Van engine temp fluctuating

[Bryce C]

My engine temp in my van has been fluctuating a bit. 80% of the time it is normal, reading 210 on the gauge on my dashboard. However 20% of the time it fluctuates up to 220 to 225 then comes back down to 210. It isn't a matter of whether I am stopped/idling or cruising at highway speed. It does it in both situations seemingly equally.

Then today I just left the ball valve to my tm heat exchanger wide open while driving and the van engine maintained a consistent 210 the whole day without a single fluctuation. I'm often worried about the engine overheating when I run the tm for hours..

 

[hogjowl]

I think this is the day for medical advice. You’ll have to wait until after legal advice and tax day. Try Monday or call a mechanic.

 

[Bryce C]

I think this is the day for medical advice. You’ll have to wait until after legal advice and tax day. Try Monday or call a mechanic.

"How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing?"

 

[Nate The Great]

Amazon product
View: https://www.amazon.com/OEMTOOLS-87009-No-Spill-Coolant-Filling/dp/B01A2CQSU6/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2IRQ1DFOCVNR9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.F5nNaC9xMOvmqIn_JRvIH1QfBxk3c9IEnKTvTNpsEE0ApIoMbGRcuo6KKOLMWamcpcZzvYjgY1qCcFa5wYncwBQYiGj2pR-RU8fQVkgPk5Wj-9FP0_4dFe8MSZt9SBpRoYrkLbVhU2a8mWHqoFZKFlUw7tF8lNOw8vOAGJAtQ4ytLb5zOFEMjlBD3Ro2XVnNAq7HZ4JgFqWqiIZu0H44CLJgx603pMGJ5PnYrk2S9ABUrL_o2Bu0SXCGVsGTrOd46Ix3AfUFMNHvqUvnNdpXp0IwdHRFlsGz9JS13FzElgY.AnqCpwteNebqfWx4uCyshgx2YNsKWqRU8ioA7fHMS2s&dib_tag=se&keywords=radiator%2Bfunnel&qid=1758937942&sprefix=radiator%2Bfunnel%2Caps%2C367&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1



I'd use this to burp the system.. You may have to rev your engine and also put the heater on while doing so.. Did you ever put a T or Y on the coolant outlet from the HX?

It takes a while to make sure it's burped.. I don't use a heater core for my climate, so I just hooked the HX directly to the water pump, bypassing the van's heater.. Even with the funnel and my bleeder valve on the HX, it took a while..

Good luck!

 

[Bryce C]

Amazon product
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I'd use this to burp the system.. You may have to rev your engine and also put the heater on while doing so.. Did you ever put a T or Y on the coolant outlet from the HX?

It takes a while to make sure it's burped.. I don't use a heater core for my climate, so I just hooked the HX directly to the water pump, bypassing the van's heater.. Even with the funnel and my bleeder valve on the HX, it took a while..

Good luck!

Thanks Nate! I did put a T with a bleeder valve on the HX. But I think I need to get one of these funnels and follow the steps you mentioned. My technique wasn't that thorough and went pretty quickly.

 

[Dwain Ray]

Well its like the doctor said, guy goes into the doctor and says every time i bend this way my toe hurts, got any suggestions? Doctor said stop bending like that and it wont hurt i don't know how you have your heat exchanger plumbed and or configured into into your cooling system. And i really don't know why you feel the need to shut off the coolant flow to it?? On frankinstien i dont have a valve to stop the coolant but on my original steamgeni i do but its left always on unless i need to clean with cold water. So in closing if everything works fime with the heat exchanger heating than leave it that way. Your not going to wear it out.if you have any fluctuations while it's open(on) then i would be looking for a pocket of air still in the cooling system. But if it stays normal i would say then its in the plumbing meaning when you close the valve(turn it off) coolant in the system isn't going where it's supposed to.below is a diagram of my coolant flow and heat exchanger taps

 

[Bryce C]

That's a good call, if it works fine open then leave it open!

