GQ+body lift overheating advise lease

[1scruffy]

hi team,,

i'm having overheating trouble when a few hours up the highway and as i think the only stupid question is the one not asked i'm here for more advise please,,

on my 88 lwb gq i've got a 2" body lift and have to admitt i left the radiator cowling off,,,

i am looking at finding a way to refit it some say chop the lower half with a hacksaw?????? hoping this will fix the prob but would like to check here also.

another thing i'd like to ask is when i'm driving up the highway and hit an incline ie hill the temp really pushes towards the H,,and then falls away when desending,,if it was only air flow would this also be from no cowling??

over the last 12-18 months on the cooling i've replace the radiator,all hose's ,thermostat,and now have a aftermarket overflow tank as the one on board is rather rooted and would offer no pressure due to all the cracks and thin-ness,,i maybe due for coolant replacement too.

my water pump sounds noisy when idling so i'm also going to replace that,,,may as well.

another thing on my mind is the winch bar ,without winch,,has not yet had a cut and lift to match the body and i think it's possible it's making a wedge effect on the wind at the front,,as driving at 110-120 drives the temp even higher,,90-100kmh in a 4.2l is not fun.

i've removed my spot lights and even the nissan badge to try allow air flow but this higher temp driving up an incline has my non teco brain worried there could be something else??

many thanks
regards
Paul

[1scruffy]

forgot to mention i replaced the clutch fan sometime ago also,,

thanks guys
Paul

[TUFFRANGIE]

Same symptoms i had in my Subaru, first check whether the fins of the radiator are blocked with mud and shit. Next step take it to a radiator jount and get them to properly clean it. They chop the side off and scrape out all the crap inside. Mine was 60% blocked apparently. I suspected it was a head gasket or head but since getting the radiator properly cleaned it didn't move an inch.

Don't bother putting that radiator flush crap through either. Every time i have done it (twice) and both times ended up with a blown hose a few days later.

Rob

[shakes]

I'd try and re-fit your shroud somehow. or move your radiator lower even? I'm not sure whats involved with them in a body lift but i do know that the shroud makes a huge difference in cooling, as it forces the air that the fan is pulling through the radiator rather than around it.

[CRUSHU]

There is a small removable section at the bottom of the shroud.
Remove it, and refit the shroud. You will have no problems afterward.

[beretta]

What CRUSHU said, did same with mine with body lift fits no probs. I had the overheating problem and the rad was knackered, nearly overheated on a freezing morning towing the bike trailer, rad was chockers full of mud, bugs and shiat. Pull it out and check it out, also check any coolers etc sitting in front of it as the airs gotta go through them to get to the rad.

[GASDRX]

As they both said above, remove lower radiator shroud that clips off.
Is it petrol or deisel

2" body lifts $100 SWB , $115 LWB

[1scruffy]

thanks all responses,
you've given me some things to check out ,i'd be a little jacked if the radiator is gone only 18 months since i had a reco'd one installed,,

Gasdrx it's a petrol/gas 4.2 motor,,

going to fit the shroud without lower section asap.

Paul

[Daisy]

check lower radiator hose isnt kinked from the body lift and restricting air flow.

and put that cowl back in and remove the lower lip..

[dirtyGQ]

have the block flushed by radiator shop at the same time you have the radiator flushed they grime up really badly

[bogged]

and have to admitt i left the radiator cowling off,,,

there is your problem.... GQs need the shroud, or at least I have seen 3 other GQs have same as you with no shroud refitted, with same results.
takes 10 mins to refit, just leave the lower section off. it clips off

[awill4x4]

As much as I hate to say it, some of the standards of some radiator places leave a lot to be desired. It's amazing just how good a radiator looks with just a coat of paint and no other work. If it were me, I would be removing the radiator and having a tank removed and the core rodded out preferably with me watching the whole time. Then a complete cooling system reverse power flush and a fill of correct coolant.
If there are any problems after that then you now your cooling system is not the problem.
Regards Andrew.

[GASDRX]

To be fair i have had my shroud of for a while and have not noticed any difference in temp at all. I will be putting it back on asap but i have been playing with fan belts, mine is a td42.
If shroud does not work do what AWILL4X4 has said

Let us know how you go, cheers Matt.

[1scruffy]

guys,
i replaced shroud and flushed sytem with new coolant no change to the problem,,,

got recomended to a guy called Dave here in the northern suburbs of Melb ,,ie he speaks english

the radiator was blocked ,,,and only 18 months old,,
blocked from aluminum corrosive stuff between disimilar metals and coolant more than 12 months old.

the fix;
fill the entire system with white vinegar and start the motor let it warm up a little,,,drain the vinegar and flush with water,,,drain that water out start the motor with the system empty for a short period of time and let it warm slightly,,,leave it for several hours to dry and re fill with new coolant.

the vinegar cleans the system out and re coats the aluminum to prevent corrosion again.

thats what i'm upto this weekend,,,and i found Dave very helpful and only charged me 70 bucks to strip clean re paint and instruct on the vinegar treatment,,
anyone in northen burbs of Melb may wish to note 94841528

cheers
Paul