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Cooling Issues

bjoehandley

NAXJA Forum User
What have you guys run into when upgrading the cooling system on your trucks. Dad and I just flushed, installed a Trans-Pro 3 row radiator, new belt, new lower hose (upper hose was the wrong one, and I even got it from the dealership), 195* t-stat and new gasket, new Napa rad cap, and temporarily filled with straight water and baking soda (Dad discovered a few decades ago that baking soda works as a corrosion fighter in cooling systems). Today what we did yesterday worked flawlessly today, it was 85*-90* on my way to work today and 100*-103* on my way home and it struggled to hit 210*, in traffic, at a stop light, in 103* heat, with almost direct sunlight hitting the hood! While running it looked like it was about 185*-200*, and that was with the A/C on and running at atleast posted limit (About 50mph, and I was probably running abit faster!), with 103* weather in heavy traffic. I've also remembered why I hated working on my Lebaron most of the time, I hate dealing with anti-freeze and cooling systems in general!
 
What year and engine do you have?
 
I've got a '98 Limited with 4.0l I-6, doesn't run quite as cool as Dad's 90 Larado, but I'm not complaining with the heat we've been getting lately. Should be interesting to see what happens the next couple of days since the rain's supposed to drop the temps 20*-30* over the next couple of days. The truck also seems alot happier wiht it running that much cooler, it will actually accelerate with the A/C AND outside temps cranked way up :cheers:
 
I'm happy it's runnnig this much cooler, plus since it's OBD2 I don't dare run it any cooler, I'm waiting for the computer to start throughing tantrums since it's running so much cooler as hot as it's been.
 
I sure wouldn't run straight water though. JMHO. Run a bottle of Water Wetter or Purple Ice with your 50/50 mix and you'd be better off. I put in a Shaw thermostat (195*) and with the combination above I didn't go above 200, in traffic, with the air on, yesterday either. The quality thermostat made more of a difference than almost anything I've done to the cooling system. $10 vs. $4.
 
My T-Stat is a Mopar one from the same dealer as the belts and hoses. The straight water/Baking Soda is a temporary solution till we get a chance to swap in some Prestone/Water Wetter later. Dad wanted to try and de-scum the cooling system a little longer before we do the offical fill up on it. I kinda overshot the fluch and fill by a few miles so he wanted to try and get as much out of it as possible.
 
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