Recently purchased a conversion hightop w/94K and did not have a manual. I know I need 16.5 qt. of coolant if I flush the radiator but not sure what type of coolant to buy. (Brand recommendations welcomed.)

I recently drove it from PA to RI and back and experienced a rise in engine temp from a little under 210 to about 230 with AC on max, chugging up the hills on I95 at about 70 mph in the heat of the day. Was able quickly bring the temp down by turning on the heater. Otherwise, I didn't see any bumps in the temp. Without knowing the maintenance history, could it be that all it needs is a coolant exchange?

In reading previous forum posts, I've already verified the fan is working, and the radiator appears to be ok after a visual inspection of both sides. The water pump looks fairly new and it doesn't act like a thermostat issue (IMHO).

Thoughts and suggestions welcome. And if anyone just happens to have a "spare" manual, I'd be happy to take it off your hands ;-)

Thanks,
Carolyn

 

Any name brand (Prestone, Peak, etc.) green coolant is recommended. The extended life (red) coolant is crap IMHO. Usually, the coolant you find at Autozone or Wal-Mart is manufactured by a name brand company anyway so I always buy the least expensive stuff I can find.

Buy full strength and mix 50/50 with distilled water only - do not use tap water.

Also, the 10 year mark is typically when the B vans need a new radiator unless the previous owner(s) fdid a flush & refill every 2-3 years, which is not likely.

In order to remove all of the old coolant from the system you should drain the engine block by removing the water jacket bolt near the front of the engine near the motor mount, of course after draining as much as you can by opening the petcock at the bottom of the radiator. If coolant does not flow from the engine block after removing the jacket bolt gently poke a phillips head screwdriver in there - there may be rust and scale buildup.

Wear safety glasses -- the coolant comes out of the jacket like a fat cow pissing on a flat rock.

Good luck.

 

Thank you very much for your advice. It sounds like there is a new radiator in my future, if not now, soon. Economically, It looks like I'd be better off doing the work now and saving myself the cost of buying coolant twice. I believe I've a 50% coupon coming from Advance Auto Parts which would drop the cost of a Ready-Rad radiator to under $100. I'm guessing this unit would work as well as any other?

Removal doesn't sound to very difficult. (I've just found a site where you can view Chilton's online for free.) My biggest problem with doing my own work is having the strength to bust bolts loose or trying to get heavy parts to align but my life has been made easier with a can or two of Deep Creep and a nephew willing to help. I bought the van to travel to dog shows and coursing events and I don't want to risk overheating. Being stranded on a hot day in the middle of nowhere is not fun but being stranded with several dogs along would be a nightmare.

Because of this site I have been able to solve a problem I had with it stalling when I put it in gear for just the cost of a can of carb. cleaner, q-tips and a clean air filter. I've also fixed the problem where the fan would only run on high (the easiest fix I've ever done!) If it wasn't for people on this site willing to share their expertise and experiences, I've saved myself quite a bit of cash, in this economy that is a real blessing. Thanks!

Carolyn

 

This site is helpful, and most questions get answered in a responsible way sooner or later. I think most DIY people do it first and foremost to save the money which typically amounts to about 50% versus paying a mechanic.

You'll get information here available nowhere else because most of us have been driving these vans for years so we've seen it all. And most of us have fixed it all, too. Lots of wisdom available.



A few knuckle-heads, too.

Anyway, rust shouldn't be much of an issue regarding a radiator swap. Some have used a Ready Rad (made in Mexico, I think) with good results. I have heard quite bad things about the "Made in China" Internet radiators and would recommend you stay away from those.

Getting to the thermostat at the top of the intake manifold requires removing the alternator, and most of us also unbolt the A/C compressor mount bolts (while leaving the refrigerant lines intact) and move it aside to gain room to work. Can be a fairly difficult job for those who have less experience. Need to have some good quality tools for this also.

And, most would recommend you change the water pump while you're in there since it's likely 10 years old, just like the radiator. So read up on this process before embarking on your journey to avoid beginning something you'd rather not finish.

