getting hot

[dagan06]

I have a 92 2wd with a 5.7 and it keeps getting way to hot. I have changed the water pump, Thermostat (fail safe), and heater core and had the entire system flushed. and it is still getting really hot. If is is in park it does not get hot, but when i put it in gear it gets over the half way mark in just a couple minutes. I have noticed that it has an after market transmission cooler to me it looks to small for a my truck it is a 12in square and 3/4in thick. The radiator has the holes for the Transmission lines but they have been pluged off. Should I go back to a factory setup and flush the lines or upgrade the size of the cooler? and is there a way for me to flush the transmission lines myself?

[jdl]

How hot is too hot in F degrees? Does the fan work OK? Do you have an infrared temp tester, I'd have to double check your gage. If the coolant gets too hot, it will pop the radiator cap and coolant reservoir will fill up in a hurry, where applicable.

Maybe combustion gases in the coolant?

[dagan06]

It is getting up to 240 to 250 degrees or that is what the shop said and that is what the guage is showing as well. I had the heads checked and everything is fine. I'm pretty sure it is with the tranny because if it is getting hot and I stop and put it in park with it still running it will start cooling off

[giffo]

"I'm pretty sure it is with the tranny"

It seems to me that if the transmission cooler isn't routed through the radiator it should have no effect on your coolant temperature.

Perhaps you should check your fan clutch. If I recall correctly, on your '92 it's one of those that should get more firm as the temperature of the fan hub increases. You can check this by shutting the engine down when it's hot, and then see if the fan spins too freely on its hub/clutch.

[procaddytech]

The cooling fan does pull the heat from the trans cooler through the radiator and may not be letting the coolant temperature drop enough as is goes through the radiator. It would be best to hook the trans cooler lines back into the original trans cooler in the radiator, unless of course the internal cooler is leaking allowing coolant into the trans and/or trans fluid into the coolant. Are the trans cooler lines in good condition where they attach the radiator? Is there enough hose running to the external cooler so you can leave it hooked up and move it from in front of the radiator to see if the temperature stays within normal range with the truck in gear? Only do it long enough for the test so the transmission doesn't get too hot. The "coolant bath" cooler inside the radiator is more efficient than an air only trans cooler. For a 92 truck it may be best to replace the radiator and ditch the external trans cooler, and as giffo recommended, make sure the fan is pulling plenty of air with the engine hot. You should be able to hear it and it should suck a piece of paper to the outside of the radiator with no problem. Remove the upper core support and check between the radiator and condenser for debris and rinse the fins with a hose.

[dagan06]

Got new Tranny lines and set it back up to factory setup and removed the aftermarket cooler and has stayed a lot cooler.