my trick runs warmer than i think it should. if i dont keep an eye on the temp gauge and watch my throttle usage it can climb to about the 3/4 point on the gauge. if i turn on the heat, after maybe a minute it cools down kinda quickly (the engine, not the air from the heater. could probably pop popcorn with the heat coming out of the vents). this happens at all speeds, but it's at it's worst when i'm doing 55-70 on the highway. i had a radiator flush yesterday at a drive-thru lube shop and when i got home later i checked and noticed the coolant in my reserve tank was filthy and kinda low. this in my mind says the flush was a good idea (i had filled the reserve the day before with fresh coolant), but not done adequately.


from where i'm sitting, i see 3 things i can try. the cheapest is to try and remove some or all of the grill fins. i'm kinda thinking airflow is at least partially at fault and this would eliminate that possibility.

second is to replace the radiator, possibly with a larger/heavy duty unit. dont know the history of the truck, so dont know when or even if the rad has ever been replaced. very well could be clogged up.

third option is to inspect the rest of the cooling system, quickly realize i'm not 100% sure what i'm looking for and then replace parts 1 by 1 hoping the next one fixes it. this'll eventually come back around to the radiator, but probably only after replacing the rest of the cooling system.

what do yall think is best to do?

 

i would first look at the thermostat. it looks to me like it is not opening correctly anymore which causes temps to get hotter then you would expect before it opens and the temps go back to normal.

that would be the cheapest option to start with. Don't over complicate about removing fins in the grill as the airflow is fine from factory.

The next thing i would look at is the fan clutch. if it's not able to get the fan spinning at full speed that would cause your airflow issues, not the fins in the grill.

While in there, put in a 180 degree thermostat and swap the mechanical fan for an electric fan. lots of writeups on here. Not just will the truck like it but removing the mechanical fan will raise your gas mileage a bit.

 

after a lot of reading i had begun to suspect the thermostat myself. i'll pick up a 180 degree unit next time i'm running errands with my bro-in-law (he has a commercial account with autozone). i think i might switch the fan regardless. i'm down for better mileage (averaging 16mpg right now). thanks for the advise.

 

if your coolant tank is milky and muddy, there is more going on after a flush, when changing out that t stat make sure to remove all the coolant from the system, get the correct mopar fluid with the hoax in it, should have never went to quick lube for backflush, unless they used the good mopar fluid.