Considering a bigger better radiator.

[Tallyho322]

I used the car today In About 93F ambient temp. Had put the mech fan back in yesterday.

Did not run the car real hard, but was in some stop light traffic. Coolant temp never broke 200F, most of the time around 194F.

Had the A/C on, which I know runs the electric Aux fan. Not sure how big of a difference that makes (usually come on around 212F if the a/c is not on and the coolant temp gets that high).


Will drive it around tomorrow in 90+ temps without the a/c and see what that does.

Greg

[KJ79]

Mech fan went back in today. Will buy new blades to try and prevent a catastrophic failure.

Drip... how can your temp only run 70-97F? That just doesn’t sound possible.

Greg

I used the car today In About 93F ambient temp. Had put the mech fan back in yesterday.

Did not run the car real hard, but was in some stop light traffic. Coolant temp never broke 200F, most of the time around 194F.

Had the A/C on, which I know runs the electric Aux fan. Not sure how big of a difference that makes (usually come on around 212F if the a/c is not on and the coolant temp gets that high).


Will drive it around tomorrow in 90+ temps without the a/c and see what that does.

Greg

Those are impressive numbers!! So glad that you weren't overheating today, that's fantastic news.

The AC will skew the numbers unfortunantly as you point out, but can always be used in a pinch by the touch of a button to turn on and add some extra airflow to the radiator to help drop the coolant temp need be.

It will be very interesting to see where you are at coolant temp wise without the AC on, fan in, but regardless, you weren't at 230F today, and I believe your electric fan was running yesterday trying to cool things off as well, so that is a bit of a difference. Thanks for sharing your results!!

Cheers,
KJ

[rf900rkw]

While BMW allows for 105 (220ish) as the upper point of "normal", that is too hot all the way around for me. 90C cruising is what I would want to see, and staying under 100C under duress. Also, the fan is not controlled by engine temp. Trying to equate it's operation to the engine, as common as it is in this forum, is fallacy and will get you into trouble eventually.

Let me be a little less diplomatic. Greg has a cooling system problem that is causing it to run too hot. Most likely an air pocket in the head, though it could be a failing something. Or missing shrouds. Putting the fan back on is (partially) masking the root problem.

[Tallyho322]

Let me be a little less diplomatic. Greg has a cooling system problem that is causing it to run too hot. Most likely an air pocket in the head, though it could be a failing something. Or missing shrouds. Putting the fan back on is (partially) masking the root problem.

Thanks Randy,

i am open to suggestions on what hat to look for or ways to diagnose the potential cooling issue. If running at 200+ with a stock S52 with the mechanical fan removed is not normal, that is what I was trying to find out. Putting the fan back seems to have brought the temps down, but I need to run it without the a/c on to get a more accurate comparison.

How do I check for an air pocket and correct that?

Greg

[zellamay]

Going back to stock mechanical fan fixed the problem. I fixed/replaced/checked the entire system. I modified the M bumper. I vented the hood. I installed an in-line switch for the aftermarket puller fan. I installed a Stewart water pump. I prayed. While these steps helped, they did not fix the problem. I finally reinstalled the stock fan. Now the guage absolutely does not move. So, for AZ and similar deserts, I'd say that all the airflow or fans in the world won't do it. Nothing works like the stock fan. ..... But, .... it is annoying. I keep looking for another car or a helicopter near me. It is enough to detract from the sound of the whole car. I will live with it, got to take a break and finish the body work.