Gettin hot...Flexalite at it again to help me out
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 24,686
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From: South Georgia/East Florida
Flex-a-Lite 180 Extreme in my Ram. Have pulled a 7700 lb. tractor/rough cut combo on a 22' dual axle trailer on days up near 100* in south Georgia and never got the needle to the halfway mark.
Let us know how the stuff they are sending you works, I need to do something in my Grand Cherokee to bring it down 15* or so after I get the engine rebuilt...
Let us know how the stuff they are sending you works, I need to do something in my Grand Cherokee to bring it down 15* or so after I get the engine rebuilt...
I am having the same problem. It is very bad since I added the auxiliary transmission cooler. I have a HHR fan installed normally and then I added another 16" fan on the front as a pusher and I still have the problem of overheating. i think the next thing would be the better water pump. Anybody have a part number for it?
Can you throw a pic up of your install of the 16" fan in the front? Im tryin to come up with something for a pusher fan in front as well.
After driving around yesturday in 100 degree weather my needle never exceeded the half way piont. Flex-a-chill is doing its job so far. Im deffinatly taking your guys advice...Ill do a flush when I can. So sawping cooling fluids every 30K is a good idea? The manual says every 100K? huge difference...
Flex-a-Lite 180 Extreme in my Ram. Have pulled a 7700 lb. tractor/rough cut combo on a 22' dual axle trailer on days up near 100* in south Georgia and never got the needle to the halfway mark.
Let us know how the stuff they are sending you works, I need to do something in my Grand Cherokee to bring it down 15* or so after I get the engine rebuilt...
Let us know how the stuff they are sending you works, I need to do something in my Grand Cherokee to bring it down 15* or so after I get the engine rebuilt...
Ram 1500? or 2500? If you have the hemi, is the cooling system different? more capacity? Diesels I know for sure dont have this issue or as severe. Huge Intercooler helps...
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Joined: Jan 2008
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From: Sioux Falls, SD
He has a Hemi in a 1500. I am sure the cooling system is larger than our 4.7s, but I don't know that for sure.
One thing that helps is the electric fan on the A/C condenser. Since the body style change in 2002 for the Rams, and 2004 for the Durangos, the Durangos and the Rams have the A/C condenser off to the side with its own fan, an electric unit. The clutch fan just works on the main radiator (and tranny cooler).
In our Dakotas and the earlier Rams/Durangos, the A/C condenser and radiator are "stacked" together, one in front of the other. In this arrangement, more heat is in the same exact area, and I find that in slow traffic conditions, you need "more" fan (more CFMs). On my Ram, two 3000 CFM fans solved that issue easily. On this truck, I am going to leave the plastic clutch fan on (on my 2001 Ram, the clutch fan was heavier, made of metal) for at least until it gets closer to the warranty running out.
Its easy to "undo" a tuner before you take a vehicle in for repair, an electric fan conversion not so much.
One thing that helps is the electric fan on the A/C condenser. Since the body style change in 2002 for the Rams, and 2004 for the Durangos, the Durangos and the Rams have the A/C condenser off to the side with its own fan, an electric unit. The clutch fan just works on the main radiator (and tranny cooler).
In our Dakotas and the earlier Rams/Durangos, the A/C condenser and radiator are "stacked" together, one in front of the other. In this arrangement, more heat is in the same exact area, and I find that in slow traffic conditions, you need "more" fan (more CFMs). On my Ram, two 3000 CFM fans solved that issue easily. On this truck, I am going to leave the plastic clutch fan on (on my 2001 Ram, the clutch fan was heavier, made of metal) for at least until it gets closer to the warranty running out.
Its easy to "undo" a tuner before you take a vehicle in for repair, an electric fan conversion not so much.
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 24,686
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From: South Georgia/East Florida
Hemi 1500 with the Flex-a-Lite 180 at 3300 cfm, it stays cool, no matter the outside temp or how much I'm pulling/hauling.
The vehicle I was referring to needing to get to run a bit cooler is my DD, Grand Cherokee. Like many other GC owners, it likes to run at about 210* with the AC on and in traffic - about 15* warmer than where the stock 195* thermostat opens. I dropped a valve seat at 102k miles - which created a chain reaction that basically took out a piston, both heads, left debris in the intake manifold and has me doing a full rebuild!