If you've ever seen the mechanic Bruce Bonebrake on the DIY Network he'd probably rate this a 5 Wrench job on the difficulty scale where 1 Wrench is very easy and 5 Wrenches is most difficult.

 

Gentlemen,

I spoke to my family "mechanic" and he suggested trying the system flush to see what happens. I finally screwed up the courage to give it a go this morning and just finished, a little under 12 hours later. Draining everything out was a lot easier than I expected the tedious part was filling it all back up, milking the hoses and topping off then letting it run up to temp before I could let it sit a spell to cool and then start the process over. I ran two containers of prestone flush through it with distilled water, flushed it again with distilled water before filling it up with a mix of distilled and "green" antifreeze

Just wanted to check with you folks on what I found. First, the bottom of my catch container contained a very fine layer of what looked like copper powder. Is this normal? Otherwise, it looked like antifreeze. The liquid that drained out after the flush was a bit cloudy but the color of a pale ale. Normal?? Finally, what I could see of the inside of the radiator looked pretty good, not shiny like a new nickle but not covered with a heavy coating of anything, like I've seen pics posted here. Could this mean this radiator is in fairly good shape, perhaps more recently replaced??

Took the van out for a test drive and for the most part temps were (guessing) at about 190. Rose up to about 200 (several tics below the 210 mark) during a long idle at the drive through. Outdoor temps are a bit cooler than my last road trip that saw engine temps at 230. I'm thinking I may have dodged a bullet but I've a trip to NJ planned at the end of the month so that should tell me more, I think, than around town driving.

Any thoughts you care to share? This was the first time I've flushed a cooling system out so If I've missed anything important, feel free to chime in. I will check levels again tomorrow as I reckon there may be some more air trapped that the heating and cooling will allow to rise to the top.

Thanks!
Carolyn

 

The powder debris may have been from the build up in the radiator core. Which is normal. Should also do a pressure test on the cooling system too.

 

Sounds like you did the flush well. Did you use any Prestone Flush prior to draining? Or about a gallon or so of distilled White Vinegar? This will remove a bunch of built up scale in the cooling loop.

the colors you are seeing seems normal. Plan on doing one more flush within 6,000 miles or around the second oil change from now. This will ensure the coolant corrosion inhibitors to protect the cooling loop really well.

As for the temps rising and lowering, a few things to note. 1. How old are the hoses from the radiator to the water pump and the engine block? If the hoses are too old, they tend to go soft and either collapse or bulge causing a fluctuation in temps like you describe. 2. This is an IAC issue. If the IAC is dirty, and the idle goes very low, the engine temp will keep rising since the water pump isn't turning enough RPMs. 3. Temps may rise at idle if the viscous clutch has gone bad. If you replace it, see my thread here about a radiator and cooling loop replacement under my ID for the search. It's very detailed.

Also, engine temps will rise if the outside of the engine is coated with oil, grim, rust, heat shields missing and blocked air flow. The engine temp will also rise if the oil used has been run too long for time and miles. Gunk Motor Flush can help an engine, but careful if the engine has too many miles, use 1/2 of the recommended requirements then. Keep the PVC valve clean and the crank case breathe clean too.

Your Ram Van/Wagon year of 02 has the tranny oil cooler in the radiator and two lines to the tranny. An oil cooler is also placed in the mix between the RAD and the AC condenser. When I pulled my RAD (radiator), there was so much pine needles, leaves and junk down below where you usually can see them. This plugs up the fins on the cooling cores for the cooling loops.

 

Thanks Master Tech. I don't know how to do that, I guess I'll have that done at the shop when I take it in.

Stev, yes, I did use prestone superflush, 2 bottles at once as suggested on the directions ;-) I'm going to work through your suggestions over the next week and will let you know if I find anything notable. I've a new question I need to post to the board... seems my muffler has about 3 holes in it. Previous owner "fixed" with some sort of grey gunk that didn't hold. Looks rusted out and needs replaced.

Carolyn