Over-heating RRC

[davegilsenan]

Hi all,

I've got a 93 RRC V8 which has been overheating.

You can trundle along on the flat or slowly or leave it all day idling without any problems but once you speed up or if you're going uphill it overheats,

So far I've changed the coolant, waterpump, viscous coupling and it still overheats. I went to change the thermostat but found there wasnt one installed! COuld this cause overheating or is it more likely someone else has removed it to try and cure the overheating?

Last thing to try is the radiator i suppose? There's none of the usual signs of head failure.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Dave.

[Quagmire]

What capacity v8 are we talking about here?

If the rad is all crusty then that will hopefully be the problem- any obvious corrosion? If you offroad at all could it be full of mud? Try washing the fins through.

If you have a 3.9 upward then it could be the dreaded crack behind a liner problem. But i'd personally make sure you have checked all the easy to do things before such a drastic diagnosis is made.

[Bowie69]

Radiator is definitely next on the cards if you ask me.....

[davegilsenan]

Sorry, should have said its a 3.9.

There's no corrosion on the outside of the rad and the fins are clear. New rads aren't cheap

[Range Rover Blues]

Get a new one, I've tried a couple fo times to clean them out but it's never succesfull. A new rad and viscous made a massive difference to mine.

[Davo]

Thermostat - very important. It's meant to slow down the coolant to give it time to soak up the heat from the engine. Try putting one in first. Still, with overheating it always seems to be the waterpump and the radiator that's had it, so you may have to do the rad next.

[bishbosh]

My money is on the rad - I had one that looked fine on the outside but was so furred up inside the flow was seriously restricted.

[FITZ]

My money is on the rad - I had one that looked fine on the outside but was so furred up inside the flow was seriously restricted.

My vote is also new rad had a mate with similar probs he flushed the rad, repaced head gaskets, replaced engine but in the end it was the rad. A new rad cured it after a few weeks work and much expense replacing bits that were fine. As said earlier don't bother trying to flush you old rad, waste of time. New rad or recore is the way to go.

[bagospanners]

I'll 'sixth' that! My rad looked fine, but I couldn't understand why the temperature was rising and the electric fans kept coming on. Turns out the radiator was knackered, but so was the viscous fan coupling.

Rads aren't cheap, but you could have saved the cost of the bits you've fitted that weren't needed. Oh and, as suggested above, replace the Thermostat once the rad's done. Whoever removed that is a pillock, cus it upsets the whole coolant flow through the engine.

Regards,

Pete.

[g&t]

My vote's for the rad too, recently replaced mine after months of similar symptoms with my 3.5efi, i.e ok in traffic & idling but gradually heating up out on the open road, esp. after only 5 miles at the legal limit. Replaced the rad & reverted to a 88 degree 'stat (from an 82 degree one) job done! 600 mile round trip, mostly on M/ways, the needle never moved from the 'normal'

[paintman]

Another vote for the rad.

When I replaced mine I was rather surprised at the difference in weight between the new & the old

Externally it looked fine, fins all there & not clogged but it was full of carp!