Running hot please help!

[Dodge96Ram]

In the past few weeks I have done a bunch of work to my 96 ram. I had a bad plenum so I pulled the manifold and replaced the plenum with the aluminum pan. I also swapped over to a 98 kegger with no divider. I installed headers, new valve cover gaskets, new tranny cooler, ported throttle body, new radiator hoses, new fan clutch, and a new thermostat. I also replaced both temp sending units in the manifold. I filled it up with antifreeze and fired it up. It's getting to about 230* or so (right between 200-260 on the gauge) and sitting there at idle just in my driveway. The thermostat is opening, upper hose gets hot, radiator core gets hot, lower hose barely gets warm, the bottom passenger side of the radiator stays cool. Both heater core hoses get hot and I have heat. I pulled the hoses off the radiator and ran water through it and it flows freely, not blocked up. Put another thermostat in it just to do it, nothing changed. Pulled it all apart again and pulled the water pump off, blades look brand new. The only thing I do not have installed back on is the fan shroud purely so I could see if anything was leaking. I understand that may make it run a little hot however why is my lower hose and corner of my radiator staying cool? As soon as that thermostat opens water should flow plenty fast enough and stay hot enough for everything to be hot. I did try jacking the front passenger side up off the ground about 6"-8" or so just to see if I had an air bubble, nothing changed. I also unbolted the radiator with both hoses still connected and lifted the passenger side of it up pretty high to see if I had a bubble some how in the lower corner, nothing changed. What am I missing here!

 

[Johnn123]

Thats weird, sounds like somethings plugged up in there. Maybe flush rad and block out and see if that makes a difference? Im not sure man sorry to hear.

 

[Dodge96Ram]

Flushed the radiator with a hose, no restriction. Removed the water pump and put the hose into the inlet and outlet on the timing cover. Got water out of both sides as well as up to the manifold. I'm at a loss.

 

[Merc225hp]

Drain the system again, remove the thermostat, fill the motor up with antifreeze from the thermo hole in the intake, install thermo and neck so on. Top off the system, run it up, after a few min take the rad cap off carefully and keep topping the rad off.

 

[Johnn123]

Flushed the radiator with a hose, no restriction. Removed the water pump and put the hose into the inlet and outlet on the timing cover. Got water out of both sides as well as up to the manifold. I'm at a loss.

Interesting. Im at a complete loss there man. Id def try Merc's suggestion there.

 

[Dodge96Ram]

Drain the system again, remove the thermostat, fill the motor up with antifreeze from the thermo hole in the intake, install thermo and neck so on. Top off the system, run it up, after a few min take the rad cap off carefully and keep topping the rad off.

Ill be able to put some time into it tomorrow afternoon. I'm going to buy a new water pump also since I removed the old one even though it looks brand new.I'll save it as a spare. I'll post up and let you know what happens.

 

[dapepper9]

Idk if this is gonna help but I recently saw a magazine article about a guy with an old el camino with a 350 in it that had overheating problems since buying brand new from dealer. replaced damn near everything he could and tried what you have. Eventually turned out to be the upper radiator hose had slight hump in the middle that was too high and was trapping air and not allowing the system to vent the air out naturally.

Not saying its whats causing it, just an idea

 

[Dodge96Ram]

At this point I'm open to all suggestions. Thanks for the thought I will check the hose out tomorrow.

 

[Dodge96Ram]

How big a deal is it if don't have the fan shroud on? I will of course install it when the job is done however I do not have it installed yet. I wanted to keep it off for the first start after all the work done just so I can see everything that's going on. Is the fan shroud worth 20* at idle?

 

[Johnn123]

How big a deal is it if don't have the fan shroud on? I will of course install it when the job is done however I do not have it installed yet. I wanted to keep it off for the first start after all the work done just so I can see everything that's going on. Is the fan shroud worth 20* at idle?

FWIW maybe just try and see what happens?

 

[Merc225hp]

I can see it making that much difference I would install it.

 

[Dodge96Ram]

OK so new water pump, filled the engine and then put the t-stat housing on and filled the radiator. Fired it up and nothing changed, it really seems like there is no circulation somewhere but when tested, it seems like everything is flowing fine. It also seems that even though the engine is getting hot, I have heat, the upper hose gets hot, lower hose gets warm, the radiator still stays cool, and does not pressurize. What's going on here!

 

[Dodge96Ram]

Do any of the header bolts protrude into water passages? Could I have used a bolt that's to long and blocking flow?

 

[Merc225hp]

No they don't, try installing your old temp sensors see what they read.

 

[Dodge96Ram]

I thought about that also but still doesn't explain the radiator staying cool like I have no circulation.

 

[Dodge96Ram]

Unless of course the gauge is reading wrong and im shutting the engine down before the thermostat is really open and flowing....................

How about this one, when I open the throttle there is suction in the radiator. With the radiator cap on, I can watch the level in the overflow dip and come back up when I close the throttle. I believe that's normal though am I right?

 

[Merc225hp]

IDK man, I can say that twice with the kegger intake I had severe air locks in the cooling system. Took some messing with to get them out, no putting the pass tire up did not help. What kind of shape is the rad cap in? Got another one to try.

 

[Dodge96Ram]

What did you do to finally get all the air out of the system? Its very possible it's an air bubble, I really hope that's all it is lol. Radiator cap is brand new, forgot to mention that. It's also about 80* out here and it seems the truck is getting up to temp in 5 or 6 minutes which seems fast. Im wondering if you aren't on to something with the sending unit. Maybe its reading wrong and im shutting it down and its just not hot enough for the thermostat to open circulate. I did push it though and allow it 10-15 minutes or so just to see if it got any hotter and it didn't. The longer it ran though it seemed to start to idle a little rough and idle low. Do you know which sensor is for the gauge and which is for the computer?

 

[Merc225hp]

I just had to keep getting it warn and a faster idle speed to get things moving is all I did and just keep adding antifreeze as it needed it, other than fill from the thermostat hole like you have done. Once the thermo opens I take the rad cap off and add fluid if needed.

Is the clutch fan cutting in or is it not getting hot enough for that?

The single wire is for the pcm, the two wire is for the gauge.

 

[Dodge96Ram]

I don't think the clutch is engaging it's a HD Hayden clutch and it should be loud a hell. I heard it when I first started it cold but didn't hear it again after that even while raising the idle. I guess ill button up a few other things so I can drive it and ill have to take it for a ride round the block. Get it hot cool it down a few times and see if that helps.