(update) Water pump vs heater core

Thanks again to everyone who has replied, I wouldn't have made it this far without you... So today I removed the water pump, with the intention of replacing with a new one. However upon inspection the water pump was perfect. The fins were perfect, no rust, the bearing was fine, there was no movement of the pulley, looked as good as new...cleaned it up, and put it back on(also brand new oem 195 degree t stat in there) filled the coolant back up and ran the engine without fan. Within 5 minutes the engine was at about 190ish and I had great heat coming from the defroster. Put the fan on and put everything back together. Temp gauge was staying just barely above the 130 mark, defrost was blowing cold. Completely at a loss here, I am quite certain the heater core is ok(zero signs of leaking), plus the radiator wasn't even getting warm...we put cardboard in front of the radiator and the engine got warmer, with decent heat. Now my brother in law who is the more mechanical of us thinks its the fan clutch blowing too much at idle keeping everything cool...does this make any sense? any other suggestions?

thanks!

Can you spin the fan by hand? It should have a little resistance when cold. Or is it locked up?

Can you spin the fan by hand? It should have a little resistance when cold. Or is it locked up?

I can rotate it fairly easy by hand, there is enough resistance to stop it from spinning when I let go. Is this a good sign?
Thanks!

Yes. Get the motor up to temp. drive around a little. Shut motor off and check the fan clutch when warmed up.

Yes. Get the motor up to temp. drive around a little. Shut motor off and check the fan clutch when warmed up.


Feels the same after warming it up, same resistance, I did have to block off the radiator with cardboard just to get it up to temp. And I still don't understand the sloshing in the dash area, I mean once the motor is warm that stops and I get heat, so frustrating. :banghead:
Thanks again for your help!

99 Ram 1500 318 4X4

O K I know this sounds stupid, but trust me I swear it's true. Umpteen years ago I had a similar problem. I could get up to temp idling in the driveway but lost it as soon as I started moving. Changed the thermostat, checked the temp in the radiator and the readings were correct. The problem turned out to be the antifreeze. On the advise of an old mechanic (older than me) here was the fix. I was running straight antifreeze and it was cooling so good it would not keep operating temp. I drained it out and replaced it with a 50/50 mix and it fixed my problem. I can't say if it is your problem or not, but it's easy to do and what are you out by trying at this point?

good luck

I have to say it really sounds like there is air in the system.

I have to say it really sounds like there is air in the system.

I definately agree at this point, what can I do to properly remove it? I don't want to keep throwing money at it with guesses(as i have been without the AF guidance), so you're help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Leo

the way that I clear air out is to open up the radiator cap and then start the engine. Get your revs up and let it run for awhile. the air should eventually come out the top. can do it over a couple days and check the level of the coolant everyday as well. Actually open up the cap and check the coolant don't go by the bottle.

the way that I clear air out is to open up the radiator cap and then start the engine. Get your revs up and let it run for awhile. the air should eventually come out the top. can do it over a couple days and check the level of the coolant everyday as well. Actually open up the cap and check the coolant don't go by the bottle.

Ok so i took this advice combined with that of an old mechanic, parked the truck on a steep incline and ran it for about 30 minutes without the cap, i could clearly see air bubbles leaving the system and i ended up adding about a gallon of water/coolant. I didn't get all the air so I will try again, but I still can only get up to temp. and get heat by blocking the radiator. It blows hot when up to temp and the gurgling/sloshing diminishes. Thanks again to everyone!

Leo
99 Ram 1500 318 4X4
getting cold up here

the antifreeze content of 80% and 20% water will make it run cold and make it hard the temp get up.you could try a less % of antifreeze that will keep it from freezing up but let the motor run hotter and build up more heat. as for the air in the system keep the rad full and it will eventually work the air out.i had a roadrunner with a 318 and lived in ohio back in the '70s. if i put a mixture of antifreeze any stronger than 70% antifreeze /30% water then i would have little heat and the temp gauge would stay around 1/8th on the gauge.at 70%/30% ratio antifreeze the temp gauge would stay at 1/4 on temp gauge.you might have to do like the trucker's do on 18 wheelers and run a 1/2 dam [cover 1/2 the rad with cardboard] on the radiator until you get the air out.

thanks for the responses...ok this keeps getting crazier... the coolant/water ratio is at about 50/50 right now. I took my buddies advice and after getting as much air out of the system as I could I still wasn't getting to temp, stuck at 130ish unless I blocked the radiator. We took the fan clutch out and it seemed a little rough, didn't want to move freely, so I decided to drive it without the fan...at idle for 20 minutes it got to 210 and the heat was good, got on the highway and the temp dropped to almost 130 and stayed that way for my entire trip(about 20 miles) and of course my heat got cooler. I just can't understand this. There is no evidence of the heater core leaking or being defective, it doesn't leak when I do get up to temp either. Please keep the suggestions coming, thanks to all!
Also, would the fan clutch be the same on a 2wd Ram 318?

