PWR + mech fan questions (ASAP plz)

[mkIIIman089]

Hey guys, I'm in the proces of flushing/replacing thermostat/installing PWR radiator right now and most has gone smoothly. A couple questions if you could answer ASAP would be great. Thanks!

-upper radiator hose seemed a slight bit too large for PWR outlet, I can easily slamp it down to make it tight, but I'm wondering if I should need to replace the hose.

-fan shroud - I found mine is cracked through in one spot of it; also it will not fit anyway that I see without modifying it, or removing the fan and reinstalling. Is it possible that I leave it off? Or is it still vital to the operation of the cooling system and I should replace it?

- electric fans - are they auxillary cooling fans that are needed for engine cooling or are they related to A/C and only turn on when the A/C is active? I do not need them if they are for the A/C system.

Thanks for any help guys, just trying to be safe with the vital cooling system.

 

[IJ.]

Colin: The outlet is a touch smaller but stock hoses fit

You can maybe epoxy the crack (glue a piece of plastic over the crack when you repair it to strengthen the join) the shroud helps but you can run without it.

I'm not sure how the Turbo electrics are wired but I'd assume 1 is AC controlled and the other a booster that's temp controlled.

Another thing to check is "Stray current" in the cooling system as it can kill a PWR rad in weeks.

 

[mkIIIman089]

What is the correct way to look for stray current in it?

I'm still debating on wether or not to use this prestone coolant I bought since it says its dex-cool compatible.

 

[IJ.]

I'd just flush it through with straight water and use normal coolant.

Colour doesn't matter as long as it's a silicate <sp> free coolant.

Get an analogue multimeter (one with a needle a digital won't work)
Take the rad cap off put one lead to earth on the battery and the other in the coolant NOT touching the radiator.

Turn ALL the electricals on in the car and have someone turn them off one at a time this will show if you have a bad earth on any of them.

Look anywhere the car has had body work done as the earths are usually bad there.

My car had a HUGE amount of stray current and doing it this way I got it to where my MM can't read it.

MY radiator guy showed me a week old rad that was leaking in 6 places due to this.

 

[mkIIIman089]

Wow, that sounds like something I wish I knew about before I swapped the radiators out. heh.

The Prestone is silicate, boracate (sp), and phosphate free; so I still don't quite understand why it does what it supposedly does when it mixes with normal coolant.

 

[IJ.]

Dunno as I said I'd just flush it really well with straight water then use normal coolant as it works and if you have to dump the Prestone so be it.

Not worth the risk as 7M's are so prone to coolant issues anyway.

The stray current thing is well worth getting right as it's not covered by warranty and as you know the PWR rads aren't cheap.
(does your rad have all the fan and shroud mounts in the right places?)

 

[mkIIIman089]

Yea, it actually fit, all the holes lined up as close to perfect as I would expect. very minimal stretching was required to get the shroud on.

 

[IJ.]

They didn't always fit so well
(I worked with them to sort the fit issues)

 

[mk3forme]

I dont how true it is guys, but I have seen alot of members on here prefer the red Toyota coolant. I have a GMC Yukon and have researched the Dexcool controversy and am still not sure that it is the coolant itself that it causing all these problems. But when in question, its always safe to assume, at least in my book, that the manufacturer has a better idea of what is safe for the vehicles they make. Just my 2 cents.

 

[mrnickleye]

Right out of MOTOR magazine. GMs coolant problems were/are that some of the gasket materials not being compatable with the dex-cool, particularly the 'pre-formed' gaskets on the intake minofold. They have been solving these issues.
Hey, Honda, BMW, MBs, they all claim you must use their coolant only. Not true.