Oversized radiator for towing

[dla]

use the 4.0L radiator. it will fit. the radiator for the mustang will fit aswell, just not sure what years

Thanks. I Googled around a bit and the only direct match was the 3.0/4.0 V6 radiator - not like GM where you can get upsized radiators. I think I'll check into the mustang radiator too.

 

[dla]

its really unwise to insult the people you expect to help you. rather than calling people names (we're all adults here), you should heed the advise of people with more experience in these subjects than yourself.

ford used essentially the same sized radiator in your 2.3 as they did in the early 4.0's. if its enough to cool off a 220ft-lb v-6, its overkill for your dinky 154ft-lbs 4-popper. ive towed over 3,000lbs up 10% grades in june with my 3.0 and never "run out" of cooling system capacity. your going to be hard pressed to over-load your stock cooling system...just make sure you keep it maintained and it'll be fine.

Wow! Where did you find a 10% grade?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Thank you for the link. However, that land is flat and 1600' elevation, so I don't think Ford towed anything up a pass there. I used to live there.

Try it and see, they are not so shortsighted to build a truck that can not tow its rating somwhere in the US.

They build some funky stuff to torture vehicles on, they want them to break so they know where the weaknesses are.

 

[Ozwynn]

Wow! Where did you find a 10% grade?

Alaska. plus Washington isn't exactly flat either. I used to work at the ford proving ground in Yucca and let me tell you. backing 1999 those trucks were tested. I drove a ranger around the track at 99 mph for hours at a time. they have been tested for heat.


ambient temp has little effect on a modern cooling system. its grade, pay load, engine load and how fast you spin the fan. My LandCruiser will over heat at 30* as quick as it will at 105*

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

Alaska.

dont forget canada...never lived there but ive driven through the canadian rockies several times. dem'r big rocks.

theres a few 8% grades in eastern washington (read: desert), not to mention the cascades passes.

 

[Jspafford]

The truck will be fine.. If it overheats, which I've never seen such a new truck do, your overworking it. Stop and let it cool down. By all means, put in a mechanical temp guage. Put in some 'water wetter' to help keep it cool if you think it needs it.

Short of that trade it in on another brand vehicle so you can run to a free message board about that particular brand and complain about the free responses you get.

 

[dla]

The truck will be fine.. If it overheats, which I've never seen such a new truck do, your overworking it. Stop and let it cool down. By all means, put in a mechanical temp guage. Put in some 'water wetter' to help keep it cool if you think it needs it.

Short of that trade it in on another brand vehicle so you can run to a free message board about that particular brand and complain about the free responses you get.

That's nice. Your opinion is worth every penny I paid for it. But if you go back to my original post, I was looking for vendors.

 

[gw33gp]

It is the efficiency of the radiator that keeps the engine cool, not how much coolant it holds. A larger capacity radiator may slow the rate of increase in temperature but it will not stop the increase in temperature. A larger capacity radiator will also take longer to cool down once it is hot.

I have a race car that has a total coolant capacity of 1 gallon. I does not overheat even in 100+ temperatures as long as it is moving. It has no fan so the engine can't run very long while stopped or it will over heat.

The older Landcruisers had an awesome cooling system. I had a 73 FJ55 that would never overheat if it had plenty of coolant in it. I could run the A/C while wheeling in the desert at near 100 degree temperatures with no hint of overheating. It would even idle forever with the A/C on in hot weather with no issues. However, my 02 Ranger with a 4.0 SOHC engine can do the same thing with a much lower coolant capacity.

 

[Jspafford]

That's nice. Your opinion is worth every penny I paid for it. But if you go back to my original post, I was looking for vendors.

http://www.jegs.com/p/JEGS/1042833/10002/-1

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

sorry Jspafford, i gotta disagree with the electrical cooling fan. installing one of those in place of the stock mechanical fan is a rather large downgrade in cooling system capacity...a lot of guys from the coasts and up north can get away with it, but i would never recomend such an addition to someone who lives in the desert and plans on towing.

 

[Jspafford]

sorry Jspafford, i gotta disagree with the electrical cooling fan. installing one of those in place of the stock mechanical fan is a rather large downgrade in cooling system capacity...a lot of guys from the coasts and up north can get away with it, but i would never recomend such an addition to someone who lives in the desert and plans on towing.

I never said remove the old fan.. That particular one is capable of pushing or pulling. Pop it in front of the radiator and set it to pull.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

aaahh, touche....but you'd need to set it to push if you mounted it in front of the radiator

 

[AllanD]

The "taller" radiators for the other engine will fit the 4cyl truck radiator support

the extra vertical length of the radiator means the bottom of the radiator is lower.

However that isn't the only issue, where the hose ports are can be an issue.

I'm not sure where they are on a 2001-up 2.3DOHC engine

the earlier "Lima" 4cyl engine was "mirror image" to the V6 radiators,
making it something of a bitch to put a bigger radiator in the truck.

Though it should be pointed out that many people have run a
265ft/lb 190hp 2.3 TURBO engine for YEARS wiht the "thin"
(5/8" thick) stock 2.3 Lima radiator.

Somewhere around here I have a 1-1/8" thick Lima radiator for
a Gen1-gen2 truck but that won't do you much good.

I firmly agree that if you have room to mount it and money to buy it when towing an electrical fan IN ADDITION TO the mechanical fan can't hurt.

but for the record after towing 5000# plus at 75mph up an 8% grade in 90degree heat at 6000ft elevation and watching my temp guage go from the bottom 5th of the scale to about 1/3 scale
I don't have one and don't see the need to add it.
(good thing because I don't really have room for one either)

But I have twice the engine you do and probably twice the radiator.


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[Ranger#1]

but for the record after towing 5000# plus at 75mph up an 8% grade in 90degree heat at 6000ft elevation and watching my temp guage go from the bottom 5th of the scale to about 1/3 scale
I don't have one and don't see the need to add it.
(good thing because I don't really have room for one either)


i dont get this part

 

[AllanD]

but for the record after towing 5000# plus at 75mph up an 8% grade in 90degree heat at 6000ft elevation and watching my temp guage go from the bottom 5th of the scale to about 1/3 scale
I don't have one and don't see the need to add it.
(good thing because I don't really have room for one either)


i dont get this part

Because you are not reading my post as a "whole" to place the paragraph in context.

It was a counterpoint to the thought that an electric fan In-addition-to
the stock engine driven fan is necissary.

If On my more powerful 4.0 engine towing a FAR heavier load in vastly more difficult conditions that I don't need an electric cooling fan, then it's likely that anyone else REALLY needs one either.

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