overheating with ac on ALL READY!!!

[vxfocus]

So the end of last summer i was overheating with the ac on
i have a new engine,new radiator(flushed the whole system)new ac compressor,transmission cooler installed,electric fan conversion,
and today i turned the air on for the first time an up goes the temp gauge???
i am really at wits end with this problem...
any ideas...
i was watching an episode of fast and loud and aaron kaufman built an old falcon to race pikes peak but it was overheating on his practice run so he said he was having issues with "air stack" meaning that air comes in thru the grill and gets trapped in the engine compartment and gets hot from the engine not letting the engine cool down so he cut hole in the hood to let the stacked air escape...
i do have a hood insert with a closed off scoop that i could open up and cut holes in the hood to let air escape...
has anyone with a heating problem tried anything like this???
did it work???
thanx gang

[ohiovx]

Is the small fan in front of the condenser (right behind the grill on pass. side), come on when the AC is on? What kind of electric fan have you put on as a conversion?

[vxfocus]

yes condenser fan comes on and it is a ffdynamics electric fan conversion

[Triathlete]

In the past several have gone electric fans and we're not happy with the results and went back to stock configuration. Also remove your accessory belt and make sure that the AC compressor pulley spins freely. If not you may need to replace the compressor.

[VXorado]

I've posted more details in the past, so in a nut shell...

I've experienced the overheating issue too and the electric fan made the issue worse in my case. I reverted to a fan clutch which I happened to pull from an older Rodeo at a junkyard. I also built a heat extractor hood insert with a reverse hood scoop designed for Subarus to remove excess heat under the hood. You can clearly see the heat venting from the hood during the hot months. The Rodeo fan clutch (OEM) and heat extractor have completely eliminated the over heating issue for me. This includes all temps up to 105 degrees and holding 3rd gear at 65MPH up the CO rockies.

http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/r500/VXorado/Vehicross%20Crazy/100_3109.jpg?t=1352747888

http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/r500/VXorado/Vehicross%20Crazy/100_3113.jpg?t=1352748184

[ohiovx]

My engine is basically brand new (3000 miles), I decided I didn't want the fan clutch (sounded like an airplane, never mind how much HP id drains). I bought a 16" curved blade fan rated at 3000 cfm on ebay (I'm a cheap ***). I then had a friend fabricate a shroud out of aluminum using the original plastic shroud as a template. to fit the fan I bought.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/image167.jpg
This fan is rated to cool a big block. The fan switch that came with it was junk! fan came on at very low temp & stayed on until a very low temp.(was suppose to be on at 200 & off at 185). I ended up getting a sensor from Be Cool (from Jegs) that comes on at 210 & off at 185. Tried it last night & it works perfect. Then put the AC on & let it sit & idle. The front little ac fan came on & when the temp got up to 210 the big fan came on for about a minute & went back off like it should. I think this will work fine. Obviously I'm not in the southwest to test it,but Im pretty certain it's gonna get the job done this summer. I think the problem people have is the shroud!:bwgy:

[bartmanS4]

Are you running the stock air box or a so called cold air intake? TWalker changed back from the cold air intake to stock air box and eliminated his overheating issues.

[vxfocus]

In the past several have gone electric fans and we're not happy with the results and went back to stock configuration. Also remove your accessory belt and make sure that the AC compressor pulley spins freely. If not you may need to replace the compressor.

new compressor,,fan works fine all the time so if the fan wasnt cooling correctly i would have problems in the summer eve n without the ac on

[vxfocus]

Are you running the stock air box or a so called cold air intake? TWalker changed back from the cold air intake to stock air box and eliminated his overheating issues.

yep stock box

[eternal21]

This is going to suck, but....you're most likely going to have to get rid of the electric fan. For 3 years I suffered overheating issues w/my rig when the a/c came on. I cut a hole in the hood, replaced all the parts you did, went with TWO different electric fan setups. I added an extra fan in front. I even got a Ron Davis Racing radiator and the custom dual electric fan and shroud to go along with it. Still overheated. Out of desperation, I finally pulled the electric fans and purchased a new OEM stock fan and fan clutch.

