I give up

-
SCredneck

SCredneck

LARGE member
Joined
Jan 3, 2009
Messages
1,273
Reaction score
12
Location
Walterboro, SC
Wife car. 99 Durango 2wd 360. All original. 298,000 miles. Running hot. In last 2 weeks, have replaced T-stat (new 160*), fan clutch, water pump (bearings went bad). Burped system each time. Idle with cap off, pointing uphill to get air out. Is ok until stop for a few minutes. The length of 2 redlights is all it takes and temp runs up to 240 range. Will SLOWLY cool back down to 210 if keep it moving after that, but will not go lower than 210 and will QUICKLY heat back up if slow down. The length of our driveway (approx 1/8 mile rutted dirt road) is all it takes to jump from 210 back up to dangerous. I'm stumped. While running with cap off to burp system, I can tell the pump is circulating good, I can see the difference in flow well enough to know when the stat opens. I need help, PLEASE.
 
If you can hear the fan running--like a B-17 on a take-off roll-- you
should check the radiator. Cool spots will indicate low flow which basically means it is plugged.
A infrared thermomter will point a plugged radiator real quick.
 
Have you had the radiator flow checked? Is there a spring in the bottom hose?
 
Good call stroker. Those springs rust out. my bottom hose has a coiled coat hanger in it.
 
Radiator. I had on that wouldn't get tooooo hot while driving ( although it did get hot enough to spark knock under load ). If ever got stopped in traffic like trying to leave a concert, back up on the highway due to an accident , I could expect it to boil over.
I too tried all those less expensive items first. New radiator cured it.
 
That's the bad part, I wasn't just simply "trying the less expensive things first." Except for the stat. The fan clutch was toast. Temp guage reading well over 210, and fan BARELY turning. Water pump bearings were gone. Could grab the fan and wiggle it up and down 1/4" or so and could HEAR the bearings whining.
 
This is a 99 model? Are we talkin about one of them all drive serpentine belt drives? You sure you got the right rotation water pump? Some of um turn backwards.
 
I would fire it up and let it start to get warm then carefully feel the radiator in different spots all around. If one spot is much cooler than the rest then you know you will need a new radiator. Also while you are there use a chunk of cardboard to make sure the new fan clutch is pulling good.
 
camd64 said:
I would fire it up and let it start to get warm then carefully feel the radiator in different spots all around. If one spot is much cooler than the rest then you know you will need a new radiator. Also while you are there use a chunk of cardboard to make sure the new fan clutch is pulling good.
Click to expand...

Ditto on the cardboard or newspaper test. Also, the touch free infared thermometers mentioned above will help a lot when checking the radiator for hot/cool ares indicating plugged up rows. I had the same issue with my 94 5.9 ram. Radiator solved it.
 
have 94 dodge ram with over 300k miles...had overheading problem...blew the lower hose...with new hoses it still ran hot..

bought new radiator off of ebay for around 100 bucks....no problems since
 
have you gave it a coolant flush?

is your lower or upper hose cooler than the other?

you may have a plugged up radiator.

when I suspect a plugged radiator or poor flow I will unhook the lower hose and I will take the radiator cap off and stick a garden hose in it and let it flow and see how well if at all the flow is on the lower end.

also, its a good idea to go to your parts store and pick up a flush T and install it in a heater hose. (also aids in bleeding air from the system).

here is how I bleed out the air in my cooling system..... I will start the engine with the radiator cap off.... Then I will let it warm up and I will keep adding coolant as needed..... then after it has warmed up a bit I will lean over and hold the throttle open at around 2,000 rpm (this will get the water pump turning fast and suck the coolant level down......at which point I will add more coolant (still holding at around 1500-2000 rpm) and top it off.

repeat if needed when stat opens.

also, are you getting any white smoke? you may have a head gasket leak if so.

OR are you getting any bubbling in your coolant? and or a fuel smell?

I had a vehicle once that had a headgasket fail that allow the hot exhaust gas's to jump over to my coolant port and it made my coolant smell rich and over heated my engine.

just guess's
 
Have you used an infrared temperature tester to see if it is actually getting that hot?

I have had 3 different vehicles where the temperature sender / switch was bad, and the entire time, the car was NOT overheating.

I found out by opening the petcock when it was supposed to be really warm. The water coming out was barely warm. 4 hours trying to burp this car, and the entire time, it was fine.

After switch, I agree, radiator...
 
My 5.9 magnum runs around 200 210 always and sometimes hits 220 before the stat open fully ..then it drops down to the 200-210 range and stays there.

The temp gun is a good idea just to have around for everything.

Flush the rad
pour in the bottle and let it run for a bit-rev'n the motor some then pull the upper hose from the radiator and let it point out the front of the core support with some plastic under it, then stick a hose into the inlet of the rad and run it for a few minutes or so.
I used be able to remove a rad, stick a hose in it, holding hands around neck to seal and pressurize the junk out the the lower 'with cap on of corse'
 
Replace the radiator and be done with it. After that flush it and change the coolant every year and you'll be fine.

300,000 miles on the original radiator and probably never had the coolant changed unless something went bad. Tsk, tsk.
 
What size is the radiator? I just replaced the radiator in my Duster and I was running a 26" radiator that is only about two yrs old with not much use. I went with an aluminum radiator and trans cooler. If the radiator would fit you are welcome to have it. It is in excellent condition. Not sure if it would work in your Durango.
 
Dustermaniac,
The 98/99 5.9 rad is a 22x22 inch crossflow aluminium.

Keeps my 98 Dak R/T cool no matter how hard I work it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top