Hi guys.
I have a 87 T2. I just put another motor in it and i have a 16" thermo fan ( with no shrould, well i am still using the stock item ) It is nice and cool at idol and cruzing slowly. (temp gauge sitting at 1/4 - 1/3 of stock gauge ). I have the AC rad removed, and have a piece of steel covering the area in front of the rad in between the top of rad and bumper ( you know the ones in talking about )

when i drive at 80 kph my temp raises to 1/2 and then when im goig 100-110 it rises to 3/4 ( i am sorry i dont have numbers, i dont have a aftermarket gauge ).

This is strange to me. As far as i can tall its either my thermo stat is fucked, ( but it works fine at idol ) or my rad isnt doing its job properly.

I am in the process of getting a nice ali shrould made up for the 16" as its sitting directly on the radiator.

any suggestions

 

A buddy of mine with an FD told me just the other day that he had the same issues at one point. It was due to the air going around his radiator at higher speeds, most likely due to not having a shroud (he doesn't have one either). At 70 mph he was running around 82*c, at 80 he was running around 85, at 100 he was getting like 90-92*. This was recorded on his PFC.

My guess would be this is due to the lack of a shroud. He has an e-fan as well.

James

EDIT: Your radiator is doing it's job to the best of it's ability, it seems like. If all other driving conditions are ok, like you said, then I would rule out the radiator. It uses passing air to cool off the coolant (I'm sure you know this). Without something to route it or whatever, like a shroud, you will most likely see increased temps.

 

Cooling issues? Do you have:

Two belts running the water pump?
A new (or known good) T-stat?
A rad with a nice, clear core?
A belly pan? (this is my guess for the cause of your issue)
An efan and shroud? (probably not the problem since it happens at speed)
Any type of blocakge? FMIC?

 

OK. so
1. I only have 1 belt running my water pump ( have got plans to by 2 new belts and a new thermostat )
2. I do not know the condition of my thermo stat but i though that if i wasnt having idoling issues then that should show that the water is moving around thru the thermo stat and therefore its ok...? this theory may be fucked tho
3. My rad is fine, very few bent fins and nothing blocking it.
4. I do not have a belly pan. Should i make one???? would i connect it from my front lip all the way back to the rad? or will this create uplift of the front?
5. I have an 16" E Fan and am currently using stock shroud. ( your right, its not the prob as happening at speed )
6. No blockage, no FMIC, no AC rad either

 

make undertray which seals as good as possible, forcing all air from front go thru radiator
check radiator cap, holding pressure? any coolant leaks?

 

Ding ding, Ille bet thats the problem since its happening at speed....

 

It's going to be lack of undertray, bad thermostat, or bad rad. Porbably in that order.

 

Undertray FTW!

 

If you removed the airpump and didnt use a duel alt. pully your water pump may be slipping at the higher speeds...

 

^^^ at a constand speed on freeway? doubtful
no shround? that only affects idle/low low speed
thermo... underbelly, then rad

 

hrm maybe I should find out why my underpan is missing from the car. Time to go back to the shop to find out where it is. I had one under there, and I just looked the other day and its gone. Must've not put it back when it was motorless.

 

My car never had an undertray. hmmmm. it didnt do this before i got the new eng, except for when i wound out every gear. Ive ordered the new thermo stat from mazda. $65 nz ( $43US ) - what a rip. and new belts so i'll put all that in tonight and well see how it goes.
So. and under belly tray aye. made from aluminium or something? would this go from the fron lip all the way to the rad or just from the rad foward about a foot?

 

Damn, I got my OEM T-stat for $27.something CDN.....

Its plastic, and it runs from the lip of the bumper, right back to the front of the engine cradle. There IS one more, its aluminum, and fill in the void on the back of the cradle - but that one be absent wouldn't cause this....I've only ever seen one other FC with it actually

 

An easy test for the thermostat is as follows:

Warm up the car to operating temperature and drive around the block a few times. Open the hood and feel the top rad hose. If it's hot, then the thermostat is working. If it's cold or warm, then it's likely the thermostat is not opening.

A similar test can be done on the radiator:

Remove the clutch fan or disable the e-fan. Drive around until the car is at operating temperature then stop and shut off the engine. With your hand, feel the radiator. It should be basically uniformly hot, though somewhat hotter at the top then at the bottom. If you find cold or cool spots, they indicate a clog.

 

damn thats like $35nz.

ok. so i need to sort some sort of plastic to put in there, im guessen it needs to be quite rigid to withstand the air pressure

 

how can i flush my rad? get clogs out etc? how much pressure can they hold? also if i wanted to flush my eng coolant system should i just take the thermostat out and put the hose in the top the and just let it run out the bottom?

 

Morning guys. Ok, so last night i replaced the thermo stat and put 2 new alternator belts and a new PS belt on. And its still getting hot the faster i go. Not as hot, but i did notice that if i turn my E fan off then it got hotter. now this shouldnt be happening. Im gona go make a belly pan from some ali ive got, and if that dosnt fix it i must have a cloged up radiator. Is there any sort of chemical i can tip into the rad its self ( i will disconnect from eng ) that will disolve al the crap that must be sitting in there?

 

well, just an update. Its sorted now. Put the bell pan on and also moved the number plate from infront of the front vents to in front of the bumper. heres a couple of pics so you know just what youve been helping with. Cheers

Nathan

 

yes i know it needs a wash

 

I had the same problem until I replaced the radiator. It was so old that it no longer could transmit heat. When I ran it hard when it was really hot it never got to cool down.

 

Damn I want your lip baaad. PM if you ever buy another and sell this one.