I just bought a 7000# travel trailer and noticed the first time I pulled it that my truck was running a little over the 190 degree mark. Normally runs a little under the 190 degree mark right on the thermostat setting like it is supposed to. Just wondering if they all do this or if I need to look at flushing system or cleaning radiator fins or something. Truck pulls the trailer great just runs alittle hotter

 

190 prety normal with the heat right now when your towing

 

Mine will get to a tad over 190* on hills and grades, but comes back down when the pressure is off. Never hurts to clean the radiator from both sides.

 

Mine goes well over 3/4 pulling our 21 ft boat to the lake. Of course I have to factor in that it was 128 degrees and my Raytec gun is reading 150 degrees + coming off the road. Hard to get heat exchange in that kind of weather.

 

How do you clean the rad from both sides. My last road trip I had to pull over on the side to let her cool down some.

 

Fabricate one of these little puppies. 18" of copper tube, a few fittings and a hacksaw.

[IMG] [/IMG]

 

1 needle width below 190 degF unloaded. 1 needle width above 190 degF when towing heavy 5th wheel, even in 100+ degF Texas summers in the Hill Country. It's done this since day 1, so I'd say it's normal.

Rusty

 

Mine runs just like Rustyjc's Towing 13.5k

 

Mine runs up to 2 needle widths past 190 up hills in the Rocky Mountains pulling a 7000 TT but I can hear the fan running and cools fast below the 190 within 3 minutes or so pulling the same hill.

 

Anyone try a 180 stat, to run cooler while towing? Might help the trans (auto) temp also...

 

Here is basically the exact same thread. I put the 180* in, and the needle is about one needle thickness lower now, but have not towed with it yet....got our trip to Buffalo, NY starting next Friday, so I plan to tow the 5er before that to make sure everything is ok.
I also cleaned all the junk from the radiator (old puke bottle)....both sides, by pulling it out of the truck.


https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...threadid=70392

 

I suspect there is a good reason for the 190 degree thermostat. I suspect that is the optimal temp to run a diesel. I expect anything above 190 in hot weather, etc. is no big deal, in the "Operating Range".
Proably not worth the time or money to change the stat. Besides, come winter, do you want it running too cold?
I believe Cummins & Dodge run 190 becase it works bestl.
Any diesel Engineers out there with some actual knowledge on this?

 

Mine heats up just fine in the winter.
I'm not a diesel engineer but I play one on TV!!!!

 

Anyone who has a 24 valve which hasn't had the oil breather bottle moved or routinely serviced should look at getting the radiator fins cleaned. A tool like what Crobtex built does a good job. If your fan has a oil film on it, your radiator fins are probably plugged up too.

I just did this to my '01 and was amazed at how much stuff was in the radiator fins. I regularly kept the engine compartment clean, but had never got rid of breather bottle. Then after reading some of the posts and looking at pictures here and on the TDR, I thought I better clean the radiator. What a difference it has made.

 

Yip looking down between the Stack of coolers I can see a bunch o much on the front of the rad. I was thinking a pressure washer but a little nervous of folding the fins over or blowing a hole in the rad. Didnt want to wash from front to back and risk the chance of packing all the crud in between the fins and not be able to blow them out. My temp wher full hot, "check gauges light" came on. Actually I was in betweeen the the last mark and th "H" when I decided to pull over, dragging 24K gross up the hill, but creeping at like 20-25mph. I have noticed before this trip that the in town temp has slightly gone up from what it ws a couple months ago.