I didn't read it on Google AI originally, I think it was mentioned briefly on one of Hydramasters maintenance videos. But they recommend leaving the coolant valve closed while driving as to not overtax the engine coolant system. I assumed they meant it would overwork the water pump but I never thought about it much and just closed it every time I drive. Anyways this came up on Shmoogle AI for what it's worth:

"Based on information found in HydraMaster manuals and forum discussions, you should never leave the coolant flow open while driving, as
this is a potential cause of overheating. The HydraMaster CDS (Clutch Drive System) is designed to operate only when the vehicle's parking brake is engaged, and the control system should shut off the unit if the van is put into motion.
Here is a breakdown of why this is important and what can cause it to happen.
Risk of overheating

The HydraMaster CDS uses the host vehicle's engine and coolant system to operate.
When the unit is on and running, it places an extra load on the vehicle's engine and cooling system...."

 

[Dwain Ray]

My engine temp in my van has been fluctuating a bit. 80% of the time it is normal, reading 210 on the gauge on my dashboard. However 20% of the time it fluctuates up to 220 to 225 then comes back down to 210. It isn't a matter of whether I am stopped/idling or cruising at highway speed. It does it in both situations seemingly equally.

Then today I just left the ball valve to my tm heat exchanger wide open while driving and the van engine maintained a consistent 210 the whole day without a single fluctuation. I'm often worried about the engine overheating when I run the tm for hours..

If you look closely at the diagram and can read / picture the flow youll see that my system is paralleled. A paralleled system can be closed off whereas if it were in series it couldn't be shut off without effecting what ever else is up or downstream

 

[Dwain Ray]

That's a good call, if it works fine open then leave it open!

I didn't read it on Google AI originally, I think it was mentioned briefly on one of Hydramasters maintenance videos. But they recommend leaving the coolant valve closed while driving as to not overtax the engine coolant system. I assumed they meant it would overwork the water pump but I never thought about it much and just closed it every time I drive. Anyways this came up on Shmoogle AI for what it's worth:

"Based on information found in HydraMaster manuals and forum discussions, you should never leave the coolant flow open while driving, as
this is a potential cause of overheating. The HydraMaster CDS (Clutch Drive System) is designed to operate only when the vehicle's parking brake is engaged, and the control system should shut off the unit if the van is put into motion.
Here is a breakdown of why this is important and what can cause it to happen.
Risk of overheating

The HydraMaster CDS uses the host vehicle's engine and coolant system to operate.
When the unit is on and running, it places an extra load on the vehicle's engine and cooling system...."

If the valve is open more coolant is flowing thru the system to absorb and distribute the heat. In the old days before fan clutches and shrouds if you drove thru the desert you turned on the heater to have a little extra cooling for your engine. So if you have 2 extra gallons of coolant in the system you now have that much more cooling capacity

 

[Bryce C]

If you look closely at the diagram and can read / picture the flow youll see that my system is paralleled. A paralleled system can be closed off whereas if it were in series it couldn't be shut off without effecting what ever else is up or downstream

From the diagram it looks like one HX in your setup receives coolant from the inlet side of your engine, and the other HX receives coolant from the outlet side of your engine. And yet each HX flows into the other HX directly. Its like a big engine coolant party you have going on there Dwain-o. Forgive me I don't understand the difference between parallel and series setups. I should because I learned about that in DC electrical when I was setting up solar panels on few RVs and a cabin. Maybe that was completely different though...

 

[Bryce C]

If the valve is open more coolant is flowing thru the system to absorb and distribute the heat. In the old days before fan clutches and shrouds if you drove thru the desert you turned on the heater to have a little extra cooling for your engine. So if you have 2 extra gallons of coolant in the system you now have that much more cooling capacity

That makes good sense to me. You build way better truckmounts then them, and your my bud, and that simply makes sense, so I trust your advice on the matter. But this is what Hydramaster says about it...