Problem solved.

[vxfocus]

This is going to suck, but....you're most likely going to have to get rid of the electric fan. For 3 years I suffered overheating issues w/my rig when the a/c came on. I cut a hole in the hood, replaced all the parts you did, went with TWO different electric fan setups. I added an extra fan in front. I even got a Ron Davis Racing radiator and the custom dual electric fan and shroud to go along with it. Still overheated. Out of desperation, I finally pulled the electric fans and purchased a new OEM stock fan and fan clutch.

Problem solved.

Thanks!!

[eternal21]

You're welcome. And when I say, "cut a hole in the hood", I was driving around w/out the stock insert at the time, for clarification purposes. The fan design changed at some point, which is why I picked up a new one. That and the fact that I threw out the old one when I went w/the electric fans ;)

[vxfocus]

Hmm
So new design on the clutch and fan??
Remember how much it was??

[eternal21]

New design for the fan only
http://vehicross.info/forums/showpost.php?p=295624&postcount=49

Price of the fan was $241. Price of the clutch was $82.
http://vehicross.info/forums/showpost.php?p=295626&postcount=51

I replaced them both on 6/4/14 and haven't had a problem since.
http://vehicross.info/forums/showpost.php?p=295882&postcount=58

[eternal21]

I would suggest that if you still have the stock fan somewhere, just replace the clutch first and see if that'll resolve your issue.

[vp277]

+1. Had the same issue last summer, replaced the clutch (AISIN FCG003 FCG-003@X09 from rockauto), kept the original fan. No signs of overheating, even in traffic with AC on when temp is in the 90s. The only complaint is that the fan is noiser than before, but I can live with that...

[vxfocus]

ok pulling the electric fan,sucks because i really noticed a better throttle response..
my old clutch is seized up so i will have to get a new one,good idea anyway as i read on line that fan clutch will lose rpms each year so seeing that the clutch is 15+ years old prolly needs replaced even if it wasnt seized up
thanx everyone for all the input,you guys saved me alot off time and aggravation
ill let ya know how it works out

[VX KAT]

Back in 2001-2012 MANY of us VX owners were having the same overheating problem...went thru the steps you did, including the RD racing radiator, but many (myself included), found out it was the fan cluth and the fan blade. Isuzu redesigned the fan blade too.
This thread is in second link eternal21 listed in post above:
http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=23039&highlight=ron+davis+fan+blade

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSCN5262.JPG

[vxfocus]

ok new clutch installed with old fan blades
no overheating at all but load as hell!!!

[ohiovx]

I'm sure it cools with the fan clutch! But I'm with you that clutch SUCKS horse power from what little HP these engines have! It seems no one looks at my posts.:mady:
Electric fans will work, but it's not cheap! or universal. You can't just buy a fan & attach it & expect it to work. It has to have a formed shroud for the radiator to cool properly.

[vxfocus]

mine did have a shroud and still didnt work

[eternal21]

ok new clutch installed with old fan blades
no overheating at all but load as hell!!!
Excellent! Turn up the music, you won't hear a thing ;)


Electric fans will work, but it's not cheap! or universal. You can't just buy a fan & attach it & expect it to work. It has to have a formed shroud for the radiator to cool properly.

I have a Ron Davis radiator and a Ron Davis custom fabricated shroud made specifically *for that radiator* with dual high flow electric fans and it still overheated.

If there's a huge concern over the loss of the couple hp, just pick up a cold air intake or run a high flow (200 cel) cat.

[ohiovx]

I'm not trying to be a jerk here guys, but if you have cooling problems with an electric fan & put a stock mechanical fan back on & it cools. That tells you it has nothing to do with the radiator. There was either an issue with the electric fan not flowing enough cfm, OR the fan & shroud are not matched to the radiator properly. If you get an electric fan that pulls enough air & a shroud like mine, it will pull just as much air through the radiator as a stock fan with a clutch. :smilewink

Don't know who Ron Davis is by the way.

