Thread: 80 Series TOYOTA 4WD

Hi,

Driven many crusires and ...still got one... have the raidator checked out. It may be partially blocked. Also are you losing fluid...check for leaks when HOT (ouch).

Also have the thermostat checked. it may be on the way out

Long time Kekomo

80 series good truck mine did 300,000Ks before I had to let it go we still see it around.

Ok look at the fins of the radiator first give them a thougrough clean not to hard using the hose or preasure washer get all the bugs and dirt out.

How long since the whole lot was drained and refilled/refreshed??
worth doing if its been a while and leave the heater taps open to drain and refill let it settle and start it up and add to take away any air lock.
I always used the truck anitfreez/antiboil green stuff not just water.

Clean the overflow bottle etc.

Now a very small matter could be the radiator cap might be sad the spring not opening to allow fresh and expansion to the overflow bottle. You can check that by taking the cap off have it cold boil a pot of water with the cap in it and watch to see if the spring lifts from its resting place.

You did not say if you have airconditioning this would possibly mean you have an extra fan already make sure both fans are sucking enough air through.

If the crusier is auto it can add to heating problems also.

Yes... have checked all the above...no... not running the air-con...& using all the right inhibitors... have flushed the radiator... how ever... the idea or being partially blocked gives me another angle to work on.....yes will double check the radiator cap...THANKS....

Oh radiator is new...well 4 years old... Toyota original...
After she overheats.... I check the water levels all perfect.... not a worry.... and the temperature goes down.... & it does go down extremely quickly.... no loss of fluid at all.....

Keep coming with the idea's...

I have an 80 series Landcruiser and I have had the heat problem too going up hills. Racked my brains eliminating things.
Yes ppl say radiator but as you have changed it this should be eliminated. I was told I needed a new better water pump, blah blah blah. That was from the dealer Davie Craig who deal in cooling.

Did some further looking into it and it had to come down to the Fan Clutch. I bought a new Davies Craig one for just over $120, fitted it and no more problems. This device has a bimetal strip that opens up a valve for internal hydraulic fluid to pass through and this controls the fan behind the radiator. This is the round piece of aluminium with the plastic fan blade on it behind the radiator.

Hope this helps.
Rik....

also look at radiator cap opening temp should be stamped on top can't recall what it is but they is two available one lower one higher need the lower opening temp one

I would agree that the Thermo Clutch fan would be the next to look at. Question though..., how slow are you travelling up these hills? For the most part, if the rest of the cooling system on a car is up to scratch, then travelling any more than 20km/h actually flows more air through the radiator than any fan can draw. However, the trend with 4WD's is to fit bullbars and driving lights, which effect the airflow onto the front of the car.

The other clue here too Kekemo, is the fact that you said that when you turn the heater on high & full bore, it actually helps. By doing this you're effectively adding another radiator, all-be-it a much smaller one, into the system, which points to there not being enough airflow through the original radiator.

The other question too is, is it actually getting Hot? And I don't mean is the factory temperature guage rising, I mean is it actually getting to or beyond the point of boiling? The reason I ask this, is that the factory temperature guage is only an advisory guage for the general public. It doesn't actually tell you what the temperature is. Somewhere between Blue and Red, or 'C' and 'H' doesn't really mean much when on one car it might mean that it's getting a little hot but it's OK, and on another, by the time the needle reaches the top, it's too late and you're up for major engine repairs.

Alot of radiator repair places have laser thermometers these days, and can point them around your engine to see of there's any hot spots where air might be trapped too.

I am in a similar predicament.

Recently had all the coolant replaced and still runs ok but on the last 2 trips to shepparton and wagga could not go above 105 as the temp gauge heads for the high ground , back of to 95 and sits back in the mid ground.

Get to a hill and if I have to go back in the gears as you do pulling a couple of ton and the temp guage heads high again,

Last year with all the trips we do I could easily sit on my 112 all day , slow down for the hills and a slight rise.

All water levels are ok as I assumed an air lock, but no joy.

One thought I have is that the motor is ticking over 390, 000 is that there could be a bit much wear and tear and working harder to keep cool.

Any further answers would be much appreciated as I am too impatient a driver on the highway and like to get where I am going.

The sender units do become a problem, a remove and clean and replace making sure they are well sealed when installed. I found one which had a build up around it reducing flow through the head and block. It sounds stupid but always check that the over flow bottle has fluid in it, if the bottle is brownish in colour you can bet there is a dirty radiator, block, head.

In my somewhat tired HJ60 the temperature gauge sure does a lot of going up and down on a trip.
I have aircon and have to run better than 60% coolant to keep the needle in a reasonable place. Some years ago I got onto a little packet of goo, sold by the Toyota dealer, to top up the vicus goo in the fan hub. The stuff gets fategued over time and needs to be either topped up or replaced. The packet resembles those sachets that come with packets of noodles that the kids eat. It was a long while ago and was a bugger of a spot to get at but it did do the trick. It would be a cheaper alturnative to a fan replacement
Be careful if you blow the raiator fins with a pressure cleaner!!! It is made of very thin copper and the force of the water can bend the fins over actally preventing the air to pass through the radiator
You haven't said that you have talked to a radiator specialist. If you can find a gooden, they should give you a few hints too. Maybe even just getting the radiator removed and flush professionally my do it. In Tamworth we are lucky to have an absolute cracker of radiator expert specialist company (run by a woman) who would be able to advise on such a problem
Its good that you are onto this problem because you may have to spend hundreds now but its better than having to spend thousands on a tor later
Good luck

i know its a bit of an old topic but thought this may help anyway.

another cause of diesel vehicles getting hot under load is over fueling. if the radiator ect is all ok get a diesel speicalist to check the exhaust gas temps. a sign of over fueling is the big black diesel cloud out the exhaust.