Running hot please help!

[Dodge96Ram]

OK so I just went out there and I was able to add about 1 quart or so of antifreeze into the radiator, maybe a little more. I ran it, it got hot, I shut it down. I see no circulation, radiator was getting hot across the top, nothing along the bottom, the clutch fan did stay locked so I know it's hot. Whats finny is it seems to me that the water pump should be spinning in the opposite direction? What I mean by that is, when you look at it, it's spinning counter clockwise. When you look at the impeller, the folded edges that would seem to catch fluid would have to spin clockwise in order to do so. The flat outside edge of the impeller are what's making "contact" for lack of better terms. Does that make sense? I can say though the old water pump and new water pump both have the same impeller. Are there options for different water pumps? Is my belt on wrong? I can say it's on exactly as the radiator support shows and it's on the exact same way as it is on my 1998 5.9L Grand Cherokee which should be the same I would assume.

 

[dodge dude94]

You brought up the belt being wrong and I was just about to ask if the belt was on correctly. You should have a diagram on your core support that has that on it.

 

[Dodge96Ram]

I do and I followed it. The belt is routed exactly as the picture on the radiator support shows I still feel the water pump should be spinning clockwise not counter clockwise though. Just looking at the impeller that's what makes most sense. Any of you guys care to look at your water pump and tell me what direction it's spinning when you look at it from the front?

 

[kpd12]

Mine spins clockwise with everything else


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[dodge dude94]

^Same.

 

[kpd12]

I know you said its routed correctly, but If you can, take a pic of your belt routing.


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[dodge dude94]

Took a couple pictures of the way MY belt is routed:

 

[Dodge96Ram]

Mine is routed exactly the same. Looking from the front, my water pump is spinning counter clockwise. After thinking about it, that's how its gota be. The pump always spins the opposite direction of the threads on the clutch that way it's always "tightening" it.

 

[Dodge96Ram]

Here's what mine looks like

 

[dodge dude94]

ya know, I never looked but do our rads have drain plugs on them?

 

[Dodge96Ram]

I'm not sure, I just pulled the hose off and let it drain out. Why do you ask?

 

[dodge dude94]

Well I was wondering if maybe there is an air pocket in your radiator since you're saying it's cold in that one spot. I was thinking if there was a drain in that area you might be able to loosen it a tad and use it to burp the rad? Idk man.

 

[Dodge96Ram]

Thought crossed my mind also. I pulled the lower hose just enough to drain a little fluid out and it came out clean, no air. I do feel like I have air in the upper hose though. I wonder if the body lift and having the radiator 2" higher than it was to begin with is causing the issue. Millions of people run body lifts though, I cant see it being that?

 

[Dodge96Ram]

I'm thinking bout running no thermostat to try and force circulation and get air out of the block if that's where its stuck. If it stays cool and seems to be circulating, ill put the thermostat back in and see what happens.

 

[kpd12]

Should have a drain plug on the bottom drivers side... Should be below the lower radiator mount screw


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[kpd12]

I'm thinking bout running no thermostat to try and force circulation and get air out of the block if that's where its stuck. If it stays cool and seems to be circulating, ill put the thermostat back in and see what happens.

Have you put the radiator in warm water to confirm that it's opening?



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[dodge dude94]

I'm thinking bout running no thermostat to try and force circulation and get air out of the block if that's where its stuck. If it stays cool and seems to be circulating, ill put the thermostat back in and see what happens.

You might try it. That way there is no restriction there.

 

[Dodge96Ram]

I tried 2 different thermostats, one of which was the one I had in it before doing the work which was problem free. No difference with either thermostat

 

[kpd12]

Then yeah try without thermo and see what happens.


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[Dodge96Ram]

One thing I just remembered that I had previously left out. I bypassed the tranny cooler in the radiator and installed an external cooler. The lower fitting on the radiator for the pressure line from the transmission was frozen to the rubber line fitting. The whole fitting came out of the radiator. I didn't think it was a big deal until I went to fill the radiator and realized antifreeze was leaking from round that fitting. I put the tranny line fitting back in and called it a day, no more leak. Could the tranny cooler that's inside the radiator coming loose maybe shifting, somehow be causing this problem? Doesn't seem like it would but at this point who knows