Do I need a replacement performance radiator?

**gavinwibrow** · 19th January 2016, 02:51 AM

Scenario.
Perth on a 37 degree afternoon. Rolling sand dunes (no mountains or climbing the coastal plains "hills" involved.

New 3T tandem caravan full height.

D2a with TD5Inside Stage 1ish remap - set up for towing. HD torque converter. Trutracs F & R. Proper ATF radiator mod with over-ride fan switch. HD intercooler. Oversize ATF pan. Oversize 265 75 R16 tyres (31.6"). Provent, de-catted.

2 years ago when doing upgrades, I queried the old Franzone and was told don't waste your $, the standard LR radiator will handle anything you can throw at it. So I bought a new one and up until now this has proved to be the case, with the only significant change being a slight operating temp increase after fitting the larger tyres.

However, after picking up our new van late last week (pics to come), and driving at 60 - 70 kmph on Leach Highway's rolling hills approaching Fremantle, and with a/c on full blast, coolant temp skyrocketed and hit 115 (Nanocom) at which time I took appropriate remedial action, remembering Blknight's advice they can/are designed to run to 120 degrees. Unfortunately my EGT gauge had recently had a hissy fit, so don't know EG temps, but I have no doubt they would have been highish.

Normal driving since shows temps haven't changed from pre tow, and power seems the same, so looks like I didn't melt pistons etc.

So where to from here? Should I get any radiator tests done first (replacement engine fitted at 153K km has now only done about 100K km in total) or go straight to a performance radiator? I do have to get Jose to revisit the remap after fitting the 2nd engine, but I'm not expecting any major change there.

Over to the all too many gurus here!

**AndyG** · 19th January 2016, 05:41 AM

Engine oil cooler? Since your radiator is in good nick

**Eevo** · 19th January 2016, 06:15 AM

How old is the radiator?
The stock rad is good but if its less than 100% ...

**discorevy** · 19th January 2016, 08:33 AM

Hi Gavin
Have you got an 82? thermostat ?, if so maybe its starting to fail but it would also be worth looking at your viscous fan as well as the thermo fan
What temp does your nanocom say under normal running ?
Also where is the bigger atf oil cooler situated?

**kelvo** · 19th January 2016, 09:22 AM

I'll go with a sticking/faulty thermostat. It was just coincidence that it happened with the can on the back.

**gavinwibrow** · 19th January 2016, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by Eevo

How old is the radiator?
The stock rad is good but if its less than 100% ...

2 years - just predates the engine changeover

**gavinwibrow** · 19th January 2016, 06:40 PM

Originally Posted by discorevy

Hi Gavin
Have you got an 82? thermostat ?, if so maybe its starting to fail but it would also be worth looking at your viscous fan as well as the thermo fan
What temp does your nanocom say under normal running ?
Also where is the bigger atf oil cooler situated?

Good point/s about thermostat etc - will be first points to check.
Normal running, Nanocom says 88 - 92.
Bigger ATF cooler is located at the front - done by the local gurus Auto Trans R Us, including relocating some struts in the D2a. Was assured would not affect cooling, and these guys know their onions.

**Blknight.aus** · 19th January 2016, 06:49 PM

fix the EGT gauge first.

get a feel for what its doing without the van, in both the cool of the morning and the middle of the day on the same bit of road.

work out what it does when you put the van on in the cool of the morning and extrapolate.

If you're lucky its just the thermostat sticking but I doubt it. Dont for get driving with a tailish/side wind will drive the temps up more than into a head wind.

The normal radiator with stock mapping should have handled it, did you kick it into sport and lock it to 3, your taller tyres and remap means your speed/shift points are out relative to your real speed so you would have been sitting on the torque converter the whole time making lots of heat for just a little gain. be a touch more assertive with your technique and get it to lock up then ease off to hold the lock and see what it does.

you might want to look at defender gearing in the Tcase to offset the tyres and back off the strain on the box. I wasnt getting any indications or gut feeling of cooling system issues when I was doing the test drive work.

If the driving technique thing sorts the heating issue but you're not comfortable driving that way then yes the performance radiator should make up the difference for you.

**Disco Muppet** · 19th January 2016, 09:13 PM

As an alternative to regearing the transfer case, there are 3.75 cw/p available from Ashcroft which will leave you a tiny smidgen undergeared but very close to stock gearing on those tyres, or GBR Utah do 3.9 gears which will leave you about the same amount overgeared as the Ashcroft ones do undergeared.

Sent from my HTC One using AULRO mobile app

**MR LR** · 19th January 2016, 09:37 PM

Change your diff ratios, she's working hard pulling a pile of weight on what are huge tyres compared to stock. I went 3.90 GBR gears. I'd say that will go a ways to solving the issue...

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