how hot is too hot?

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moondogmike

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I have a 96 ram with a v10. I just acquired a 31 foot travel trailer, before that I towed a 23 foot ski boat. On a regular day she runs between 185 to 200, but when I tow, she runs 200+ and going up a grade she gets up to about 230. I have talked to several people and I really never get the same answer. Is this too hot, should I be concerned? Btw engine is about 5yrs old and over the years I have replaced the thermostat, radiator, fan clutch, hoses, sensors etc. Also another question on the fan, should it be in a push or pull configuration? Thanks for any help I can get...
 

dodge dude94

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Fans should always be on a pull configuration IMO as in a push config at speed it merely becomes a hindrance. IMO, one should only run a pusher fan in an off road-only vehicle.


For the temps, that is definitely hot for my taste, especially if you have an automatic transmission with the cooler still in the radiator. What kind of speeds and grades are you pulling this boat up? With as much torque as a V10 makes it should be seeing THOSE kind of temperatures.

What I would definitely do is hook a manual temperature gauge inline with the factory sending unit to see what that engine is REALLY running.
 

dapepper9

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+1. Verify temp. If still bad, double check that you're running the correct coolant as well as not pure antifreeze. Check you oil and make sure you don't have a small headgasket leak or something as well.
 
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moondogmike

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v10
To Dodgedude94, the speeds I go is usually 55 and the grades aren't extreme at all. Should I take trans cooler lines out of radiator and bypass it? I think I am going to run a separate temp gauge for coolant and for trans too. thanks. To Dapepper9, oil is clean and I ran the prestone 50/50 premix. Should I try something else? Thanks...
 

dodge dude94

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Indeed. Being that you live in California, you can safely delete the radiator trans cooler, I would also get a larger aftermarket auxilary cooler for the trans.

Separate gauges are a good start. Figure out what it's running and go from there.
 

dudeman2009

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210 is as hot as id ever want to see these engines. I had a problem with my thermostat freezing shut this past winter when temps dropped to negative 20. My temps went up to about 240 and I could smell burning before I got to a safe place to shut it down. After 10 minutes I started it back up and floored it, then the thermostat opened right up.

I'd get a cheap thermocouple or non contact thermometer and check the temp right around the coolant temp sensor. With a thermocouple, you are going to want to press it right up to the block, but use a rag or something as your finger being on the probe will skew its reading, on a non-contact try to get the highest reading and go with that, not the average.
 
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moondogmike

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So I think Im going to run trans cooler lines away from the radiator. whats the best way to do this step by step? Thanks...
 
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moondogmike

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Okay so I didn't run trans lines. I did notice the temp gauge sensor was broken. So I went got a new sensor and now I can't get it below 200 degrees. Im lost please help..
 

gofishn

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What temp is the thermostat? Whatever the temp, once it hits that temp, it should open and allow fluid, from the radiator, into the engine block, thus cooling it and dropping the temperature. If cooled fluid , from teh radiator, is not dropping your engines temperature, then something is preventing that radiator fluid from cooling, sufficiently.

Blocked channels, improper fan placement, relative to radiator enclosure, etc.


Start from scratch, remove all fluid from radiator and engine.. add fresh, properly mixed fluid. Burp the engine to insure no air pockets in your fluid pathways. run your motor and see wh t the normal operating temps are, with no load.

work your engine by towimng or adding bed weight. check temps.

if still too high, replace thermostat with new, lower temp thermostat. not unheard of, for a new thermostat to be bad, frech out of the box.
 