I'm told that the 15* lousy degrees hotter, over 100k miles is enough to slightly expand the aluminum in the heads of the 4.7, thus letting a pressed-in valve seat simply drop out. MANY have this happen suddenly with a more severe over-heat, but a lousy 15* over is mind boggling to me.
So in a nutshell, I've had all the valve seats peened when the shop rebuilt my heads and after I rebuild this damn engine - I'm going to do whatever I need to do to make this thing NOT exceed 195*. I'm thinking a slim push fan - and an additive in the coolant, which is why I asked the OP to report back on how the Flex-Cool works for him.
BTW, before anybody mentions it, an efan (puller) is not an option on my GC. It's the Overland edition and doesn't have a clutch fan or an efan - it's hydraulic and runs off the P/S pump. If you disconnect it, the PCM has a fit!
The vehicle I was referring to needing to get to run a bit cooler is my DD, Grand Cherokee. Like many other GC owners, it likes to run at about 210* with the AC on and in traffic - about 15* warmer than where the stock 195* thermostat opens. I dropped a valve seat at 102k miles - which created a chain reaction that basically took out a piston, both heads, left debris in the intake manifold and has me doing a full rebuild!
I'm told that the 15* lousy degrees hotter, over 100k miles is enough to slightly expand the aluminum in the heads of the 4.7, thus letting a pressed-in valve seat simply drop out. MANY have this happen suddenly with a more severe over-heat, but a lousy 15* over is mind boggling to me.
So in a nutshell, I've had all the valve seats peened when the shop rebuilt my heads and after I rebuild this damn engine - I'm going to do whatever I need to do to make this thing NOT exceed 195*. I'm thinking a slim push fan - and an additive in the coolant, which is why I asked the OP to report back on how the Flex-Cool works for him.
BTW, before anybody mentions it, an efan (puller) is not an option on my GC. It's the Overland edition and doesn't have a clutch fan or an efan - it's hydraulic and runs off the P/S pump. If you disconnect it, the PCM has a fit!
Last edited by HammerZ71; Jun 15, 2012 at 08:03 PM.
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From: British Columbia
Here are a few pictures of the pusher in the front. I did a bit of fitting to fit the fan and the tranny cooler there. I cut the front crossmember, used heavy wall square tubing and angle iron and welded the tubing to the angle iron so it could be bolted back to the frame. Then I welded small lengths of light angle iron to the tubing to support the tranny cooler. This setup is actually stronger than the original crossmember.
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*Sleds*
That install is a super clean job. Is that an aux trans cooler or power steering? I have the tow package so my power steering cooling rod would be in the way. But my idea around it, is to use the OEM cross member that you cut out and replaced. Ill just use a smaller fan...6" from flexalite. moves about 400 cfm. I might have enough room to mount 2...im not sure yet.
That install is a super clean job. Is that an aux trans cooler or power steering? I have the tow package so my power steering cooling rod would be in the way. But my idea around it, is to use the OEM cross member that you cut out and replaced. Ill just use a smaller fan...6" from flexalite. moves about 400 cfm. I might have enough room to mount 2...im not sure yet.
Record Breaker
Joined: Dec 2010
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From: Nova Scotia, CANADA
*Sleds*
That install is a super clean job. Is that an aux trans cooler or power steering? I have the tow package so my power steering cooling rod would be in the way. But my idea around it, is to use the OEM cross member that you cut out and replaced. Ill just use a smaller fan...6" from flexalite. moves about 400 cfm. I might have enough room to mount 2...im not sure yet.
That install is a super clean job. Is that an aux trans cooler or power steering? I have the tow package so my power steering cooling rod would be in the way. But my idea around it, is to use the OEM cross member that you cut out and replaced. Ill just use a smaller fan...6" from flexalite. moves about 400 cfm. I might have enough room to mount 2...im not sure yet.
That front Cross member (Lower Rad Support) is junk, I had a Custom one Fabb'd up to replace it, because mine rusted out.
