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Old 04-18-2012, 11:05 AM   #1
bignoisey
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'99 5.9L Van Temp Issue

Our RV conversion van seems to run warmer at times than it did when it was new. The temp gauge never used to go above that one point where it would sit no matter what the outside temperature, speed or highway incline. We'd even pull a trailer with it and the temp still stayed right there. Today it is usually okay, but going up an incline or pulling the trailer causes the temp to rise and it will even overheat in more extreme conditions. I've changed the thermostat and did a water flush of the cooling system before replacing the antifreeze and no help. I'm thinking the radiator may be partially clogged so I'm looking for advice on some really good type of cooling system cleaner that might remove any stubborn scale or gunk that is still in there.
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Old 04-19-2012, 12:53 AM   #2
alloro
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Re: '99 5.9L Van Temp Issue

You're on the right track in thinking the radiator, is it old? If so it just might need to be replaced because the cleaners don't do a good job of removing old hard deposits. Also, if there is any clogging inside the radiator, no cleaner is going to unplug it.
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Old 05-03-2012, 11:50 PM   #3
Mopar_Stev
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Re: '99 5.9L Van Temp Issue

Changed out the RAD on my 2001 B2500. The RAD was made by Valeo in Mexico for models years of 1998-2003. It's really a bad design.

Oh, when flushing/draining out the coolant ALWAYS use the 50.50 premix coolant OR the regular coolant + distilled water. Tap water will cause extreme corrosion inside the cooling system and the inside of the engine. For my 2001, the system was flushed twice and the engine block ports to the water pump were sucked dry via a shop vac. Then, I could fill with the good old green coolant. The long life or extended life coolants are a joke and will not hold up to the extreme towing conditions our vans do.

When was the last time the tranny fluid, screen and filter was changed? The tranny oil cooler sits inside the lower tank of the RAD. If the cooling system is over heating, so is the tranny with it.

IF the engine has over heated a few times and the cooling rubber hoses are the originals, it's best to change them out. High temps can cause a rubber hose to collapse limiting fluid flow.

If the viscous cooling fan clutch is broken, then the water pump is doing all of the real work. The fan would hardly spin while under load. During idle it will spin. Thus, another item to cause over heating.

Why do I know all of this? Just last fall, I had spent 10+ hours changing out the water pump, t-stat, all hoses, RAD, coolant, and the viscous clutch. It took a few reads about our engines used in the Jeep Cherokee, Dakota and Ram truck to know the dangers of only replacing one component and allowing the rest of them to fail all at once when we need it the most. The water pump and the hose at the top to the bock is the hardest to reach. Taking ones time while DIY will save $$$ big time.
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