Date:         Mon, 24 Jun 2002 07:39:41 -0400
Reply-To:     "Spooner, Robert E." <bob.spooner@MIDDLETOWNPOWER.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Spooner, Robert E." <bob.spooner@MIDDLETOWNPOWER.COM>
Subject:      TIICo - temperature issues
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

TIICO-ites,
I have wondered about the my engine temperature during warm days since I installed the engine last August.  Luckily, here in NE, we haven't had much in the way of hot weather since then.  Well, this weekend it got hot.  And so did my van.

My coolant temperature was always high on the stock gauge.  The needle would stay right up at the second line from the top - a good deal higher than many of you report.  Occasionally, the red light would flash.  I have bled, and bled and bled the coolant system, so I was sure that it wasn't low coolant level.  I would slow down a notch, and keep my eye on the temp gauge, making sure it didn't go any higher.  Seemed ok.  But the engine was hot, for sure.  You could smell hot engine at the end of a highway run.

So, last week, I finally got my oil temp and pressure gauges in.  The oil temp at highway speeds is 280 degrees!  Yikes!

Have any of you  been through this, and how did you solve it?

I'm thinking I'm going to drop my radiator, and flush it out, make sure that I'm getting good flow through there.

When I installed my engine, I just hooked up the coolant lines to the pipes going forward without too much attention to which was which.  Is there a correct/incorrect way for the coolant to be flowing through the radiator?  Does it make much difference?

Anyone install an aux oil cooler?  If so, did you divorce the stock oil cooler from the coolant system?  What cooler did you use and where did you put it?

Anyone fiddle around with the fan switch?  Is there any way to make the fan come on sooner?

Any other ideas?

Bob
East Haddam, CT