Temp Problems

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11-24-2003, 01:25 PM

#21

Rotaryman13b

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Join Date: May 2003

Location: Los Angeles CA

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An update! I had one of my Nissan friends take a look at my car over the weekend and found out that the fan clutch was dead. It will push air from a cold start but after a minute the fan can be stopped with your hand and actually span the opposite direction of operation while the car is running. So we did a jerry rig test of locking down the fan using a coat hanger wire and witnessed the temp actually going down. So it was the fan clutch after all. I asked another friend about the why would I have problems with temp at higher speeds. He told me that past 40mph your gonna have the same heating issues as a standing idle because the air starts to create a turbulant air pressure zone, he apparently has the same problem with his viper when he goes racing, his temp gauge starts to sky rocket when he hits the straightaways.

Teknics, I think I'll still take you up on that offer for the fan clutch. Send me a pm or email at rotaryman13b@hotmail.com so we can set something up.

Greg

11-24-2003, 01:40 PM

#22

Jims5543

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Join Date: Dec 2001

Location: Jensen Beach, FL / Sylva, NC

Posts: 2,934

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rotaryman13b' date='Nov 19 2003, 01:16 PM

Okay after hours of work I have come to the conclusion that my engine is bad!

I troubleshooted about the entire coolant system and replaced most of it. Here's what I did

Water Pump = replaced with new

Radiator = replaced with Koyo all aluminum

thermostat = checked operates properly

fan clutch = works properly

AC Condenser cleaned of any debri

engine reverse flushed

brand new coolant (peak pre-mix)

water and engine temp sensors checked for grounding

so far everything here has been done less replacing the sensors. And still it takes the car 5 minutes of driving for the engine temp to raise up to 3/4ths on the gauge. And now I finally noticed white smoke puffing from the exhaust, irratic Idle after the car has warmed up a bit. So I am thinking I have a water jacket leak. Not sure how that makes the engine run hotter than normal, but none the less, I need a professional to look at the car. So My question know is I live in LA near Van Nuys, in the San Fernando Valley area. Is there any reputable rotary experts that can take a look at my car? I'm to the point that this problem is beyond my abilities to troubles shoot or even fix, so now its time to have someone else give a look.

Thanks

Mad props for doing all that. Its refreshing to see someone actually try to fix the problem. I hesitate to suggest doing all of the things you just did because most will cry it will cost too much but what you just did is exactly what I would have done. You cannot spend enough on your cooling system. I hope your engine is O.K. Got my fingers crossed for you.

Do you have your belly pan on like Ronin asked that does wonders to the cooling at highway speeds.

11-24-2003, 03:38 PM

#23

Rotaryman13b

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Jims5543' date='Nov 24 2003, 11:40 AM

Do you have your belly pan on like Ronin asked that does wonders to the cooling at highway speeds.

Nah but I really want to install one, I've been researching this in some books I have been reading and it sounds like it will improbe cooling considerably by creating a higher pressure zone in front of the radiator and ac condensor and the air has no choice but go through the radiator. Is there a company that makes these parts or is it a custom job? Because I its the next thing on my list to do on coolant system (aside from getting a new fan clutch!!)

As far as working on the car, its a breeze, never really worked on engines before, but I grasp mechanical engineering with ease. I used to rebuild and port my own engines when I raced r/c gas cars.

Greg

11-24-2003, 04:27 PM

#24

Jims5543

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Join Date: Dec 2001

Location: Jensen Beach, FL / Sylva, NC

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Are you still using your topmount intercooler?

In my quest to make my car run a cool as possible I have been messing around. I have gone to a FMIC and when I did that I noticed my temp rise. I figured it was the FMIC blocking the radiator. Then I read that the open hood scoop will hurt airflow over the rad. I blocked it off and di one better I raised the back of the hood about 1/8" and pulled the rubber molding sealing it off. Temps dropped at highway speeds noticably.

Get a belly pan - check some junk yards or get some sheet metal and make your own. It is a must do.

11-24-2003, 05:29 PM

#25

Rotaryman13b

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Jims5543' date='Nov 24 2003, 02:27 PM

I'm still running the top mount, however I do plan converting the car to a front mount, just later on when its economically feasible (heheh oxymoron). But yeah I read somewhere if the mazda engineers had the chance to design the FC's over again they would reverse the scoop and make it cowl inducted. that way you'd get decent air flow through the engine bay but still keep it a low pressure zone so the radiator worked properly. So the FC's originally came with a belly pan!! ahh thats good to know. It didn't have one when I bought the car and I didn't know much about the undersides of these vehicles. Well I got a weekend project ahead of me!

Are there any pick and pull junkyards in the San Fernando Valley that anyone knows about?

Another question, as a temporary fix, I was thinking of locking up the fan clutch by ways of drilling and bolting the inner plate to the outer housing. I don't plan on revving the car high if I do this, but other than that is this advisable as a temporary mickey mouse solution?

Greg

11-25-2003, 05:53 PM

#26

tancred

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Join Date: Nov 2003

Location: Salt Lake City

Posts: 319

cure to my cooling problems was to run without a thermostat in the summer, temp needle never went more then 1-4mm above the L or C or whatever the hell the bottom mark is. And on mountain cruises with the rotary club, i was the only one who didnt have their heater on trying to circulate the coolant.. =)

11-25-2003, 07:18 PM

#27

Rob x-7

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Location: Amityville, New York

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Quote:

Originally Posted by tancred' date='Nov 25 2003, 06:53 PM

Not to be a dick or anything, but there is something wrong with that

rotory club if everyone of them were running THAT hot.

11-25-2003, 09:48 PM

#28

Jims5543

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Location: Jensen Beach, FL / Sylva, NC

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I was told nopt to run mine w/o a thermostat unless I modify something else. I just cannot remember what as I have no intention of doing that.

I always drill a 1/8" hole in my thermostat so any air trapped gets by and does not vapor lock the thermostat.

11-25-2003, 10:32 PM

#29

tancred

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Join Date: Nov 2003

Location: Salt Lake City

Posts: 319

yeah, the whole club was hitting like more then 80% up their guages. lol, i just stopped using a thermostat and its working fine with and without one, but just my own personal preference is to have no thermostat in the hot *** summer.

11-29-2003, 10:59 PM

#30

Rotaryman13b

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An update on my situation. Well I think I got my problem resolved for the most part. I replaced the fan clutch which was completely fubared. So now I have a car that is better tempered. I gets up to about 1/5 on the temp gauge and stays there. even when I give it some stick and push the rpms near redline it was maintaining the temps. I am still curious if this is normal because when I first got that car and right up to before I was having coolant problems the car would barely peak up past the bottom of the gauge. So I am wondering if there is still something going on. I am having some other issues with the car that might be contributing to the problem. (getting bad idle and I think my anti-afterburn system is on its last legs, getting a lot of popping sounds frome the exhaust).

what I was told that running without a t-stat will give your car trouble on cold starts, plus your gas milage and emmissions will be shitty because your car will operate under optimal temp level for a longer period of time. I was told that drilling a 1/8 hole or a bit wider would help out a lot.