[vxfocus]

i kinda figured the the electric fan wasnt pulling the same amount of cfm's as the clutch fan,but ffdynamics wanted to know my vehicle info to size the right fan..
i would like to go back the the electric fan if i could find the right one
anyone know what cfm rating the stock fan is rated at??

[VX KAT]

I'm not trying to be a jerk here guys, but if you have cooling problems with an electric fan & put a stock mechanical fan back on & it cools. That tells you it has nothing to do with the radiator. There was either an issue with the electric fan not flowing enough cfm, OR the fan & shroud are not matched to the radiator properly. If you get an electric fan that pulls enough air & a shroud like mine, it will pull just as much air through the radiator as a stock fan with a clutch. :smilewink

Don't know who Ron Davis is by the way.

Ron Davis Racing Radiators, in Phoenix, AZ. Fast & Loud (TV show about Dallas based custom shop) uses RD radiators in all their builds.

No, don't think you're being a jerk at all, we're glad it's working for you :thumbup:
It's just several owners here have tried various electric fan set ups, without success. Eternal21 initially said he had good results with his (Post #92), but has posted in this thread above that it didn't end up solving it either. So your experience appears to be different than most others here that have tried it.

I personally discussed it at length with the guru at Ron Davis, as I wanted to consider getting one, but he specifically advised against it and thoroughly explained his reason (in post #89). I even said I would get the custom made shroud if it would help with the electric fan set up. He didn't think it would.


Another thing to note, is that during 2010, 2011 it seemed numerous owners here were reporting the same problem of overheating. Myself included. After many new radiators, both stock and RD Racing, and several electric fan installs, most still had the o/h problem. It seems that almost all of these owners eventually replaced the OEM FAN CLUTCH and it resolved the problem! Some tried non-OEM and reported they didn't work very well, but o/h resolved when an OEM was installed (VXorado),


Here's the threads on the RD radiators in VXs and electric fans:
The RD Racing Radiator increased cooling capacity by about 1/3.
RD Aluminum racing Radiator build thread for Newthings and VX KAT
http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=20866&highlight=ron+davis



See post #4:
http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=22745&highlight=ron+davis



See Posts #73 and #89 and #92 for comments Ron Davis RR made specifically about electric fan set ups:
http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=20543&highlight=ron+davis



I just like looking at this gorgeous piece of work!
http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g386/photokat4/VX%20RADIATOR%20PROJECT/DSC_2147.jpg

http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g386/photokat4/VX%20RADIATOR%20PROJECT/DSC_2152.jpg

http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g386/photokat4/VX%20RADIATOR%20PROJECT/DSC_2777.jpg


http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g386/photokat4/VX%20RADIATOR%20PROJECT/DSC_2771.jpg

[eternal21]

i kinda figured the the electric fan wasnt pulling the same amount of cfm's as the clutch fan,but ffdynamics wanted to know my vehicle info to size the right fan..
i would like to go back the the electric fan if i could find the right one
anyone know what cfm rating the stock fan is rated at??

I've already been through an FFDynamics as well. Worked well, but off-roading, the temp would start to creep to the point where I didn't want to chance it.

[VXorado]

Mine was also a FFDynamic fan... hmmm, maybe it's just an FFD issue? Inadequate CFM like OhioVX stated.

I noticed my engine temp was creeping up on the interstate at 75 MPH cruising with the outside temp only in the 70's. I didn't want to chance keeping it installed for the summer and risk getting stranded.

I'd like to go back to a electric fan as the throttle response was noticeably better.

[tom4bren]

I'd like to go back to a electric fan as the throttle response was noticeably better.

0.01% more noticeably better:)

I worked the math in my head one day on my commute from hell. T'ain't much.

