Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Kevin Wood]

Whilst the viscous was off, I gently warmed the hub radially, to see if it'll now 'kick in' as the temp rises.

I still don't fully understand what you mean by kicking in? The fan is always spinning in my experience - I don't see how its behaviour is altered by engine temperature? (I might well have got this around my neck  :-/)

Viscous couplings are designed to become more viscous as temperature rises, so whilst the fan always spins to some degree, the coupling with the engine gets more "rigid" as it heats up, hence more cooling. Or so the theory goes...

Kevin

[Seth]

Normal running on mine is around 92 on the gauge. Show it a good climb, and it'll rise to the 100 mark, but once over the top, then it'll quickly return to 92.

Last year: New rad, 'stat, and water pump made little difference, even with both electric fans running.

This week: Oil flush with Forte (as per instructions), then engine oil/filter, plus air and fuel filters changed. Cooling system totally drained and flushed with Forte (as per instructions). Gave it an 'Italian Tune-up' before draining again. 'Stat and water pump removed, and engine 'back-flushed' with hose - no debris (bits of old impellers etc) apparent. Added Forte cooling system conditioner, plus 5 litres of Vx pink antifreeze. Whilst the viscous was off, I gently warmed the hub radially, to see if it'll now 'kick in' as the temp rises.

Off to Newent in morning, so we'll see what happens temp-wise on the climb up from Monmouth towards Symonds Yat with the caravan in tow.

I'll duly report back on our return ...... !

Well, back from Newent, and all my efforts seem to have been in vain .......

Although the tractor ran superbly and with it's usual 'grunt', the temp gauge still hit the 100 mark on the aforementioned climb, and yes, once over the top it quickly returned to the 92 mark.
Courtesy of Hotel 21 and Kev Wood, their Tech2 expertise confirmed that there's no real problem with the temp gauge and associated circuitry, so there you have it fellow tractor-owning OOFers!

However, I've one further trick up my sleeve .......
Will report back on my findings once I return from the next Sethsmate vacation!

[chartz]

Hello!

Normal running on mine is around 92 on the gauge. Show it a good climb, and it'll rise to the 100 mark, but once over the top, then it'll quickly return to 92.

Last year: New rad, 'stat, and water pump made little difference, even with both electric fans running.

Exactly!


As some of you may know I tried very hard to get rid of the viscous fan assy but although my radiator wasn't stilted or anything, I couldn't go up steep slopes without engine temp going up above 100°C, no matter what.
New coolant, new thermostat, new pump, nothing worked. It just isn't safe nor reasonable to do without.

I guess Opel made a mistake in designing their aircon radiators whose holes are too small to let the flux of air go through, not to mention the fact that after a few years' use, it is literally filled with dead bugs and mud.

All I could find to get rid of the annoying reactor noise was to get the engine run at 3000 rpm once or twice to disengage the fan. Not nice. BMW keep telling me their clutches are okay.... for 325s and 525s maybe!

[platty]

After viewing many Viscous fan threads - I don't think anyone is able to say conclusively whether it is OK to remove it or not. We have people whose cars depend on them (as above) and others (mine, Ex-TB's) whose will run happily without them.

If your car runs hot then you need to use it, if your car runs cold (as mine used to) then it can be ditched quite happily. It seems that the deciding factor in all cars is related to past cooling system and engine servicing. This can usually be rectified through a period of "over-servicing", but is not always effective

[Seth]

This engine was also fitted in certain Land/Range Rovers - with similar cooling-system problems being encountered!

As soon as I can find the time, I'm going to remove the air-con rad on mine, to see if a 'totally exposed' main rad works any better. Besides never using air-con, this system doesn't work anyway!
Gotta be worth a go, I reckon ........

[osealy]

My first ever TD auto est CD 94model. I ran from 40k to 185K mls over seven years. sat at 92 & never went above 95 ever, even towing up inclines. Retired eventually due to no hot start prob, It had no aircon!!!!

[TheBoy]

Whilst the viscous was off, I gently warmed the hub radially, to see if it'll now 'kick in' as the temp rises.

I still don't fully understand what you mean by kicking in? The fan is always spinning in my experience - I don't see how its behaviour is altered by engine temperature? (I might well have got this around my neck  :-/)

Correct operation is it 'freewheels' until it hits a predefined temp, then locks up.  So a bit like electric fan and thermostat, only far less reliable

[Marks DTM Calib]

If you see 100DegC on rare steep climbs then thats no major issue........on every day driving its more of an issue.

If its only a corner case then the system is working fine.

[osealy]

Modified Temp figures . I was looking at the guage today
My first ever TD auto est CD 94model. I ran from 40k to 185K mls over seven years. sat at bottom of scale & never went above 90 ever, even towing up inclines. Retired eventually due to no hot start prob, It had no aircon!!!!
And the viscous worked.