How hot is too hot?

[philandmickey]

Hi all

Had our first longish run in our 1996 130 with 196,000 km's.

I am preparing it as a long distance tourer so it is quite heavy probably just over 3 tonnes.

One of the mods I have fitted is an engine watch dog.

While driving up a long hill the temperature slowly rose to 97 at the top of the hill, it was a long steep hill (Wilunga hill for any SA people).

Not sure if this is too high and not sure how hot it would have got if the hill had been longer or the day hotter?

I have receipts for the radiator being cleaned out (Says was 30% blocked) 6000 km's ago from previous owner.

Apart from the hill the temperature sits at around 82.

So any advice anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Phil

[Snail Bait]

Check your viscous fan clutch, my 95' 110 would get hot when towing or on the beach installed a new fan clutch no problem now.


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[Marty110]

Hi, I reckon that 97 is OK for a 300Tdi up Willunga Hill given your 3 ton estimate of weight. 82 is very good for normal running. What was the ambient on the day? How hard were you pushing the car?

[steveG]

I wouldn't be too concerned about 97deg. Where abouts is the sensor connected?
A few years back when I had my D1 I started off with the sensor on the LH side of the head near the thermostat housing but suspected that it was being influenced by the exhaust manifold when under high loads as it would climb higher and more quickly than I felt was real
Moved it to the RH side under a small bracket below the #1 injector and found it was much less reactive to high loads.

Check your viscous fan as snailbait suggested anyway.

Did you have aircon on? If you do, then turn it off if you're concerned about engine temp.
You can also use the heater as an extra radiator for additional cooling if you need to.
I've got an engine watchdog in my '98 Falcon (as well as my County), and if the head temperature starts to get up around the 97 deg mark (usually when stuck in peak hour traffic on hot days) I turn the heater and fan on full and its enough to hold that temperature or start to drop it. I'd rather sweat it out on a 40deg day with the heater on than replace another head

Steve

[philandmickey]

Hi
Thanks for replies

The temp for the day was 25ish.

AC not on.

Foot hard to floor with speed at 60 in 3rd by top of hill.

The watch dog is connected to a thermostat bolt, the temp gauge went up to just over 3/4 as well so I think it is reading reasonably correct.

Is there any way of testing the viscous coupling or is it a replace and see?

Phil

[Snail Bait]

My fan clutch was never engaging, with the new clutch you should be able to hear the fan working when first start up (cold) and after a long uphill.

[philandmickey]

Another thought I had was, would it help to put a switch on the thermo fan in front of the radiator, that currently comes on with the AC, so that I can have it on when needed?

Phil

[steveG]

A/C Thermo fan is only small and not ducted.
I doubt it would have much effect.
Think you can test viscous fan coupling using a paint brush or similar. Have a search here as I can't recall the details.

Steve

[roverrescue]

the temp gauge went up to just over 3/4 as

As mentioned previously across the forums. The OEM water temp gauge is normalised between about 80 and 110 degrees. The very moment it starts moving your water temp is over 110 degrees celsius.

Obviously if the external temp only got to 97 and didnt climb further you likely dont have issues such as head gasket but more likely radiator/viscous fan/ water pump.

I wouldnt lose too much sleep running up to 110 water temp on a long hill with a full load as l.ong as it comes back down afterwards but really it shouldnt get that hot.

S

[Bush65]

IMHO 97* is ok for a diesel, but the concern is what would it get to when the ambient temp is higher, the load higher .....

I don't know about the 300Tdi installation in a Defender, but in a disco, IIRC, there are 2 temperature switches (different colour for different set temperatures) in the thermostat housing, one disengages the clutch for the air con compressor and the other switches on the air con condenser fans (if not already on).