Originally Posted By: JoeWGauss
occupant,
why would you buy this thing when it clearly was dead and needed so much work?
I'm curious. There are so many better choices than that it would appear.
Smoking deal. At the time it would have been a $5000 truck with the engine fixed. Changing the engine "fixed" it at the time. We had less than $2800 in it after the engine install. We've got our use out of it, believe me. But I need a few more months if possible.
Originally Posted By: qdeezie
I'd say check the parts you've already put on there. With my truck, I bought it as a fixer upper and certain brands of parts I put on my truck was junk brand new right out of the box. Tried a different brand and no problems to report. Have had this to happen a few times.
...and what onion said...
I am more than willing to believe the radiator is junk. I can't tell by eyeballing it, but I'm going to check the part number and see what comes up. How much you wanna bet it's the Spectra Premium one-row piece of garbage that sells cheaper than any other radiator but shops charge full retail for? If that's the case I might need to get a 2 or 3 row unit. There's several different rads spec'd for this truck, and with dual AC I probably need the most severe one even though I don't have trailer tow or 4wd or a 360 engine.
JHZR2, the radiator was first replaced for a crack in the driver's side tank below the upper hose where it attaches. That crack ran all the way out the neck to the upper hose. Replaced that and then the water pump went later. Water pump replaced and mechanic never road tested long enough to see the new radiator crack. Same place, too. That's why I had the hoses and clamps replaced as well as the thermostat when that all got done. Isn't a problem now, I don't think. Water pump circulates well. But yeah, I'm sure it's the cheapest radiator he could find.
Chris142 mentioned puking, and it did that in the weeks leading up to when the fans were replaced. Now it doesn't bubble, puke, ping, or anything you can hear, but it definitely is running hot. I notice that when the gauge moves above 210, the idle increases and the truck wants to "creep" more when stopped in gear. Have to hold the brake down a wee bit harder to keep it still. I also notice the transmission shifts harder and later when it's "running hot". It doesn't puke or make sounds but it drives so different. Like it's out of breath and sweaty and lethargic. Of course sitting in the driver's seat with hot air blowing at me, that's how I feel driving it. Drives so nice at night and in the mornings, though. Doesn't get hot then.
MrHorspwer, I know it spiked when off, I was just saying how much, and how it DOESN'T return under 210 on the dash gauge when this happens. The truck runs so obviously different when it's above 210 versus below 210 on the gauge that there's something happening. Something between the hair under 210 and the hair over 210 is enough of a temp difference to cause a problem.
I just don't understand how when this hot running is happening, why the front AC is so much hotter than the back AC. Back AC stays ice cold, low 40s. Front AC gets up ABOVE ambient if you let it sit long enough.
I think it's time, after spending $700ish to NOT fix the problem, to stop sinking money in this truck. I'll perform the low cost checks and repairs (rad cap, pressure test, combustion gas test, borrow a scantool to check the temp from the sensor, clean and comb the condenser fins, determine how cheap of a son of a you know what that the mechanic who changed the radiator was)
IMO it's time for another vehicle. Seems like this one just wants a lot of money thrown at it and if my wife gets her way it will get that money and I don't want that to happen. Maybe it's time to put a little brake fluid in the engine oil on the next top-up.
occupant,
why would you buy this thing when it clearly was dead and needed so much work?
I'm curious. There are so many better choices than that it would appear.
Smoking deal. At the time it would have been a $5000 truck with the engine fixed. Changing the engine "fixed" it at the time. We had less than $2800 in it after the engine install. We've got our use out of it, believe me. But I need a few more months if possible.
Originally Posted By: qdeezie
I'd say check the parts you've already put on there. With my truck, I bought it as a fixer upper and certain brands of parts I put on my truck was junk brand new right out of the box. Tried a different brand and no problems to report. Have had this to happen a few times.
...and what onion said...
I am more than willing to believe the radiator is junk. I can't tell by eyeballing it, but I'm going to check the part number and see what comes up. How much you wanna bet it's the Spectra Premium one-row piece of garbage that sells cheaper than any other radiator but shops charge full retail for? If that's the case I might need to get a 2 or 3 row unit. There's several different rads spec'd for this truck, and with dual AC I probably need the most severe one even though I don't have trailer tow or 4wd or a 360 engine.
JHZR2, the radiator was first replaced for a crack in the driver's side tank below the upper hose where it attaches. That crack ran all the way out the neck to the upper hose. Replaced that and then the water pump went later. Water pump replaced and mechanic never road tested long enough to see the new radiator crack. Same place, too. That's why I had the hoses and clamps replaced as well as the thermostat when that all got done. Isn't a problem now, I don't think. Water pump circulates well. But yeah, I'm sure it's the cheapest radiator he could find.
Chris142 mentioned puking, and it did that in the weeks leading up to when the fans were replaced. Now it doesn't bubble, puke, ping, or anything you can hear, but it definitely is running hot. I notice that when the gauge moves above 210, the idle increases and the truck wants to "creep" more when stopped in gear. Have to hold the brake down a wee bit harder to keep it still. I also notice the transmission shifts harder and later when it's "running hot". It doesn't puke or make sounds but it drives so different. Like it's out of breath and sweaty and lethargic. Of course sitting in the driver's seat with hot air blowing at me, that's how I feel driving it. Drives so nice at night and in the mornings, though. Doesn't get hot then.
MrHorspwer, I know it spiked when off, I was just saying how much, and how it DOESN'T return under 210 on the dash gauge when this happens. The truck runs so obviously different when it's above 210 versus below 210 on the gauge that there's something happening. Something between the hair under 210 and the hair over 210 is enough of a temp difference to cause a problem.
I just don't understand how when this hot running is happening, why the front AC is so much hotter than the back AC. Back AC stays ice cold, low 40s. Front AC gets up ABOVE ambient if you let it sit long enough.
I think it's time, after spending $700ish to NOT fix the problem, to stop sinking money in this truck. I'll perform the low cost checks and repairs (rad cap, pressure test, combustion gas test, borrow a scantool to check the temp from the sensor, clean and comb the condenser fins, determine how cheap of a son of a you know what that the mechanic who changed the radiator was)
IMO it's time for another vehicle. Seems like this one just wants a lot of money thrown at it and if my wife gets her way it will get that money and I don't want that to happen. Maybe it's time to put a little brake fluid in the engine oil on the next top-up.