[siemprelisto]

Just wondering what a used Ron Davis radiator and shroud would sell for...

[eternal21]

Just wondering what a used Ron Davis radiator and shroud would sell for...

Can't comment on the radiator, but that's one mod I don't mind having. If you're interested in a RD shroud w/dual electric fans, hit me up. I have the receipt around here somewhere and can get pics if you'd like.

[ohiovx]

Mine was also a FFDynamic fan... hmmm, maybe it's just an FFD issue? Inadequate CFM like OhioVX stated.

I noticed my engine temp was creeping up on the interstate at 75 MPH cruising with the outside temp only in the 70's. I didn't want to chance keeping it installed for the summer and risk getting stranded.

I'd like to go back to a electric fan as the throttle response was noticeably better.

If you are having an issue on the freeway, it has nothing to do with the fan or shroud. It is a radiator issue or restriction issue (maybe thermostat) The only time a fan is needed is when you are going 25mph or less (traffic). Also if an electric fan has a fan switch that is too low, or is wired to be on when the ac is on. It can actually impede air flow on the freeway & cause an issue. That's why I got the higher temp fan switch.

[VX KAT]

Just wondering what a used Ron Davis radiator and shroud would sell for...

As point of reference to start with, a NEW RD radiator was roughly $600 + $70 for packaging. Don't know what shipping is as I picked it up.

[VXorado]

0.01% more noticeably better:)

I worked the math in my head one day on my commute from hell. T'ain't much.

At least round it up to an even 2%! :naughty:

The mechanical fan clutch even sounds like a power suck.

...but I prefer a cool engine.

[VXorado]

If you are having an issue on the freeway, it has nothing to do with the fan or shroud. It is a radiator issue or restriction issue (maybe thermostat) The only time a fan is needed is when you are going 25mph or less (traffic). Also if an electric fan has a fan switch that is too low, or is wired to be on when the ac is on. It can actually impede air flow on the freeway & cause an issue. That's why I got the higher temp fan switch.

It was definitely the electric fan. Without a doubt.

Before installing the electric fan, I only had hotter temps under load for extended time with A/C running, i.e. driving up the mountain passes. With the electric fan, the engine started running hot without A/C on the flat freeway.

Afterward, I purchased a $10 OEM fan clutch from a junkyard Rodeo and it surprisingly fixed the issue completely.

Like I said before, it may have just been the FFD brand that was insufficient. I'm not suggesting all electric fans are fault, but I have found many VXers with electric fans tend to have some overheating issues.

[ohiovx]

It's gotten a little hotter here lately. Actually got up to 90F one day with about 90% humidity ( the Humidity is what matters with AC). & my Custom Shroud & 16" ebay electric fan cools it fine. Even had to sit still for a funeral procession for almost 1/2 hr with the A/C on. The biggest thing is the shroud. Mine is not your run of the mill shroud you buy from JEGS. & the switch I use to turn it on comes on at 210 & goes off at 195. So if you have good airflow on the freeway the fan isn't on. If you have the wrong temp switch & it is on when you are going down the freeway it will slow the airflow through the radiator, causing a loss of cooling. If your cooling system is working properly when going down the freeway with good air flow it shouldn't get up above 195F. So no fan should be needed. Seriously, In my professional opinion If you can't get an electric fan to cool your VX, you are missing something. If a Mechanical (fan clutch) can cool the vehicle. A properly designed electric fan setup can also. An aftermarket state of the art radiator can help, but it seems to me. if you want to loose the direct connection (fan clutch) you need to get a shroud like mine custom made for the vehicle.:yesgray:

[ron234]

Did anybody tried to disassemble clutch to see if there enough fluid in it?
(That's why it's not working right?). On another car I have (LX450) I bought AISIN and put 20000CST in it-seems solve my o/h problem.
Also, when you just start cold engine, put rolled newspaper to fan-and if it will not stop it (On LX I could stop fan)-than you fan clutch is good.