overheating is back

[Y33TREKker]

...All kidding aside, a good power washing of the radiator might rid it of excess dust and grime that builds up after time.

I saw the same thing discussed recently on one of those half-hour automobile repair television shows.

They suggested holding a flashlight or worklight behind the radiator and looking to see how much light shined through to the front, because over time, road debris can accumulate between the radiator fins (and any other fluid cooling coils/fins in that area - like trans cooling coils, a/c condensor coils, etc) which can restrict air flow and significantly reduce cooling capacities.

And seeing as how the VX front end is just a straight shot right into the grill, it's not hard to imagine how a lot of road debris could find it's way into our radiators. Sometimes if we're lucky, it's checking the simple stuff that pays off.

[Scott Larson]

Nothin' that a good pressure washing can't fix...

[gergmon]

I'll give that a try. Same with me Sue, doesn't overheat when the A/C isn't running. Thanks for the tips.

[VX KAT]

I'll give that a try. Same with me Sue, doesn't overheat when the A/C isn't running. Thanks for the tips.

I'm going to try the pressure washer for sure, I see all kinds of bugs and brown crap on mine. Guess I can just blast it straight on?

What about your fan blades Greg, are they way into the shroud or do they break the plane by some distance?

This was October of last year on my long road trip...but it pretty much looks the same now....does this seem to be a lot of crude?

[VX KAT]

Sue, I looked at my fan last night and it's relation to the shroud. Mine protrudes about 3/4" at the top. I don't know how you would modify that clearance, maybe someone put washers in-between the fan and the clutch. You mention that the fan moves easier with your hand when warm? When it gets Hot it should actually be harder to move since the thermostatic clutch should be engaging. Of course this is when measuring resistance with the engine off. It is not recommended to check this with your hand while the engine is running

Have you checked to make sure you don't have wax residue clogging the radiator fins from your incessant detailing? All kidding aside, a good power washing of the radiator might rid it of excess dust and grime that builds up after time.

I'm going snap some pics tomorrow of the fan blades. I'll post them for comparison.

"Bill" also described how the "oil" in there should actually get thicker when hot, so it should be harder to spin the blade by hand after it's been warmed up. It was kind of a subjective assessment by Dave and I but it appeared to spin a little easier after engine was up to temp.....AND ENGINE WAS OFF .

I got in touch with the VX owner on ebay that had purchased the FFD twin fan set-up and was so pleased with it. He's somewhere in TX and has had overheating for a while, with A/C on, in stop/go traffic, on high air temp days. He installed the twin fan set-up but it didn't help problem. When he contacted the company, they realized he should have been sent the "extreme" package, which is a SINGLE 17" FAN, and that solved his problem. This is consistent with what "Bill" told me.....a single larger fan can move more air than the smaller electronic fans.

Here's pics of the guys install: I thought the FFD set-up was in addition to the factory fan, and would be mounted in front of the radiator, but these pics appear it replaced the OEM.

[Scott Larson]

Sue, it's what you can't see buried in the rad fins that can cause all the hub-bub. If you hook-up a garden hose to your water heater so you get HOT water and blast out all the crud from the engine side of the rad, cleaning the entire rad side to side and top to bottom, that should certainly help. Put a nozzle on the hose end so you get a hot, high-pressure stream! Best of luck and don't scald yourself!!

[Triathlete]

But use caution to not bend the fins.

[Scott Larson]

But use caution to not bend the fins.

Good point! If you do have alot of bent fins, you can straighten them using a tool called a fin comb available at any HVAC supply store. (Heating, ventilation and air conditioning.)

[VX KAT]

Trying to find out if my fan blades are positioned more forward into the shroud than other VXs.
Kirk, how's this compare to yours?
Anybody have any comparisons, thoughts or input??
****************************
These two shots are straight on of the shroud & fan blades.
It seems like the base of the blades are actually further rearward than the tips of the blades









From passenger side, can see the one blade sticking out:




Dave's holding a ruler flush against the blades so it's easier to see how far they clear the shroud






Distance/gap is about 1/2", if that.



I know it's a totally different engine, etc...and it could be apples to oranges, but on both the GX and Dave's FJ, the blades stick out at least 1 1/4" outside the shroud:

[VX KAT]

.
.
.
.Just thought of a question... the pics of the FFD 17" fan set-up show it has the fan blades completely within the shroud.....so how does that improve air volume???

[Y33TREKker]

Would a person have to account for some flex in the blades when they're turning? Taking their orientation into account, and the fact that they're plastic, it seems to me that once they start spinning, the act of cutting through the air would have them flexing "inward" toward the radiator. Do they appear to stick out of the shroud the same distance when the engine is running as they do when it's not?

[eternal21]

I got in touch with the VX owner on ebay that had purchased the FFD twin fan set-up and was so pleased with it. He's somewhere in TX and has had overheating for a while, with A/C on, in stop/go traffic, on high air temp days. He installed the twin fan set-up but it didn't help problem. When he contacted the company, they realized he should have been sent the "extreme" package, which is a SINGLE 17" FAN, and that solved his problem. This is consistent with what "Bill" told me.....a single larger fan can move more air than the smaller electronic fans.

So everyone has a little history

http://vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=20464

[eternal21]

Mine does it too, and so did my other vx in the Texas heat with ac on in stop and go traffic, I just turn ac off and sweat til I start moving. Funny thing is the temp gauge in the truck says normal or tad over half when scan gauge says 210 , but after it gets just 6 degrees warmer the needle shoots way over, I have let it get to 222, too hot for me, no leaking coolant, coolant new in last yr and half and royalmpurple wetter always used too.

Started happening to me, as well, even w/the upgraded fan. So I stuck on another 10" fan in front of the radiator. No dice. I think too much heat is getting trapped under the hood. To test my theory, I'm going to remove the hood insert, and drive around on Mon & Tues of next week when the temp is going to be over 100 degrees again. We'll see what she does. I saw another member had ordered a heat extractor and put it on his hood, and it looked pretty good, so I ordered the same one for $95 on eBay. If removal of the hood insert does alleviate the situation, I'll be putting on the heat extractor in short order.

http://vehicross.info/forums/showpos...2&postcount=17

[VX KAT]

Started happening to me, as well, even w/the upgraded fan. So I stuck on another 10" fan in front of the radiator. No dice. I think too much heat is getting trapped under the hood. To test my theory, I'm going to remove the hood insert, and drive around on Mon & Tues of next week when the temp is going to be over 100 degrees again. We'll see what she does. I saw another member had ordered a heat extractor and put it on his hood, and it looked pretty good, so I ordered the same one for $95 on eBay. If removal of the hood insert does alleviate the situation, I'll be putting on the heat extractor in short order.

http://vehicross.info/forums/showpos...2&postcount=17

"Bill" from Ron Davis racing also told me this the other day:

If you put a

2nd fan on the front side of the radiator, it blocks airflow and probably only about 30 percent of the airflow makes it through the radiator. Not a good choice.

[RickOKC]

Trying to find out if my fan blades are positioned more forward into the shroud than other VXs.

I didn't take any measurements, but the position of my fan looks the same. Hah, purple yardstick!

To test my theory, I'm going to remove the hood insert, and drive around on Mon & Tues of next week when the temp is going to be over 100 degrees again.

Unless something has been modified, that won't do anything - the hood is solid metal underneath the insert.