So out of the trail, pulling a 4300 lb trailer. yep close to limits but have done over 30kkm and things are / were fine. Anyways, this latest trip seems to be an "adventure" in cooling.
Travelling at 55-60 mph at normal "load speed" (ie. not pushing a grade or anything to work engine), the temp is running about 194 (outside temps in the low 20C). Any kind of a grade where kick down from lockup to "plain third" (ie. normal travelling 3rd gear locked), cause an some what climb of temps. Tranny temp runs relatively cool at around 175F but eventually begins to climb is grade or work load is extended period. In previous trips at this kinds of out door temps, normal didn't see much change in coolant temp... maybe heading towards 200F but most times in the high 190's including travel at highway speed at 35C out side.
Anyways, it would appear that perhaps the pump is not doing its job and not pushing enough coolant along. The thermostat is about 1.5 years old.
One question is this long "diatribe", at highways speeds, does the fan offer any help or is it basically doing nothing. My feeling is that perhaps the thermofan is not locking up sufficiently the draw air thru. It would appear that at regular speed there is enough air movement that a non-working fan is capable of enough but at high requirements, it is not.
Further, if I stop the vehicle when it has been running relatively hot, I can go out and readily spin the fan by hand... it has some resistance but no where near the amount of a "old fashion" belt driven always on fan ( which of course, you couldn't turn at all ...
). I would have expected a hot fan to be equally as difficult. Hence, my question.
Overall, I am leaning towards a bad / weak pump. But maybe that's not quite the right issue.
what say you... as I sit at a camp ground, thinking I wish I wouldn't worry about things like this... but hopefully nothing bad will happen on this trip.
Travelling at 55-60 mph at normal "load speed" (ie. not pushing a grade or anything to work engine), the temp is running about 194 (outside temps in the low 20C). Any kind of a grade where kick down from lockup to "plain third" (ie. normal travelling 3rd gear locked), cause an some what climb of temps. Tranny temp runs relatively cool at around 175F but eventually begins to climb is grade or work load is extended period. In previous trips at this kinds of out door temps, normal didn't see much change in coolant temp... maybe heading towards 200F but most times in the high 190's including travel at highway speed at 35C out side.
Anyways, it would appear that perhaps the pump is not doing its job and not pushing enough coolant along. The thermostat is about 1.5 years old.
One question is this long "diatribe", at highways speeds, does the fan offer any help or is it basically doing nothing. My feeling is that perhaps the thermofan is not locking up sufficiently the draw air thru. It would appear that at regular speed there is enough air movement that a non-working fan is capable of enough but at high requirements, it is not.
Further, if I stop the vehicle when it has been running relatively hot, I can go out and readily spin the fan by hand... it has some resistance but no where near the amount of a "old fashion" belt driven always on fan ( which of course, you couldn't turn at all ...
). I would have expected a hot fan to be equally as difficult. Hence, my question. Overall, I am leaning towards a bad / weak pump. But maybe that's not quite the right issue.
what say you... as I sit at a camp ground, thinking I wish I wouldn't worry about things like this...
but hopefully nothing bad will happen on this trip.
