I started to notice that my rig will continually heat up on the freeway but will maintain a certain temp city driving. I think it's a clogged rad. Tomorrows D-day since I'll be flushing it out. I seriously hope this is m answer because it's casting a huge black cloud over my Air Gap install.

 

Is it possible you somehow got the wrong intake runner gaskets, or installed them incorrectly and now have a blockage on the water channel? Running a wire hanger to the left or right of the t stat and checking for a blockage might help.

 

an IR heat gun is floggin' NICE to have to find blockages in a rad.. That thing will have an area that differs hugely right at the block if you carefully scan the entire radiator.

Aim hit on something, but I'm thinking if your issue was based on that, you'd be seeing other symptoms too.. that sure doesn't rule it out because much stranger things have happened.

I have a OBDII to USB cable, and a lightweight application that reads vitals of an engine that the PCM processes.. If your condition continues, I'll send it out to you to use and help track that issue down- but you gotta promise to send it back to me. and I'll tell you why:

You seem to be running hot, but not overheating, right? Are your o2's new? IIRC, you swapped them out in the last six or so months, right? If your timing is all in a frenzy it could be retarding spark and pulling fuel and THAT will make you run hot. You said you got a p1281, right? I chased that down after my own FI install, and that is what sent me off looking at the IAT sensor- has the computer settled on the new placement of the IAT yet? The only way you'll know is if it doesn't kick that code to you anymore..

How HOT are we talking on those highway drives? You may be seeing the constant fluctuation of timing and fuel curve due to drastic differences in sensor readings (IAT to o2's).. Do you have a programmer? Have you changed the program at all since installing the FI?

Sean has an SCT program for the FI.. I'm sure it has to do with the intake temperatures and relocating the IAT.. but I can't be sure of that either.. There may be some kind of variable he introduces that offsets the differences in readings.. I dunno.. I'm reaching..

Man, get a IR reading on that radiator, and hope it's just a clog there.. I have my fingers crossed for you!

 

Regarding the intake gasket being the wrong one or installed improperly, the fel pro gasket set that I got was #95392. The specs state that it's for a 92-97 Ram 318. The outlets weren't blocked when I put the gaskets on the heads.

When I got my tune from Hemi, I told him that later on, I was gonna install the Air Gap, some headers and maybe some HS RR 1.7's. He said that the tunes he'd send me would be canned tunes but that they'd be okay with those mods. I've only installed the Air Gap so far.

I just drained my coolant and looked into my upper hose inlet and it looks like little bit's of vomit in the rad. Kind of silty. I ended up using Zerex Super Flush. Prestone seems a bit mild plus a Napa associate (ASE tech) recommended it. I guess time will tell. My hypothesis is that when I drained my coolant during the Air Gap install, the exposed cooling system started to crust over and loosen up.

If this doesn't do it, I might have to take you up on that offer Drew.

 

I have a question for you guys. I just rented a coolant pressure tester. Now, if I pressure test my cooling system first thing in the morning (cold engine) it holds pressure real well. The needle doesn't budge. If I pressure test it while hot (stat open) I have a very slow leak. I don't see any obvious visible leaks. I must say that I pressure test it with the engine off. I also think I still have a air pocket since I hear a little gushing in the heater core. I don't know if that effects my results. I'm also still running the flush additive in the cooling system. Any thoughts?

 

Wonder if its just a hose softening up as it warms, to the point that it can pass a little..... might be the bypass hose under the A/C compressor.... it could have a slow leak, and you would never see it.....

 

the ninja HeyYou just made me think of something too: Did you use a new by-pass hose, or trim and re-use the old one? That rascal is a PITA, and could easily be leaking as he stated.. ESPECIALLY if there is an uneven cut or tiny slice in it.. sealed up great when cool, leaky leaky when warm..

are you still running hot after the flush?

 

New bypass hose. getting ready to replace the lower rad hose since it's feeling kind of mushy. It very well could be that the mushy hose is bad. The flush says to run it for 3-6 hours and so far I've clocked only 1 hour...still running hot. However, it will have VERY brief instances, where, for a fleeting moment, it will run at the proper temp (always after I park in the parking lot, going to the store then leaving). I plan on running it for the max 6 hours, so this weekend I'll draining it. I also plan on removing the rad and reverse flushing it. I hope my answer pops up soon.
BTW, thanks for keeping up with me fella's...

 

So this weekend I flushed my cooling system, replaced my water pump (under warranty/nothing wrong with it but did it any way) replaced the fan clutch (had a little bit of wobble) and my temps the same. Hasn't changed. I hooked up my smart phone via bluetooth and the comp say the temp is 192* when it shows about 205*-210*. I think my gauge is bad.

Once I started to close that problem, another one opened...I started to smell gas!!! Turns out my bridge line got a 1 inch long tear in it. How?! I wish I knew!!
Question for those with the air gap. what diameter fuel hose did you use? I used, I believe, 1/4 inch diameter. I'm thinking of bumping it up to a 5/16 inch line. What do you guys think? The 1/4 inch line use a HUGE ordeal to install with the intake off. I wouldn't want to try it on the intake. My wallet is hemorrhaging money. It needs to stop.

 

Man I can't believe you're still chasing this down.