Overheating GUs

[phippsey]

Ok not really happy. Was heading up the beach the other day and the ole girl started to warm up to 3/4, so slowed down and then stopped.

Yes it was soft sand but not a prob in the landy's before.

Any yes mate brought his 3L up here couple of weeks ago and it boiled over


Any tips you GU gansters? Or are these gagues just wrong.

Thought about 3-core, but surely a pretty new truck (02 & 04) should be able to handle the beach run ok without boiling.

And no mods have been made to fuel or boost. All standard - for this reason, which now means I'm modding them

[RoldIT]

http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modul ... hp?t=88549

[bogged]

I'd be starting with gettin a VDO or similar water temp Gauge.

Full cooling system flush wouldnt hurt either.

Robe in Nov will tell...

[rick130]

our TD42T has flushed cooling system, cleaned air on side of radiator and still gets warm when towing.

bandaid is refill Viscous fan clutch. Fluid can be obtained from a Toyota dealer. There was a good thread on here about how to do it and how much to overfill it by.

[GU4me]

did robe at the start of the year in a 05 gu no problems with over heat gauge didnt get to half.. possibly cooling system fault thermostat, coolant radiator etc..

[turps]

Maybe clean the mud out of it.
Dosent mater if its a week old or 50yrs old. One run thru a bog hole can be enough to fill it with crap.

[awill4x4]

Is it an auto? if so, put on an auto temp gauge as the auto's work really hard in the sand and put lots of heat into the radiator through the radiator auto trans cooler.
Regards Andrew.

[phippsey]

Hmmm.

It's not auto.

Has never been in mud holes, but plan at this stage is to clean and flush plus fit new air filter.

Then change to 3-core radiator system.

What's the thoughts on fitting one of those air intakes as per intercooled versions to allow more flow into engine space?

I've just fitted the lightforces so maybe they obscure air flow too much?

Thoughts on thermos?

[RoldIT]

Bare in mind, these should not overheat.

I suggest a lot more investigation into the true cause of this issue, using the factory components, before adding aftermarket "bits" ...

Instead of forum hearsay, maybe try an experts opinion, say maybe a radiator/cooling pro before going any further ...

[bogged]

Bare in mind, these should not overheat.

I suggest a lot more investigation into the true cause of this issue, using the factory components, before adding aftermarket "bits" ...

Instead of forum hearsay, maybe try an experts opinion, say maybe a radiator/cooling pro before going any further ...

Agree. Dont spend a cent until you find the cause... you can spend thousands and go nowhere if you dont know what your fixing.

Start by removing what has changed since last time you wheeled, and see how you go then.

[TURBO GQ]

ring Andrew at ON TRACK 03 93316536 they do this water jacket system,
your motor will NEVER ovaheat again.

[Bingham]

considering it supposedly shouldnt happen and i know a shite load of them that do overheat/ even if itis just marginally up the beach and on long hills weather td or d 4.2.... and it's my 3l he mentioned that did it aswell...

i dont seee how anyone could say that this moter is not prone to overheating in such conditons is what i'm trying to say.... fine if you grandpaing away but gassing it for long periods in the soft stuff should be able t handle but can't..

it seems to be the same old story and no one can ever put their finger on it even the "experts." frustrating

same old

thermo- flush- radiator- air-

did everything possible to the old gq nd still same shite.... then little stories appear how quite a few have similar issues...

3 cores make you feel better but only if it needs replaced as phippseys does but mine on gq did fark all... with the 240's winch bull bar a/c or whatever else is in the road the air intake zone of bout 10 cm round puts you on back foot for a start...

if it came to the point where you needed thermos and you havnt even wound anything up i'd burn it

i would suspect that they all have a very minor dislike of such enviroments which has been aggrevated by aging radiator and very limited air flow or maybe i'm just a curse

[AJ]

Get it on a diesel shop dyno and get the fuelling and boost checked.

[heathgu]

Phippsey,

Come round i had a davis craig water pump which fixed my over heating dramas. We will put it in and see if it works.

If it does we will take it out.

Cheers Heath

[ergjan19]

I've actually got a 2000 3 litre and never had any problems with overheating. I went to robe at easter this year on 35s and I drove hard for long sections of beach(5km at 3000rpm +) without the needle even moving.