 

[Dwain Ray]

No it recives heat from the upper radiator hose going from the engine to the radiator and it returns spent coolant back into the engine thru the heater hose in

 

[Dwain Ray]

Like i said i don't know how your system is plumbed. Ive never had to shut off my coolant on any pto ive had. I dont think cleanco or butler even have a valve to shut it off. (The diagram i sent you is cleanco with no valve mentioned)
If they say shut it off id call them and ask how important it is to do that. It seems to me that coolant flow is more critical when the van is stationary that when moving. From what trouble shooting you have explained according to you valve open temp fine valve closed temp varies. And that and how my machines run is all i have to go on to base a recommendation

 

[Dwain Ray]

Amazon product
View: https://www.amazon.com/OEMTOOLS-87009-No-Spill-Coolant-Filling/dp/B01A2CQSU6/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2IRQ1DFOCVNR9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.F5nNaC9xMOvmqIn_JRvIH1QfBxk3c9IEnKTvTNpsEE0ApIoMbGRcuo6KKOLMWamcpcZzvYjgY1qCcFa5wYncwBQYiGj2pR-RU8fQVkgPk5Wj-9FP0_4dFe8MSZt9SBpRoYrkLbVhU2a8mWHqoFZKFlUw7tF8lNOw8vOAGJAtQ4ytLb5zOFEMjlBD3Ro2XVnNAq7HZ4JgFqWqiIZu0H44CLJgx603pMGJ5PnYrk2S9ABUrL_o2Bu0SXCGVsGTrOd46Ix3AfUFMNHvqUvnNdpXp0IwdHRFlsGz9JS13FzElgY.AnqCpwteNebqfWx4uCyshgx2YNsKWqRU8ioA7fHMS2s&dib_tag=se&keywords=radiator%2Bfunnel&qid=1758937942&sprefix=radiator%2Bfunnel%2Caps%2C367&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1



I'd use this to burp the system.. You may have to rev your engine and also put the heater on while doing so.. Did you ever put a T or Y on the coolant outlet from the HX?

It takes a while to make sure it's burped.. I don't use a heater core for my climate, so I just hooked the HX directly to the water pump, bypassing the van's heater.. Even with the funnel and my bleeder valve on the HX, it took a while..

Good luck!

I used a vacuum system to fill my coolant system

 

[Dwain Ray]

I just went thru the 283 page cleanco installation manual. There's no coolant shut off on a cleanco eighter

 

[Bryce C]

I think I am going to go ahead and burp the system more properly per Nate's recommendation and see if it changes the engine temp fluctuations with the coolant valve to my hx closed just to see and learn. However I may drive with the coolant valve open regardless moving forward since I'm watching the engine temp perform better, and it makes sense there is extra cooling capacity that way.

I do wonder though if there are air pockets in my coolant system, having them concentrated in the factory engine coolant route may be causing temp fluctuations, and then opening the hx valve spreads the air pockets out sufficiently enough where it doesn't effect the cooling performance. I'll see after I properly burp the system.

 

[Bryce C]

How do folks tune down their heat when cleaning cellulosic fibers if there is no coolant shutoff valve on their TM? Does their setup just have an adjustable valve for fresh water to bypass the HX instead?

 

[Rob Grady]

I just went thru the 283 page cleanco installation manual. There's no coolant shut off on a cleanco eighter

View attachment 132662

 

[Rob Grady]

View attachment 132672 View attachment 132673

You can see here where I plumbed a bypass setup for the heat exchangers. Also a standpipe to add or drain coolant when needed.

 

[Dwain Ray]

How do folks tune down their heat when cleaning cellulosic fibers if there is no coolant shutoff valve on their TM? Does their setup just have an adjustable valve for fresh water to bypass the HX instead?

How do folks tune down their heat when cleaning cellulosic fibers if there is no coolant shutoff valve on their TM? Does their setup

How do folks tune down their heat when cleaning cellulosic fibers if there is no coolant shutoff valve on their TM? Does their setup just have an adjustable valve for fresh water to bypass the HX instead?

