Short play off road

[Sideroad]

Then other month I went for a play with friends (near Ripley, Ipswich), starter cable caught fire within 100m off road, used the extinguisher and water to put it out. By passed the electrics and push, roll and pull started it for the next 4 hrs playing off road.
First time I have tried my parabolics off road other than sand. I am happy with the flex unloaded now and the better travel.
Here are a couple of pics.
Oh I also put a ding in the back corner of my formally straight panel and the corner galv capping. :(
Didn't make it out of the first hole, pulled out the last bit, need a diff locker to get through that one.

[Sideroad]

Last pic

[Sideroad]

I found the capability of the series to be very high. Up till now I have only done basic beach driving in this 4x4 as I have not had another vehicle to help me out if stuck.(also it spends 80% of it's life being repaired/restored)
it is running a 186, 4core g60 patrol radiator and a 16" thermo fan, genrally it cools just fine, but on high rev low speed 4x4 driving it cooks very quickly.
It can't run an engine fan due to space and I can't fit a bigger fan.
Does anyone have positive experience with engine oil cooling? I can get an adaptor to fit between the oil filter and run a oil cooler, but not sure how much that would help.

[chazza]

Is the radiator in good condition? Has it been rodded?

If it was designed for a Patrol it should be able to cope with a 186; however; low-speed, high-revs, really needs a viscous coupling thermatic fan.

Thoroughly check the cooling system before bothering with an oil cooler,

Cheers Charlie

[Sideroad]

The radiator is in good condition was reconditioned prior to my purchase a few years ago. Engine fan is not an option because of lack of room.
The toasting is a real pain, I hope I can find a solution.

[peterg1001]

The radiator is in good condition was reconditioned prior to my purchase a few years ago. Engine fan is not an option because of lack of room.
The toasting is a real pain, I hope I can find a solution.

I know it's unlikely, but is the electric fan blowing the right way? It's worth a check with a bit of tissue, just in case.

Peter

[Sideroad]

:) yep checked that one, first thought I had.

[chazza]

The radiator is in good condition was reconditioned prior to my purchase a few years ago. Engine fan is not an option because of lack of room.
The toasting is a real pain, I hope I can find a solution.

What sort of condition is the coolant in? Any rusty bits or a dirty water jacket when the radiator was fitted, may have partially blocked it. Are the fins clear of debris?

Also check the following:
1. Ignition timing - too much advance causes overheating.
2. Thermostat - check in hot water with a thermometer for full opening and right temp.
3. Flow from the pump - can be checked by connecting two long hoses to water in a drum, whilst running the engine. For a Holden it is probably less hassle to buy a new one if suspect.

Cheers Charlie

[Warb]

When you say "it cooks" what exactly do you mean?

Temperature gauge rises?

Radiator boils over?

Engine misbehaves (stalls, falters etc.)?

Without knowing the actual symptoms it's hard to know the problem! It could be anything from a gauge/sensor mismatch between Holden and Land Rover, or a busted gauge/sensor (when everything is actually OK), through blocked radiator (air or water side), water pump problem, broken thermostat, clogged water passages in the motor or many other issues.

I had an engine where the water passages were totally blocked at the end furthest from the pump. The gauges said everything was perfect, the radiator never overheated, but the engine played up terribly in traffic because just that one cylinder was overheating badly.......

Oil cooling, or even turning the cab heater on (if fitted), provides another mechanism for heat removal and therefore works, given adequate air flow over the cooler. But at low speed there won't be much airflow, and it shouldn't be required if everything is working as it should.

[Sideroad]

I don't recall any rusty bits when I fitted the radiator, but the engine could have had some. All the fins are clean and clear.
Your point 1 is interesting, it runs mostly on lpg and at the moment it runs quite fast at idle. Maybe I need to have the gas readjusted before I chase the hot issue.
I think it had a new pump and thermosat a few years ago, but I should check if it is opening correctly.
Thanks Charlie


What sort of condition is the coolant in? Any rusty bits or a dirty water jacket when the radiator was fitted, may have partially blocked it. Are the fins clear of debris?

Also check the following:
1. Ignition timing - too much advance causes overheating.
2. Thermostat - check in hot water with a thermometer for full opening and right temp.
3. Flow from the pump - can be checked by connecting two long hoses to water in a drum, whilst running the engine. For a Holden it is probably less hassle to buy a new one if suspect.

Cheers Charlie

[Sideroad]

When I say cooks, I mean it gets up to the 110deg temp quickly (and still the temp is climbing) on short technical high rev climbs etc. It then will not get the temp back down at idle unless I shut the engine off and leave the thermo fan one for 5min or so.
This was a real hassle the other week as I had by-passed the starter motor due to the fire.
The temp gauge I have is an after market one that connects directly to the thermostat housing. (what is it called? has a copper tube permanently connected to the gauge)
The engine was reconditioned approx 5 years ago, so I would not expect the water jackets to have blockages. anything is possible though.
I have always run coolant.
Maybe I should get the radiator flushed

thanks Warb.


When you say "it cooks" what exactly do you mean?

Temperature gauge rises?

Radiator boils over?

Engine misbehaves (stalls, falters etc.)?

Without knowing the actual symptoms it's hard to know the problem! It could be anything from a gauge/sensor mismatch between Holden and Land Rover, or a busted gauge/sensor (when everything is actually OK), through blocked radiator (air or water side), water pump problem, broken thermostat, clogged water passages in the motor or many other issues.

I had an engine where the water passages were totally blocked at the end furthest from the pump. The gauges said everything was perfect, the radiator never overheated, but the engine played up terribly in traffic because just that one cylinder was overheating badly.......

Oil cooling, or even turning the cab heater on (if fitted), provides another mechanism for heat removal and therefore works, given adequate air flow over the cooler. But at low speed there won't be much airflow, and it shouldn't be required if everything is working as it should.

[chazza]

When I say cooks, I mean it gets up to the 110deg temp quickly (and still the temp is climbing) on short technical high rev climbs etc. It then will not get the temp back down at idle unless I shut the engine off and leave the thermo fan one for 5min or so.


Check that the engine really is that hot with a laser thermometer (cheap on eBay) in case the sender unit is telling lies.

If it is correct, then the cause is almost certainly the radiator, thermostat, or a blockage somewhere in the system, which is less likely. If the above were OK then it would cool down rapidly at idle.

Flushing a radiator in my experience is not particularly effective, it is better to have the core rodded by a radiator shop. Ask them to keep what came out of it, so that you can plan the next stage of the attack. If it is rust or lime scale, then the block and head will need cleaning as well. Use a top-hose filter if this is the case, otherwise the radiator will get blocked again,

Cheers Charlie