[Bingham]

I've actually got a 2000 3 litre and never had any problems with overheating. I went to robe at easter this year on 35s and I drove hard for long sections of beach(5km at 3000rpm +) without the needle even moving.

manual or auto!?

am guessing manual-> come to conclusion auto heat is a big bit of my prob during big labouring periods in sand... eg 30-40 kms of gassing in soft stuff..

mark

[4by]

"Is it an auto? if so, put on an auto temp gauge as the auto's work really hard in the sand and put lots of heat into the radiator through the radiator auto trans cooler.
Regards Andrew."

The 4.2 doesn't come in auto, and yes they do overheat.

I've been researching this problem with mine for a while now. There is alot of people offering different solutions and remedies, but it comes back to testing and trial. Sometimes a radiator flush fixes the problem, sometimes you need to go 3 core or other stuff.

If you look infront of the radiator there is other condensers etc in front blocking the air flow which I think is the main contributing problem. I've often heard putting lighforce lights on the bar overheats the car and then removing them and it doesn't. Then others have lightforces on and they don't overheat. Go figure........
Others say the ARB bull bar doesn't let enough air through and the factory Nissan has a slot to allow air flow. Maybee thats why the new ARB bar has a slot. Again, I'm thinking air flow.

I know when mine overheats because the air con swithces off in the heat, especially when towing or climbing a big hill. I was told to get Nissan to change the air con switch in the radiator and it will fix it turning off, but I'm happy it does as its a pre warning. I'm thinking with hot heat flowing into the radiator and the lack of air flow results in overheating.

I'll try the reverse radiator flush first then if that doesn't work I'll go the 3 core radiator. I've heard some run the 3 core radiator with big engine mods, 20psi boost etc and no overheating issues. So maybee it works.
I can spend hours fiddling with the thermostat, trying special radiator cooler treatments, different bull bars, playing with fans or band aid fix the problem, but I just want the thing fixed without fuss.

I don't think there is one particular thing you can do to fix it directly because I would have done it by now. Just trail and error.

Thats my thoughts anyway. Let us know how you go?

[GU Junkie]

Hey 4by,

Your probs sound identical to mine. It's a 4.2D with aftermarket DTS
turbo. I've also been looking into the problem for a while.
Radiator flush did'nt help. Neither did replacing the ARB bullbar with
a custom tube bar and removing lights etc in front of radiator.
Talked to a lot of people about options e.g

bigger radiator
bigger oil cooler
boost
pump timing
intercooler
bonnet vent
etc

For every one of the above suggestions I got, someone else had already tried it and had little or no success.

In the end it looks like it's going to be the silicone in the viscous hub.
( I'm sure this has been discussed previously, might be worth doing a search.) This was suggested to me originally but my mechanic checked
and said it was ok. Unfortunately he was wrong but I did'nt find out for a long time. You know if it the viscous fan works beause when it cuts in it is apparently loud and obvious.

I have had the silicone replaced (Toyota have a special silicone ) but
have'nt had the chance to load it up on a hot day yet.
It might worth looking at this before worrying about the other stuff.

[bogged]

If you look infront of the radiator there is other condensers etc in front blocking the air flow which I think is the main contributing problem.

Doubt it, its not a problems on every one, so I cant see that being the issue.

I've often heard putting lighforce lights on the bar overheats the car and then removing them and it doesn't Then others have lightforces on and they don't overheat. Go figure....

I have 240's on mine... even when the rad was blocked as in the link at top here, didnt overheat.


The lastest "STORY" is that the water channels in the block are not big enough...

But as you say, theres a 203948203948320948 remedys but 023948203948023948023894023948 TD's without the issue too...

[phippsey]

At this stage going to try the inline water pump and see if it helps. Some people with similar problems have found this works over the 3-core/thermo/glue up the fan options, so here's to seeing.

When I came back from the beach on sat it was hard, so didn't get to try gassing it again.