Leo
99 Ram 1500 318 4X4

the fan should be the same on the 2- wheel drive as the 4-wheel drive if both have a 318 in them. just wondering you didn't put a mexican made t-stat in it did you?

the fan should be the same on the 2- wheel drive as the 4-wheel drive if both have a 318 in them. just wondering you didn't put a mexican made t-stat in it did you?


I honestly don't know now that you mention it, they said it was the OEM, but it was like $12 from autozone. Is that realy a problem? Would Napa be a better option?

NAPA is a better option, but the stealer is best. After all this, I would get one from the dealer.And that will hopefully eliminate that as being the problem. Also make absolutely sure it is seated properly and facing the right direction.

NAPA is a better option, but the stealer is best. After all this, I would get one from the dealer.And that will hopefully eliminate that as being the problem. Also make absolutely sure it is seated properly and facing the right direction.


Thanks again. I replaced the fan clutch today to eliminate that, got it from a junkyard but it seems to work well, definately more smooth than the original. Also, took the hose off to look at the t stat and it was stuck open, replaced it with a 180 degree stant that I already had(before i read your message but I may have to go to the dealer). Long story short, I still can't get the temp past that first notch above the 130 mark(150ish i'm guessing). Still hear gurgling and sloshing, no leaks, the engine will just not get warm. :banghead:


Leo
99 Ram 1500 318 4X4

NAPA is a better option, but the stealer is best. After all this, I would get one from the dealer.And that will hopefully eliminate that as being the problem. Also make absolutely sure it is seated properly and facing the right direction.

Thanks, I took the t stat out yesterday to take a look and it was stuck open, I replaced it with a 180 degree Stant(before I got your message) that I already had on hand. It seems to have stopped the flow when the engine is cool but I still cannot get it above 150ish. I get a little heat if I keep the blower on low at idle but once I start driving I lose most of the heat. I also replaced the fan clutch with one from the junkyard that seems to work better, but long story short, still no real heat, the engine just will not get warm.:banghead:

Leo
99 Ram 1500 318 4X4

How come you are using a 180 anyway? A lot of guys will use a 180 to gain a little performance, which is fine in the summer, but can have an obvious effect in the winter.

How come you are using a 180 anyway? A lot of guys will use a 180 to gain a little performance, which is fine in the summer, but can have an obvious effect in the winter.


That's a good question and forgive me because I am really starting to learn here... I have heard conflicting stories about that - one saying that 180 will warm you up quicker because it opens quicker and that 195 lets the engine get up to temp before opening thus giving you more heat quicker. I guess I'm not truly sure how this is supposed to work. I appreciate the help and I know that you all know the history here. I am so frustrated and just don't know what to do. Other than the thermostat it seems to be a really bizarre unfixable problem. I love this truck and as it gets older I realize I need to fix things as I am doing, but this is crazy, i am so lost. Thanks for the replies.

Get one from the dealer. I don't like the sounds of you installed one you had on hand. :-) And just for the record, you are installing it spring side down correct? And btw, put all the info about your truck in your sig. so it shows when you post. I try to help a lot of people on other forums also and it's hard to remember everyone.LOL Besides , even when I look at your profile it's says Buick. Which is not what where troubleshooting I hope. :-)

Sorry, it's definately not the Buick. So taking all the advice, I picked up a 195 thermo from Napa(i know, not the dealer), also installed a new fan clutch that works considerably better. Before installing the t stat, I notice out of nowhere that the water pump just started leaking, took it off and it was the weep hole, replaced it with a brand new one from Napa and now the truck gets up up temp and the cooling/heating system appears to operate properly. Seems to run right around 170(a little low still?), haven't had a chance to really test it too much as I just fixed it but I do get reasonable(not as hot as I would like) heat on all settings except the highest fan setting. The temp drops off when going to the high position. Also, it seems to be warmer when I am driving and accelerating moderately. All in all, huge improvement, still some air in there but I'm hoping this is the fix. Any other suggestions? Thanks to everyone!

Leo
99 Ram 1500 318 4X4
Buick is long gone-RIP

Good work Leo!
You'll find the heater working better with the engine working/driving that just sitting idling...nature of the beast.