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moondogmike

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Okay so heres an update, today I replaced the thermostat replaced the temp gauge sensor and burped the engine. It seems like everything is working, but I have one question, can a temp sensor be bad right out of the box? Everything seems good tstat is cycling, nothing seems overheated but the gauge is reading 200+.Ive got another new sensor gonna put it in when it cools off...
 

crazzywolfie

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So I think Im going to run trans cooler lines away from the radiator. whats the best way to do this step by step? Thanks...
you don't need to bypass the rad trans cooler. i would personally advise leaving it and just adding an additional cooler on the line returning to the pan. the bottom of your rad where the stock trans cooler is located stays fairly cool compared to the upper rad where all the heat is.


it is possibly to have a bad temp sensor out of the box with how cheap things are made but are you sure you are replacing the right temp sensor? i am pretty sure there should be 2 temp sensor on your engine. 1 for the gauge and 1 for the computer. the one for the gauge usually only has 1 wire to the connector
 

crazzywolfie

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well i don't know what your thoughts on it are but you could install an aftermarket temp gauge if you don't trust the sending units or the stock gauge. they are usually fairly cheap and pretty accurate. i like knowing my engines exact temp since i got electric fans
 

gofishn

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You burp a system by leaving the cap 'off' and allowing the thermostat to cycle through, a few timesd, and then adding more fluid. bascially, jsut isnure you get all teh air out of the system.

what is your thermostat temp setting? before putting a thermostat on a vehicle, place it in pan of water, on your kitchen stove, along with a thermometer, to insure it is set properly adn functioning as designed.

10-15 degree above thermostat setting is not unusual,for engine temps, but should drop down, once system performs and exchange of fluids, form radiator to the engine.

remember, whatever temperature the thermostat is set to open, the fluid must pass from teh engine, to the radiator, then the radiator fluid, which is now cooled, must pass into teh engine, so an engine running slightly higher than the thermostat setting is to be expected. again, the engine should cool down rather quickly though.

if not, my concern would be blocked passage ways within the engine, not allowing a complete fluid exchange or restricting the fluid exchange OR blocked passage ways within the radiator itself.

Placing a thermometer in the raditor, with cap off is another good way to see jsut what teh temp is, of teh fluid coming out of the engine. and seeing what the temp is, of teh fluid right before it goes back into teh engine. either the flauid is not doing a complete fluid exschange or soemthign is preventing it from cooling properly while in the radiator.
 

DazSpaz

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What problem are you facing when you run your engine with rad cap off and it overflows the rad cap opening?
 

alanack6795

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Make sure you buy a coolant temp sensor from the dealer or moparpartsoverstock . Parts house sensors are junk.

235 is the max I would like, and that means it's time to pull over.

How much were towing? Speed? Outside temp? AC on? All these variables are very important

Make sure the clutch fan is locking.
No electric fan in the world pull pull more air than a good clutch fan.

In my 12v it roars on at ~215 and drops the temperature fast. You can't miss it at 2K it sounds like a helicopter at take off. On a gas motor I can only imagine it being much more noticeable
 
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moondogmike

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v10
Okay, so hello everyone. Ive been gone for a while due to some health issues. But feeling alot better so lets continue. I have done everything I can to figure out why it runs hot. I did notice when i head to work in the morning, it doesn't get much past 185 or so. that's about where it used to run. Of course its much cooler in the morning and I really don't want to only drive and tow in the morning. I really need some help, I'm lost, still runs about 195 regular driving as soon as a/c is on it kicks up to past 200 and I have not towed my trailer since last year. Btw the trailer weighs about 8000 lb. So weight is not the problem. any thoughts or suggestions will be greatly apreciated thanks...
 

dudeman2009

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It might be fairly simple, but have you checked to make sure the return radiator line isn't collapsing under load? It's supposed to have a spring like thing in there to stop it from collapsing, but they can break apart and fail. Also, have you checked to make sure the water pump inlet isn't clogged and the water pump itself is pumping properly?

If neither of those two things is the problem, i'd look at getting a bottle of radiator flush and running it through then seeing what comes out. Its not uncommon for a sand like substance to build up in the bottom of the engine and solidify partially or fully blocking some water passages.

Also, have you ruled out insufficient radiator operation? Is the return line still hot as all get out or is it cool?
 

DodgeTx

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Do you still have your Trans Check Valve? That would overheat my lowered dodge. On my Flatbed, with a 1200lb wrecker unit on it I deleted the Trans check valve completely and still see temps of 210* area when idling to load a vehicle. Rad temp goes slightly higher.

Also if your heater core is laking could mean less coolant in system than is needed, causing slight overheating.

Anything under or at halfway on the temp gauge should be fine
 
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