud, cos it's hard to clean properly without removing due to the way the 2 rads are mounted so close together.

[mud-ge]

cheers lads the truck is A1 never been off road so should not have any problems there,no mud etc,the wifes made me justifie having the surf so she went and bought a caravan,1200kg,loaded i think and i dont want her caravan wrecking my baby

[Tallyman]

You shouldn't even notice a 1200kg caravan on the back. Mines 1350kg when fully loaded and I don't have any problems now. I did a a few overheating problems to start with but fitted an ATF oil cooler and that seems to have sorted it. But Marky tows abour 1500kds with a 2.4L and has no problems at all.

[mud-ge]

cheers tallyman,looks like the surf is safe for now ,as long as she dont bring the whole wardrobe with her then

[SmurfX]

on the 3rd gen there is an issue on the aus site mentioning that the way the oil cooler is set up it blocks the flow of water into the rad... i've only had problems when it's full of mud, cos it's hard to clean properly without removing due to the way the 2 rads are mounted so close together.

Yep! I've had an external AT oil cooler fitted in my Surf, and had the internal one removed as it was blocking the water outlet by about 60%. Since doing it my Surf has never overheated so far... and that includes heavy beach driving in 39°C heat.