I dont run into many instances where i need to turn down the temperature i do have a separate quick connect that bypasses the salsa unit and only uses engine heat. But to be honest, i installed that because mixing chemicals at idle the salsa unit cooled the soulition too much to properly dissolve powders and i needed a way to bypass it to get more heat not less

 

[scotty747]

Mine does the same thing 2004. I drive with the heat on, shut it off to prespray. Runs about 210. Bumps up now and then. I finally just quit thinking about it but I do check the van temp once or twice during cleaning. That's what your helper is for.

 

[Bryce C]

The

Mine does the same thing 2004. I drive with the heat on, shut it off to prespray. Runs about 210. Bumps up now and then. I finally just quit thinking about it but I do check the van temp once or twice during cleaning. That's what your helper is for.

Excellent, thanks for the feedback. I've been adding a little coolant to my radiator each day, there is a small leak in the thermostat housing gasket. Once I started driving with the coolant flowing to the HX my engine temps normalized and the leak around my thermostat housing stopped. I'm happy about that. Although I think the thermostat housing will continue leaking at some point. I'll just keep an eye on it all.

 

[they live]

Add the coolant to your overflow not the radiator. You are letting air into the system when you remove the radiator cap.

 

[Nate The Great]

Add the coolant to your overflow not the radiator. You are letting air into the system when you remove the radiator cap.

Only do that after the funnel tip.. You need to burp the system first.. If you have an air pocket trapped, it won’t come out the overflow container.

 

[Bryce C]

Add the coolant to your overflow not the radiator. You are letting air into the system when you remove the radiator cap.

I was just keeping coolant in the overflow reservoir at the cold fill line where it seemed stable, then suddenly my engine overheated in a customers driveway several weeks ago. It was so low on coolant it couldn't move through the system and it overheated.

Since then I've been checking each day and my coolant overflow reservoir stays stable, but my radiator slowly drops its coolant level. I don't know what's going on... I have a small leak in the thermostat housing, which is why I have to keep adding coolant to the radiator, despite the coolant cold fill line always being stable. Haven't had a chance to address the thermostat housing yet. Hopefully this Saturday morning I can get to it.

 

[Bryce C]

Maybe when I attached the new HX I reversed the 2 lines coming from the engine and it screwed the flow up. The 2 lines were connected to one another and the old busted HX was bypassed for a while, the incoming and outgoing coolant hoses from the engine weren't labeled. I'll look at a diagram in the manual and see which way it should be routed before I drain the coolant to address the thermostat housing.

 

[Dwain Ray]

Maybe when I attached the new HX I reversed the 2 lines coming from the engine and it screwed the flow up. The 2 lines were connected to one another and the old busted HX was bypassed for a while, the incoming and outgoing coolant hoses from the engine weren't labeled. I'll look at a diagram in the manual and see which way it should be routed before I drain the coolant to address the thermostat housing.

Shouldn't matter as far as flow of coolant thru the heat exchanger is concerned. However it could affect the amount of heat you get outa your soulition. The hottest coolant should go into the the side where the hottestt soulition comes out. If reversed the cooler coolant would take heat from the soulition cooler(spent) coolant leaving the heat exchanger should be heating the colder soulition coming in

 

[Dwain Ray]

Shouldn't matter as far as flow of coolant thru the heat exchanger is concerned. However it could affect the amount of heat you get outa your soulition. The hottest coolant should go into the the side where the hottestt soulition comes out. If reversed the cooler coolant would take heat from the soulition cooler(spent) coolant leaving the heat exchanger should be heating the colder soulition coming in

Easiest redneck way to find out which side is supply and which is return ( if you can't trace the hoses) is while van engine is cold, start engine and hold each coolant hoses in your hands , the one that heats up first is supply ( hot in) the cooler one is return