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[Scatmancraig]

Yesterday I changed the radiator and thermostat, plus gave it another oil and filter change, and if anything it's now reading higher on the gauge than before.  I also changed the transmission oil and filter, that was fun!!

The new radiator does seem to be a lot thinner than the old one, it was advertised for my spec car (i.e. 2.5 TD Auto with air-con), so not sure if that's going to be why it is hotter. It doesnt boil over or pressurise, but that viscous still cuts in eventually. The replacement Thermostat looked slightly different to the old one too, its fits, but I swear that it doesnt open until the engine is hotter.

For now I'm going to have to live with it as it is, as I can't really see what else I can actually do!  Normal driving it seems happy enough, if you can put up with the fan howling most of the time.  I have a 200 mile round trip to do in it this week, so it'll be interesting to see how it behaves on the motorway.

[Shackeng]

I forget, have you already replaced the plastic pump with one with a metal impeller? If not, consider doing so ASAP, as they are a known failure item on these.

[Scatmancraig]

I forget, have you already replaced the plastic pump with one with a metal impeller? If not, consider doing so ASAP, as they are a known failure item on these.

I replaced the pump a couple of weeks ago, both the original pump and its replacement have metal impellors.

[Scatmancraig]

Maybe I was a little hasty in knocking the car down.  On the journey to work this morning, the viscous fan didn't cut in at all, despite going a longer way around and giving it a huge bootful of throttle when an arsehole in a chavmobile decided to try and overtake me up the inside (he lost!). 

What is weird is that the gauge seems to be reading slightly higher, but the fan doesn't come on?  I need to find a thermometer and check the real temp of the water, I've had an issue last week when I ran out of diesel with the gauge still showing that I had fuel, so it wouldn't surprise me if the temp gague was over reading as the car doesn't show any other physical signs of running too hot now.

[Kevin Wood]

You'll probably find the old thermostat was a bit lazy and opening early. If it's not rising on "spirited" bits of driving any m,ore, it does sound like you've improved it. My guess is that the radiator was past its' best.

[Scatmancraig]

You'll probably find the old thermostat was a bit lazy and opening early. If it's not rising on "spirited" bits of driving any m,ore, it does sound like you've improved it. My guess is that the radiator was past its' best.

I was thinking along those lines. It just worries me that the replacement rad is a lot thinner, than the original one.

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Don't let it, man. I'd say keep your eye out for a nice nick 2nd hand unit, and also for and original GM on NOS on ebay and the like. And factor in how long that rad will last, vs the proce of a GM one (did you ring Vauxhall and see how much they wanted?) don't lose sleep over it 

[Omegatoy]

sludge pump! "shudders"
thing your missing Craig, is when you give it a bootful, not only is the engine producing a lot of heat but so is the autobox, which has its cooler mounted in front of the main rad, ergo you now have two sources of heat so the temp rises slightly while booting it,its pretty normal behaviour on a sludgepump td,with a tired autobox as long as it comes back down while cruising after booting it, wouldnt worry to much,except autoboxes on the td are not ong lasting really and the extra heat is a sign of it being a little worn,the fluif flush on the box plus filter should have helped slightly which if im reading it right it did on the trip to work afterwards,ar35 change to it!

[Shackeng]

sludge pump! "shudders"
thing your missing Craig, is when you give it a bootful, not only is the engine producing a lot of heat but so is the autobox, which has its cooler mounted in front of the main rad, ergo you now have two sources of heat so the temp rises slightly while booting it,its pretty normal behaviour on a sludgepump td,with a tired autobox as long as it comes back down while cruising after booting it, wouldnt worry to much,except autoboxes on the td are not ong lasting really and the extra heat is a sign of it being a little worn,the fluif flush on the box plus filter should have helped slightly which if im reading it right it did on the trip to work afterwards,ar35 change to it!

Not now!

[Scatmancraig]

sludge pump! "shudders"
thing your missing Craig, is when you give it a bootful, not only is the engine producing a lot of heat but so is the autobox, which has its cooler mounted in front of the main rad, ergo you now have two sources of heat so the temp rises slightly while booting it,its pretty normal behaviour on a sludgepump td,with a tired autobox as long as it comes back down while cruising after booting it, wouldnt worry to much,except autoboxes on the td are not ong lasting really and the extra heat is a sign of it being a little worn,the fluif flush on the box plus filter should have helped slightly which if im reading it right it did on the trip to work afterwards,ar35 change to it!

The autobox cooler is inside this radiator!

My journey home was encouraging, viscous fan stayed off for longer than normal. Temp raised a little after I got up to 70 on the bypass, then there was heavy traffic at crawling speed for the next mile or so, which is when the viscous cut in. When I turned off the bypass, the fan cut out again in less than a mile. That's never happened on the journey home before, the fan normally stayed on till I goy home.  So that proves to me that the coolant is circulating better than it was. Plus you have to factor in that it was 25 degrees out there.

I'm off to Walsall on Friday, 100 miles from here and mostly  on dual carriageway. So if the fan stays off for that journey, I'll know that things are better.

The autobox is definitely tired on this car, the old fluid wasn't a great colour. There wasn't any broken bits in the sumps, and the magnet was nice and clean. The only real symptom that it's not the best is that it's a little slow to engage reverse. Takes up forward drive quickly enough though, so it can stay where it us until it breaks!  I just need to sort the larger sump out as a previous owner had put a load of chemical metal over the filler plug, which itself was rounded off. It was also slightly bent around that corner. Consequently it now leaks a couple of dribbles when parked. I wouldn't be too bothered if it had a normal filler tube, but it's such a pain to top up!!

[TheBoy]

Is it still getting hot on long periods of heavy booting? If not, . If so, strong oil flush I'm afraid...

[Scatmancraig]

Is it still getting hot on long periods of heavy booting? If not, . If so, strong oil flush I'm afraid...

A little, but not as bad. I've flushed engine oil twice and replaced filter and oil with new, first time a couple if weeks ago and again when I did the radiator and transmission fluid. 

What's the best engine flush to use?

[TheBoy]

Hopefully Omegatoy can remember the bloody paint-stripper one he got for my TD....

...not a brand I'd heard of.

[Doctor Gollum]

sludge pump! "shudders"
thing your missing Craig, is when you give it a bootful, not only is the engine producing a lot of heat but so is the autobox, which has its cooler mounted in front of the main rad, ergo you now have two sources of heat so the temp rises slightly while booting it,its pretty normal behaviour on a sludgepump td,with a tired autobox as long as it comes back down while cruising after booting it, wouldnt worry to much,except autoboxes on the td are not ong lasting really and the extra heat is a sign of it being a little worn,the fluif flush on the box plus filter should have helped slightly which if im reading it right it did on the trip to work afterwards,ar35 change to it!

Not now!

You question the radiator thickness, yet don't retain the separate oil cooler... the mind boggles

[Shackeng]

I may have misremembered this, but when I replaced my TD rad with an aftermarket one, I had to use the built in oil cooler for the gearbox. Why I wasn't able to use the separate one I can't remember.