Thread: TD5 radiator fan upgrade interest

On the matter if Patrols or kettles as they are known the factory rad is the best provided the cores are clear and the fins are open AND the fan hub is working properly.

We have both petrol and diesels here and have tried aftermarket rads but now run factory with the fan hub filled up a bit more with the Toyota thixotrophic solution which forces it to lock up earlier.

Turbocharging the Nissan engines with too much boost eg over 15psi cause them to run hot rising 1 degree per second in worse case situations and then they will self destruct busting parent bores seizing pistons breaking cranks dropping pre comps and so on. Btw these engines are nothing special despite what the pundits say!

Anyhow the standard LR rad plus working fan hub should be entirely sufficient even with a bit more boost eg 18psi.

its it chipped? maybe remove rooftop tent set up and see if it is more drag efficienent, less need for the pedal,

Agree it is strange and def check that the fan hub is locking up as you should hear it roar when working as well as a drop off in engine power too...esp when towing up hills!

We've towed 3.5 plus tonnes at constant boost for hours and never had overheating so a roof top or spotties should not make it run hot.

Btw many aftermarket fan hubs are rubbish and simply dont work. Remove it hit it with a hairdryer and see if it locks up . Another reason to avoid aftermarket if you can.

We have both petrol and diesels here and have tried aftermarket rads but now run factory with the fan hub filled up a bit more with the Toyota thixotrophic solution which forces it to lock up earlier.

The switch that locks up a viscous fan is the spring on the front. You can cause earlier lock up by tensioning the spring more but I have never tried it.

As temperature seen by the spring rises it extends and rotates the inner shaft which uncovers/ covers some holes inside the hub which forces the fluid into the torque converter, causing the fan to tighten.

I think by adding more fluid you are basically making it more a solid fan which is on all of the time. One thing then to watch is fan overspeed and shedding blades.

My 2002 D2 TD5 auto with lots of mods has only ever been over 100C once on my Nanocom, on the climb from Tom Groggin to Thredbo towing about 900kg. I have a dry temp sensor next to the wet sensor which is pretty accurate and mine mostly runs at say 36C ambient at about 85C, rising to 90-92 or so on big hills. My VC rarely cuts in at AFAIK 94C at the spring.
Regards Philip A
Oh BTW I have made up a mesh " Saudi Grille" , and have no spotlights. I also have a stock front bumper with the stock air intake underneath. I often wonder if bullbars retain the additional cooling duct. I note some have holes, but do they lead anywhere? Thye would have to have a sealed duct replicating the original to be effective. It's there for a reason!

Thanks Phillip ...adding/replacing the fluid to an older coupling def makes a huge difference to its operation esp off road where engine temps can rise quickly eg in high engine load slow forward speed situations. Never had a fan lose blades yet thankfully. The fan hub is critical to cooling as evidenced by our experience with both Rovers and Nissans which always run hot when the coupling deteriorates.

My D2 fan roars loudly when towing up hills. I listen for it which makes me happy it is actually working!

Originally Posted by Jazzman

I see up to 114 but often 105. It can take 5 mins on the freeway at 100kmph to recover from a spike. For eg. Today it was sitting at 98 drove up a hill with cruse control at 100 and AC on, got up to 107 and didn't come back down to 98 for 3 mins.

What are the EGTs?

Strewth!!
It's 40C outside and I just went to Bunnings at West Gosford.
In stop start traffic and up to 70Kmh mine runs at 85C .
Highest it got to was 88C after a short hill that I accelerated up.
Idling with aircon on (naturally) was about 86C
My Nanocom and cheapy digital Gauge always read within +-1C and more often less than 0.5C.
The digital Gauge is down mostly but can be up sometimes.
I am VERY happy with that result as on the highway it usually runs cooler at about 83-85C.
Regards Philip A

Thanks Phillip ...adding/replacing the fluid to an older coupling def makes a huge difference to its operation esp off road where engine temps can rise quickly eg in high engine load slow forward speed situations. Never had a fan lose blades yet thankfully. The fan hub is critical to cooling as evidenced by our experience with both Rovers and Nissans which always run hot when the coupling deteriorates.

Agreed. And replacing the fluid to the correct level, whatever that is would help of course.
But ask yourself where did the fluid go?
The most likely explanation is out of the shaft seal especially if there is black goo on and around the shaft..

So replacing the fluid is only a temporary fix. A new coupling is the real fix. It's a pity they cost so bloody much.
Regards Philip A