Running temperatures

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Langers

Langers

Well-Known Member
Posts
3,162
Location
Kent or Shropshire
Since I've done the Tdi conversion on my 1989 110, the temperature gauge reads high once the engine is up to temperature - the Disco 200 tdi temp sender went right into the red after a while, so I bought a Steve Parker one (fine thread) and fitted it, and now the temperature always rises just to the very edge of the white and stays there - but it's still too high, aren't they supposed to read dead centre at normal operating temperature?

The viscous fan is removed, and I've got an electric fan fitted to the brand new radiator. Another thing is, once the water starts to circulate, the radiator seems to get hot at the top but is cool at the bottom, is this right?

Cheers

Langers :D
 
khaos said:
Not sure about this but could there be air in your radiator? That would explain how the top is hot and the bottom is cold and would also reduce cooling.
Click to expand...

Yeah the thought had crossed my mind. Are there any techniques anyone knows to bleed the system effectively?
 
Another thing to note might be that I've bypassed my heater matrix by fitting a single hose from the front outlet to the outlet on the rear of the head, might this make any difference?
 
Did you get the IR thermometer you were thinking of getting? They're good for confirming whether it's your guage that is at fault or if there's a cooling system issue. I wouldn't have thought that bypassing the heater matrix would have much impact on the system.

Ian
 
instantsquid said:
Did you get the IR thermometer you were thinking of getting? They're good for confirming whether it's your guage that is at fault or if there's a cooling system issue. I wouldn't have thought that bypassing the heater matrix would have much impact on the system.

Ian
Click to expand...

Yeah I have, it's great :D been advising my family as to who has the hottest forehead for days now. Only thing is, I'm not really sure what sort of temperatures I should be looking for in the engine bay.
 
Well, been doing some investimagating today with me IR Thermal heat gun thingie. I took the beast out for a 10 minute run, got her up to what I think should be operating temperature (the gauge reading right on the edge of the white, has never moved from here so far), got out and took some readings.

The top rad hose measured between 72-76*C, whilst the bottom one read between 45-50*C. Is this about right?

The radiator is hot at the top (approx 80*C) but cool at the bottom. The Tdi has had a new thermostat in it recently. Not really sure if it's relevant or not, but the rocker cover reads at about 60*C.

Would just like some advice, I'm not sure if I'm being a worried wart (have had bid problems with an overheating car in the past, has kind of made me paranoid) or whether there might be a problem here.

Cheers all :)
 
Just because you fitted a new thermostat dont assume it is working. Only way to really tell is to suspend it in a pan of water and slowly bring it to the boil. The stat should be marked with its operating temp (ie when it should start to open) and a thermometer in the pan of water should show the actual temp.

The radiator hoses should show a temperature difference between the inlet and outlet hoses. This proves your rad is working correctly and probably that the stat is opening. Most stats open around the 80c mark so I'd say you are good to go.
 
Those temperatures are pretty similar to mine - the lower hose does get hotter than that if I'm pootling about in traffic, but crucially there is always a drop between the top and bottom hoses - as Shifty says, this proves the radiator is doing it's thing. At some point I'll add an electric fan - primarily for peace of mind - I've driven through the summer (what there was of it) without one and had no problems though.

Ian
 
Righto, thanks chaps - that's set my mind at ease. I think the temp sender must still be over reading slightly, but it's not too bad - I'll still be able to tell if the engine is getting too toasty. In my experience, if the gauge moves at all from its 'normal' position when driving (unless you're really stressing it), there's something amiss.


Next problem, finding my damned locking wheel nut key :doh:
 
Langers said:
Since I've done the Tdi conversion on my 1989 110, the temperature gauge reads high once the engine is up to temperature - the Disco 200 tdi temp sender went right into the red after a while, so I bought a Steve Parker one (fine thread) and fitted it, and now the temperature always rises just to the very edge of the white and stays there - but it's still too high, aren't they supposed to read dead centre at normal operating temperature?

The viscous fan is removed, and I've got an electric fan fitted to the brand new radiator. Another thing is, once the water starts to circulate, the radiator seems to get hot at the top but is cool at the bottom, is this right?

Cheers

Langers :D
Click to expand...


I've got the same set-up as you in my 90, and the temp gauge on mine always reads right on the edge of the white zone. I work on the principal that so long as the needle sits steady and doesn't shoot higher then all is ok.
I also have an electric fan fitted and that only comes on after working the engine real hard which indicates it's not actualy over heating.
 
:)Hi,

Here's an up-date on this temp gauge game.

After some head scratching and a lot of trial and error, including trying to put together a temp sender from bits of others, nothing worked as well as the Steve Parker sender. Then while looking for bits for another job I spotted this,

Steve Parker Land Rover Servicing, Land Rover Spares and Repairs

and thought, "my original sender on the old TD engine was mounted in an adaptor like (I believe) the series ones are", so worth a try.

And yes, it worked, my old sender will fit into the adaptor, so now I have a gauge needle that reads around half way (straight up) on the white zone.:D

(Also tried a Defender 200Tdi sender in the adaptor and that fit as well.)
 
Rehgar said:
:)Hi,

Here's an up-date on this temp gauge game.

After some head scratching and a lot of trial and error, including trying to put together a temp sender from bits of others, nothing worked as well as the Steve Parker sender. Then while looking for bits for another job I spotted this,

Steve Parker Land Rover Servicing, Land Rover Spares and Repairs

and thought, "my original sender on the old TD engine was mounted in an adaptor like (I believe) the series ones are", so worth a try.

And yes, it worked, my old sender will fit into the adaptor, so now I have a gauge needle that reads around half way (straight up) on the white zone.:D

(Also tried a Defender 200Tdi sender in the adaptor and that fit as well.)
Click to expand...

Nice, I might have to give that a try. Odd how Steve Parker haven't put one up specifically for the TD to 200Tdi conversion, as I'm sure that pretty much everyone who does the conversion has the over-reading gauge.
 
I had my head gasket done a couple of years ago and ever since it came back the temperature gauge has always gone up to the end of the white. When I first saw it I assumed it was over heating but was told that was the correct operating temperature.

Unfortunately the last time I went down the motorway it started creeping towards/into bottom of the red, although there is some **** in the radiator back from the mud-plugging phase which is likely the cause of that.
 
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