TxDiesel007

OK guys

here is the skinny, while towing my empty four horse gooseneck for three days straight, and then leaving the thing at the ranch... Truck recently overheated on me, (when coming back empty) and threw the codes for the coolant temperature being too high, and engine fan speed. I drove the truck home in limp mode, and I took care of the problem by doing the following..

New factory thermostat,

new coolant,

new coolant temperature sensor,

ac system has been cleaned, radiator was flushed, checked for leaks, as were the hoses, all was good,

New fan clutch (fixed a while back)

and cleared all engine codes.

Truck runs well now (bout as well as it would for smarty on level 5) but even after all of that, the temperature gauge still goes over the halfway mark, and causes the truck to go into high idle, whether towing, or empty... I know the higher idle is normal, so that the FC kicks on and brings the truck down to a cooler temperature than what it was at...

ON the highway, it still gets higher than halfway, even with an empty 1500 lb flatbed trailer at 70 mph.. Not something that ever happened with my 12V truck..

MIND you, it is south texas and it is hot, its been over 100 the past four days..

other than flexalite fans, is there another way to cool this vehicle down? what am i missing here?

OR does cummins make a 180 degree or cooler T stat for an 05?

Its not really a problem per say, but i dont want to hook a heavy load to this thing and have it overheat on me.. especially if its a long trip.. Just want to do some preventive work on it before investing in Flexalites... if i have to...

thanks!

ltlace1

yes they make a 180 degree t stat for the '05. you can always put an electric cooling fan on your truck to help keep it cool.

MikeyB

What was your coolant mixture? And did you bleed the air out of the head when refilling (by removing one the coolant port plugs on top of the head)?

MikeyB

torquefan

I don't think you should have to resort to any aftermarket "fixes", I think you have a problem to figure out. Have you looked between the rad, condenser, and intercooler to make sure the fins aren't all plugged up with leaves and gunk?

AH64ID

Electric fans are not the answer as they flow less air than stock.

The stock thermostat goes full open at 207° so just above the middle tick mark is normal when towing.

About what temp do you think it is when the fast idle comes on?

1-2-3

"I think you have a problem to figure out"

Agreed. I've pulled TWO trailers at once, in 100+ Texas heat many many times, and my temp gauge never goes to anything but normal. I'd look at the air issue and maybe even a fan issue. Even new parts fail.

madhat

Yeah, I think you either have an air bubble in the line, gunk in/around the rad, an air flow problem, something like that.

I can see it getting warm if you were in stop and go with a heavy trailer, but not on the highway.

To answer your question, tho, I have often thought about relocating the tranny cooler somewhere with an electric fan... keep that heat away from the engine.

Dodgezilla

Is your fan even coming on when the truck gets hot? I've read lots of posts over the years where the wires to the fan got cut or broke somehow....

I will say this though. I have a 180 stat that I usually run in the summer and it definitely keeps the truck running cooler ALL THE TIME no matter what the naysayers will try to tell you. I have also added a 16" slimline electric fan in addition to the stock fan.
Start your truck, get it to operating temperature, turn the A/C on, and check to see if the fan has turned on. If not then you found your problem. Otherwise I'd do as was already suggested and make sure there is no air pocket in your cooling system AND make sure the fins of the radiator are clear of debris....

TxDiesel007

ok to answer several posts

all debri was removed from between the coolers, and the radiator itself. was the bleeder screw bled? i dont even know what it is, so that might be a start as well... what and where is that thing?

I can turn on the ac, and the fan clutch kicks in and hard, it does pretty good.. But it does turn on and off, depending on the truck temperature The wires from the FC are wireloomed as are all the grounds on my truck, i checked those and they are good and not shorting.

I run a 50/50 mixture of coolant and water as well..

and to answer what temperature? i would say about 210 or so, about five to six needle widths from the middle mark, but the high idle only comes on for a minute or so... more rationally at about 5/8th or so from full range, where it is hot and in the red....

did not move the truck today, but i will go ahead and bleed out the screw.. soon as i can find where it is...tomorrow morning

and the procedure on how to bleed it...


anyone have a part number for a 180 degree t stat on an 05?
thanks!

MikeyB

The coolant port plugs are located on top of the head on the exhaust side in a row. Will have white teflon tape wrapped around them. Remove the big one near the front of the engine.

MikeyB

cbrahs

if ya really want to get frisky, Ron Davis make a pretty sweet aluminum radiator our these trucks. get ready to shell out over a grand though. have a friend here in town that has one on his. put that along with a new intercooler and droooooolllll

Dodgezilla

My T-Stat came directly from Cummins but I've read that it's now discontinued. Apparently there is another company making them now though. Maybe genosgarage.com has them....

TxDiesel007

seen them...

Gates is the company that makes them... 180 degree Tstat kit for 17 bucks.. not bad at all.. im gonna drive the truck around and see what it does tho..

I just added about 10-12 ounces of coolant while its been parked for two days, no bubbles coming out of it, and the overflow bottle was at proper level.

I have a 10 mile drive to work tho, ill report later on after midnite to see how it does.. and for more help if i need it..

thank you all!

OH and about gettin frisky with an all aluminum radiator, while i can see the benefits to it, honestly id rather just have my rig working the way it should with STOCK components.. and a grand is money i need for other things right now... understandable with the price of diesel and the economy im sure...

too risky to mess with these CRs anymore, and for my needs. a 400 horse or so tow rig does just fine...(adjustable via smarty..)

TxDiesel007

ok to bleed this thing out..

i have already found it, does the truck need to be up to operating temperature? or just bleed it out while it is parked or cooled down?

do i remove it completely? or just bleed it out till i hear air stop? OR if the engine is running, how do i know its bled out?

sorry for the stupid questions.. but id rather learn to do this the right way..

thanks!

Nevermind!

found the answers... THANK YOU DTR!!

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...m-t289160.html

TxDiesel007

well found the problem

cracked radiator tank itself, right on the right hand side of the radiator, where the plastic is about to meet the metal itself, it is cracked all the way down, there is no pressure in the system, radiator is out of truck and new one is going in, as well as hoses and clamps.

it was not leaking (or it wasnt too obvious before) as it is now..

thanks for the help DTR.