first off im sorry to be a post ***** lately. secondly. last summer my truck was suffering from something robbing it from power bad when in hot temps. it would start when i was driving and what i would assume was the fan kicking in and the motor would get real loud and have no power. it would come and go. well over the winter not one issue at all. this past weekend i was coming home from camping and all was well until i slowd down to take an off ramp. then the noise started and the truck was struggling to keep going. then once i picked up speed again the noise was gone and power was back. then i got off of the highway to head to my house and the noise was back until i shut it off. i let it cool down and started it up and problem gone again. it seems like its always when its hot out. it was about 80 that day. im assuming its the fan doing it. but i dont know for sure. ive got a 180 deg t stat. i was wondering if i added some tow cool. antifreeze addative if it would help. im also wondering if i allow more air into the engine compartment if it would help as well. i would like to ditch the fan and go electric but $$ is tight with gas prices right now. any ideas. any ideas on how i can get more air to the motor to keep under hood temps low.?

 

take water hose and from inside wash the bugs out of rad

 

Try a bottle of water wetter, i think its redline that makes it. Its supposed to drop your temps down by around 10-15 degrees.I bought a bottle of it the other day, only $8, but i just haven't gotten around to dropping it in et.

 

check your fan clutch. It may be locking down when it gets hot. good luck.

 

Yeah, you need to find the actual problem. I'd go with the fan clutch too.

 

im going to grab a bottle of the wetter water just because i tow alot and i know its a great product. and the fan clutch is cheap enough i might as well just replace it. this definately isnt right. i know the mechanical fan draws power but this is like towing 10k pounds with a 4 cylinder when its a v8 sometimes towing nothing and other times maybe 3-4k pounds. ill let you all know how it turns out when i change it

 

The stock fan clutch is supposed to lock up at low speeds and unlock and spin more freely and slowly at higher speeds when the ram air from high speed travel cools the rad. There's actually a little curved coil of metal (either tungsten or copper I think) that monitors the clutch lockup right on the outside of the fan clutch. If you're hearing a horrific sound a low speeds, I'd suspect the fan clutch is shot, but also make sure it isn't your waterpump taking a dump.

 

i dont think its the water pump as it was fine all winter. and fall for that matter. its when it gets hot out that it acts up. and its been doing it since shortly afteri bought it. the pump doesnt show any signs of failure. ill definately check it again just to be safe. so fan clutch seems to be the way to go.

 

Does it have AC ?

 

i wouldnt put in this Water Wetter if you have a 180* t-stat, because thatn you'll get a cel that will mean that the engine hasnt reached normal operating temperature in a given time, howeverif you do tow than use it and ignore it.

to me it sounds likethe fan clutch.