Cooling system Mods

[Gunflint]

Hi all.

I have been doing some research recently and have stumbled across the issues the 2CT engine has with potential overheating and the repercussions that has on the little diesel engine in our vans. I have also learned that the stock temp gauge is notoriously unreliable, and will generally give no warning of overheating until it suddenly blasts into the red. Yikes.

I ran into a simple mod called the 'mason alarm' which improves the accuracy of the temp gauge and also lets you know, via an audio alarm, when you are in the danger zone. I got a hold of the creator/manufacturer Dave Mason and he said demand faded away about 3 years ago and he no longer makes the device.

So I am trying to figure out how I can be proactive. I have heard that aftermarket temp gauges can difficult to install, and you still need to watch them like a hawk to be sure you are in range. Does anyone know of an alternative solution I could look into?

I have also heard of folks adding a second auxiliary radiator in the front where the air intakes is (specifically a toyota van people user 'lwiniarski'.) Even better, he may be in Portland! Does anyone here know of a way to get a hold of him? I would be willing to invest sometime and money into this! Any other suggestions welcome!

Thanks all!

Matt

[timsrv]

I have built and installed overheating alarms on all my vans. I have also installed a large heater core behind the front bumper on my work van to enhance cooling. I use a digital temp gauge with big numbers. These are inexpensive and easy to install. For the alarm I use a super bright LED in my dash cluster along with a doorbell chime (like what's used with electric eye systems that alert store employees when somebody walks into their establishment). In my case I wired the system so it will alert me if the coolant exceeds 220 deg F or if oil pressure drops below 4 psi. On my work van I also installed an extra loud back-up alarm (like what garbage trucks use while backing) and have that set to alert me if one of these problems occur while using my alternator driven welder (engine RPMs must be around 2,500 while I'm welding). I have posted these mods in various places on the forum. I don't have time to look them up at the moment, but if you're interested in learning more, let me know and I'll post links along with more information (when I have a little more time). Tim

[Gunflint]

Thanks Tim!

Yea I would love to learn more. If you get a chance to post links and more information, that would be very much appreciated. Of course take your time. Next time youre out and about in Portland I'll get ya a beer.

Matt

[llamavan]

I have also heard of folks adding a second auxiliary radiator in the front where the air intakes is (specifically a toyota van people user 'lwiniarski'.) Even better, he may be in Portland! Does anyone here know of a way to get a hold of him?

My understanding is that Larry hasn't been driving his "french-fry oil" van for quite some time now that his electric vehicle is up and running. He's closer to Corvallis (ie, south of) than Portland. I know someone who periodically runs into him, but that's the best I can do for contact info. You'll find it most expedient to get started using Tim's excellent existing write-ups.

Gwen

[Gunflint]

Thanks Gwen!

[timsrv]

Got home late and still have stuff to do. I'll post more details on the alarm mods later. In the mean time, I discovered I never did post my Previa heater core mode on TVT, so here's a quick copy/paste from my post over on TVP. Enjoy



As some of you know, I use my 89 cargo van as a service vehicle for my RV business. Due to the heavy fixed load (about 3k lbs), the hot weather, and my desire for air conditioning, my engine was having problems staying cool. At ambient temps over 80 deg it did okay up to 30 mph, but any faster & I needed to turn off the AC (or risk overheating). I was considering having a 2nd custom radiator built to incorporate into my cooling system, but then decided to go the cheap route.
In another thread, Wonderwagon suggested using an extra heater core and plumbing into existing heater hoses. Since I had most of the stuff already on hand, that's exactly what I did. I pulled the heater core, hoses, and control valve of my wrecked 92 Previa, then mounted the core directly behind the front bumper.


This is a great location because of the direct air flow and the close proximity of the heater hoses.


I had some aluminum angle laying around left over from another project, so I used it to fab the mounts.

Here's some pictures of the core mounted in it's new home.


Here's the part I spent money on. Napa had this all in stock. Total cost of parts = $25

Teeing off this heater hose was easy.

If I wanted the new core to have constant coolant flow available, I needed to tee off the other hose on the inlet side of the existing heater valve. Unfortunately, the AC condenser was in the way, so I had to remove it for access. Fortunately there are flex lines attached to the condenser, so I didn't need to open my AC system. I just took the mounts loose and let it hang.

Okay, 2nd hose was teed into the system (that 90 deg bend heater hose I pulled off the Previa came in handy at that location). Sorry, but I forgot to take a picture before I reinstalled condenser.
Okay, here's where I mounted the control cable in dash. "In" position is closed (normal flow for winter driving). "Out" position is open (full flow of coolant through core for summer driving).


Fed the cable though floor and hooked it up to the valve taken from Previa.

Topped off cooling system, reinstalled bumper and went for a test drive. This mod took 6 hrs from start to finish. As you can see, the heater core is now directly exposed to good air flow. Today only got up to about 80 deg, but I ran the van hard and used the AC constantly. Several times I closed the valve and watched the temp needle rise. When I opened the valve, within seconds I could see it begin to fall. Like I said earlier, before the mod, the temp of the van was stable up to around 30mph. I believe the higher speeds where a problem due to lack of airflow through the radiator. At the lower speeds, the electric fans do an adequate job moving the slow moving air up and through the radiator. At higher speeds, the air tends to move by quickly underneath, missing the radiator. Now I can take advantage of this passing air and dissipate more heat. I believe this has solved my problem, but I'll have to wait for another 100 deg day to know for sure. I'll keep you posted. Tim

[Gunflint]

Man. Really great work Tim! I would love to try to work something like that out!

[timsrv]

Here's some pics of the scoop I made to direct more air up through the big radiator: