Thread: disco 1 overheating

Could be a bit of both , but I would start by having the radiator rodded, and seeing the car is now 13 years old it may need a new core.

Just listen to the fan when you start cold. Does it roar for about 30seconds?
When the car is at normal temperature it should turn reasonably easily.
You should also be able to hear it roar when it gets hot, and feel a power loss.
It is quite noticable in my 3.9 RRC but you have a serpentine belt so yours may be a bit different.
Regards Philip A

Originally Posted by PhilipA

Could be a bit of both , but I would start by having the radiator rodded, and seeing the car is now 13 years old it may need a new core.

Just listen to the fan when you start cold. Does it roar for about 30seconds?
When the car is at normal temperature it should turn reasonably easily.
You should also be able to hear it roar when it gets hot, and feel a power loss.
It is quite noticable in my 3.9 RRC but you have a serpentine belt so yours may be a bit different.
Regards Philip A

Thanks PhilipA

The viscous does work for about 30 seconds but i have never felt any power loss when it gets hot though............ im not sure its kicking in when it gets hot ,is there any way of testing?

cheers Terry

I would also have a look at the temp sender for the gauge, mine was eratic and shooting high occasionaly. Had a look and the sender was corroded, drained the system and cleaned the sender been right since.

grab a length of stiff hose push it gently into the fan while cold it should stop the fan fairly quickly

drive around till its warm and it should be harder to stop if you can stop it.

Originally Posted by keithy47

I would also have a look at the temp sender for the gauge, mine was eratic and shooting high occasionaly. Had a look and the sender was corroded, drained the system and cleaned the sender been right since.

thats something else i thought it may be by searching some threads,the only thing is i would have thought if it was the sender it would of happened whilst on the the road occaisionaly not just when pushed off road
cheers Terry

Yeah actualy the problem you're describing probably isn't to do with the sender.

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

grab a length of stiff hose push it gently into the fan while cold it should stop the fan fairly quickly

drive around till its warm and it should be harder to stop if you can stop it.

cheers for that mate i will try tommorrow, i forgot half of what you told me it was that long ago
ive not been anywhere in it since we last spoke

The viscous is not hard to stop at normal operating temp if the radiator is cool.
There is an expansion strip in the front of the viscous which expands and closes off apertures in the hub as the air through the radiator gets hotter.

So when the air to the viscous is really hot it gets stiffer and you will hear the roar. Of course if the rad is completely blocked in the centre maybe it is not getting hot there.

Now that applies to my V belt coupling. Have a look at the centre of the front of the the viscous . There should be a thing that looks like a spiral. that is the expansion strip.
Regards Philip A