Automatic L1 & S2

[missfixit70]

Natural reaction is to ease off the revs to take the strain off the engine once you get to the top of the hill - it seems wrong, but increasing the revs works to bring the temp down
Same going down a hill, if you use the gears as braking, watch the temps fly down

[Velocette]

And a big import numberplate blocking the grille!

But if it is working that hard and got that hot, the fans should be on and dragging huge amounts of air through the rad whatever is in the way.
You just need to make sure the aircon is off, or the aircon rad will be heating the airflow before it has a chance of cooling the main rad which is located behind it.

True, good point about the aircon rad, that's a point I've made before and was told it was marginal, but all these marginals can add up to a critical in extreme situations. Since fitting my small plate I can really see that the aircon rad on mine badly needs cleaning which must also impede the airflow. Don't want to risk the pressure washer on it, need some compressed air I think.

[scanner]

And a big import numberplate blocking the grille!

But if it is working that hard and got that hot, the fans should be on and dragging huge amounts of air through the rad whatever is in the way.
You just need to make sure the aircon is off, or the aircon rad will be heating the airflow before it has a chance of cooling the main rad which is located behind it.

True, good point about the aircon rad, that's a point I've made before and was told it was marginal, but all these marginals can add up to a critical in extreme situations. Since fitting my small plate I can really see that the aircon rad on mine badly needs cleaning which must also impede the airflow. Don't want to risk the pressure washer on it, need some compressed air I think.

Compressed air can be as bad - if not worse - than water from a pressure washer.

I'd give it a good spray with something to loosen the crud first - Gunk, Jizer or similar - and then a spray with a gentle hose to see what comes off.
Also try and spray from the back, as you don't want to compress the crud further into the fins, you want to send it back out the way it went in.

[Velocette]

Compressed air can be as bad - if not worse - than water from a pressure washer.

I'd give it a good spray with something to loosen the crud first - Gunk, Jizer or similar - and then a spray with a gentle hose to see what comes off.
Also try and spray from the back, as you don't want to compress the crud further into the fins, you want to send it back out the way it went in.[/quote]

Good tips, thanks I will try those, I will try and graft a cut down overflow elbow or something on the end of the hose as I don't imagine there is much room between the two rads.

[scanner]

Compressed air can be as bad - if not worse - than water from a pressure washer.

I'd give it a good spray with something to loosen the crud first - Gunk, Jizer or similar - and then a spray with a gentle hose to see what comes off.
Also try and spray from the back, as you don't want to compress the crud further into the fins, you want to send it back out the way it went in.

Good tips, thanks I will try those, I will try and graft a cut down overflow elbow or something on the end of the hose as I don't imagine there is much room between the two rads.

SFAIK the is almost no room between the rads so you may need to rinse through both rads at once from the engine side.

[Velocette]

Compressed air can be as bad - if not worse - than water from a pressure washer.

I'd give it a good spray with something to loosen the crud first - Gunk, Jizer or similar - and then a spray with a gentle hose to see what comes off.
Also try and spray from the back, as you don't want to compress the crud further into the fins, you want to send it back out the way it went in.

Good tips, thanks I will try those, I will try and graft a cut down overflow elbow or something on the end of the hose as I don't imagine there is much room between the two rads.

SFAIK the is almost no room between the rads so you may need to rinse through both rads at once from the engine side.

Ah thanks, at least the main rad is brand new so shouldn't blow any crap into the heat exchanger

[jaylee]

What about a really good wet & dry vacuum cleaner from the front..?!

[scanner]

What about a really good wet & dry vacuum cleaner from the front..?!

How about that for lateral thinking.....

Use one of those narrow ended crevice tools that are useful for getting the coins out from the back of the settee.

[Northern Bongolow]

And a big import numberplate blocking the grille!

But if it is working that hard and got that hot, the fans should be on and dragging huge amounts of air through the rad whatever is in the way.
You just need to make sure the aircon is off, or the aircon rad will be heating the airflow before it has a chance of cooling the main rad which is located behind it.

ive found the reverse to apply to this, if the temp is starting to rise, and the aircon is off, put the aircon on, and it will pull the temps down really quickly (fans on) as if the cooling fans are triggered normally.

[mikeonb4c]

Sometimes (often) the crud is so compacted that vacuuming can't prise it loose. Blowing compressed air from behind may also fail if the jet of air can't get a clear shot at the crud (and it may, as scanner hints, just blast delicate rad fins on the backside of the rad, for no good reasaon). I had to de-crud my heater rad. matrix (which has VERY delicate aluminium finning) and did a pretty good job using a point ended bradawl to pick/pluck at the stuff bit by bit and get it out. Slow painstaking work that never seemed finished, but I got loads of stuff out so airflow through the rad increased dramatically. YOu might get best result if you can give the rad a good spraying with hot water + detergent to soften any stuck on stuff (but only after you've picked out the easy stuff whilst it is dry). First thing though is to assess whether the rad really is significantly blocked.

[mikeonb4c]

And a big import numberplate blocking the grille!

But if it is working that hard and got that hot, the fans should be on and dragging huge amounts of air through the rad whatever is in the way.
You just need to make sure the aircon is off, or the aircon rad will be heating the airflow before it has a chance of cooling the main rad which is located behind it.

ive found the reverse to apply to this, if the temp is starting to rise, and the aircon is off, put the aircon on, and it will pull the temps down really quickly (fans on) as if the cooling fans are triggered normally.

Good point Ady. I had been thinking whether to suggest scavenger / rad fans may not be kicking in when they ought to. Putting aircon on should take care of that one.

[Velocette]

Sometimes (often) the crud is so compacted that vacuuming can't prise it loose. Blowing compressed air from behind may also fail if the jet of air can't get a clear shot at the crud (and it may, as scanner hints, just blast delicate rad fins on the backside of the rad, for no good reasaon). I had to de-crud my heater rad. matrix (which has VERY delicate aluminium finning) and did a pretty good job using a point ended bradawl to pick/pluck at the stuff bit by bit and get it out. Slow painstaking work that never seemed finished, but I got loads of stuff out so airflow through the rad increased dramatically. YOu might get best result if you can give the rad a good spraying with hot water + detergent to soften any stuck on stuff (but only after you've picked out the easy stuff whilst it is dry). First thing though is to assess whether the rad really is significantly blocked.

Thanks, I had been consideing having a go with cocktail sticks, it does look pretty bad but I haven't inspected it that closely.

The point about the aircon bringing the fans on sooner, is interesting, do the fans stop running when the climate control stat stops calling for cooling? Even if they do, temporarily raising the setpoint, but not so much that it stops might be better than switching it off altogether.

Also, does the climate control work as a heat pump to heat the van in winter or is it just coolant heat doing it?

[missfixit70]

No heat pump effect, heating is only provided via the coolant, don't expect too much they were designed nearly 20 years ago

[Velocette]

No heat pump effect, heating is only provided via the coolant, don't expect too much they were designed nearly 20 years ago

ha ha, no worries, I can be cooking in a few minutes, with the Airtop going. Bloody brilliant after an hours dog training in the pouring rain!

[dunslair]

Most definitely, & if your engines got a bit hot going up the hill, it'll help it cool better as it increases the waterpump speed & therefore the coolant speed

Well,never knew that Kirsty,good tip..........cheers

Brian

So does using the hold button I assume for the same reason.