[rvh96]

my gu has 240 lighforces arb bar and lowmount winch the aircond condenser is full of grass and mud ,i recently towed my camper trailer up to double island point at high tide 30 km of soft sand on 35 inch claws at 20 psi the td42t at 15 psi boost the temp gauge never went above half way.my father has a 3l gu man and has towed his 24 foot caravan around aust plus may other trips (spends 3 months of the year on the road) never got above half way even in the outback so i dont think your problem is inherent of diesel patrols

[4by]

Hi GU Junkie,
You have obviously done some testing without results. Sounds frustrating. I hope the silicone on the fan works for you. I've heard some people say it works some say it didn't. Just like the lightforce thing.

my father has a 3l gu man and has towed his 24 foot caravan around aust plus may other trips (spends 3 months of the year on the road) never got above half way even in the outback so i dont think your problem is inherent of diesel patrols

I think the problem in only with the 4.2, not the 3.0.

ring Andrew at ON TRACK 03 93316536 they do this water jacket system,
your motor will NEVER ovaheat again.

Someone else did mention to me that this will fix the problem. Has anyone done this to their 4.2???

[Troll00]

I spend a good deal of money and time trying to fix mine and I hope I have (touch wood)

What I did to fix it!!!

Replace thermostat
flush radiator inside and out
rebuild visco hub at least 2 tubes of silicone oil don't buy a new one they pull apart ($10 a tube from a toyota dealer) don't tell your mate where you got it from
New coolant
Done this twice in two years and it stops it for a while

Learn to drive it completely different to any other car you have every driven, you need to go back a gear and back off the gas when it under extreme load eg soft sand, up hill with a loaded car trailer on.

Your trying to drive like it's a 6 cyl when it's not and all you will do is melt a piston and be up for $8000 plus repair bill like a mate of mine has had

Give it more air snorkel and 3" exhaust helps too. Upgrade the turbo and intercooler will only make it hotter and you'll need to get a bigger water pump?

Cheers
Damo

[4by]

Upgrade the turbo and intercooler will only make it hotter and you'll need to get a bigger water pump?

I have been advised by a 4wd specialist that the factory turbo runs too hot and is the cause of the overheating. So when pushing hard uphills or towing, the turbo works harder overheating thus exhaust temps rise resulting in the engine overheating. This is how I undertsnd it.

Apparently the fix is to replace the turbo with a roller bearing and 2 core radiator which they have done with great success.

[bogged]

Apparently the fix is to replace the turbo with a roller bearing and 2 core radiator which they have done with great success.

<sarcasm>
so hes selling you $4k of gear which " will fix all your probs" and he has "has great success"...
</sarcasm>

[4by]

so hes selling you $4k of gear which " will fix all your probs" and he has "has great success"...

He's not selling me anything. This is what they say will fix the problem. If they have experience in this, then I imagine they know what they are doing.

What do you think I should do to fix the problem?

[4by]

so hes selling you $4k of gear which " will fix all your probs" and he has "has great success"...

He's not selling me anything. This is what they say will fix the problem. If they have experience in this, then I imagine they know what they are doing.

What do you think I should do to fix the problem?

[Bingham]

well well well, up beach the mighty 3l auto just kept boiling! Farking bucket o shite evn this time while trip was a bit soft but not gassing... say 2500 rpm bout 30-50 kms an hour boil boil boil.... thermostat must be blocked dunno is getting borderline ridiculas! but then back on tarmac and she doesnt move...

question

small thermo fan in front of radiator for auto i presume was on just briefly when i popped bonnet then turned of even though it continued to boil?

if the thermo was fucked with simply on road airflow and pressuming limited to nill water flow will it still be able to remain at 1/2 on the gauge which is its usual spot?

fark heap

[4by]

Never had overheating issues with my old 3.0. I've heard alot of 4.2 overheat but not the 3.0.

Did you have the air con on?

As far as I know the thermo cuts in when the air con is on and the car gets warm.

[Troll00]

so hes selling you $4k of gear which " will fix all your probs" and he has "has great success"...

He's not selling me anything. This is what they say will fix the problem. If they have experience in this, then I imagine they know what they are doing.

What do you think I should do to fix the problem?

Start with the easy and cheap options if it dosen't work then look at the other options.

1. Replace thermostat
2. flush radiator inside and out (pull it out and get it clean by a radiator shop)
3. rebuild visco hub at least 2 tubes of silicone oil don't buy a new one they pull apart ($10 a tube from a toyota dealer)
4. New coolant

Cost under $200