LAZY DAZE / OVERHEATING July 24, 2005, 04:45:52 pm Yahoo Message Number: 56075Hello All, My name is Don Peake and we own a 1983 LD TK. She has 70,000 miles, and everything works fine except the cooling system. We just returned from our maiden voyage to Washington State and BC. 3,000 miles later, I can only say that Lazy Daze is the way to go. I fixed the swamp cooler, ( It just hadn't been used in a long time) and it helped the kids stay cool while driving and parked. BUT..... Every time we approached a long grade I had to watch the temperature gauge like a hawk. It would sit at the middle for a bit, and if the outside air temp rose above 80 deg, we had to slow down so as not to overheat. We never did overheat, but the needle crawled up too close to red for me. When we arrived in the San Juan Islands, I had my local mechanic install a new thermostat. My wife drove the rig home through Ca. as I flew from Portland, and when the OAT was at 90-100 deg. she really had to watch it, especially on that long long Grapevine. I was very interested in Dave's comment about a radiator mister..... But I think I am going to need a new radiator first. We were not towing, but we were loaded with kids and luggage. When we purchased her, (March 2005) the previous owner said that they bought it from the original owner, and that it had been parked for 2 years. He also said that it got hot on long grades. So, is this just "normal" or can it be remedied? Thank You for your Advice, Don Peake Los Angeles, Ca.
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] LAZY DAZE / OVERHEATING Reply #1 – July 24, 2005, 05:52:55 pm Yahoo Message Number: 56076At 08:45 PM 7/24/2005 +0000, you wrote:QuoteHe also said that it got hot on long grades. So, is this just "normal" or can it be remedied? I don't think it's normal, depending on how heavily you were loaded and the engine size. We had a 1980 22-foot rear lounge for ten years and never had overheating problems except one time when the radiator had sprung a small leak (so small we didn't notice it until the overheating started). It had a 450 engine, as I recall. My recommendation would be to take it to a radiator shop and have the unit flushed and checked out. If you already have installed a new thermostat, then that's not the problem. A good flush may fix it, or you may need a new radiator.Sonsie
Re: LAZY DAZE / OVERHEATING Reply #2 – July 25, 2005, 01:41:36 pm Yahoo Message Number: 56103QuoteHello All, My name is Don Peake and we own a 1983 LD TK. She has 70,000 miles, and everything works fine except the cooling system... Hello Don, I have an '84 LD with a 350 cid engine with about 90K miles on it. It runs pretty cool, even in Texas with temps in high 90's it never goes over about half way on the temp gauge. Seems to alway run between 150 degrees and 180 if I recall.Like another poster said, probably should take it in to get checked out. Could be a lot of things like: - radiator problems (clogged, corroded, etc.) - clogged overflow tube (won't let extra coolant in when needed) - bad water pump - slipping belt on water pump - clutch on fan not operating properly (this would be my bet) When the fan clutch on my LD kicks in you know it, it's pretty loud, and I remember a while back another post likened it to a jet taking off. If you don't hear a large whirring noise when you're engine gets a little hot, then this might be the problem.Good Luck with it, Chuck'84 Multiplan (Big Blue)
Re: LAZY DAZE / OVERHEATING Reply #3 – July 25, 2005, 10:22:08 pm Yahoo Message Number: 56111QuoteHello All, My name is Don Peake and we own a 1983 LD TK. She has 70,000 miles, and everything works fine except the cooling system. Don, I used to have an 84 LD and had a similar problem. I decided to replace the radiator and discovered that most of the fins were clogged with debris. It isn't obvious at first glance since it clogs between the radiator and the air conditioning condenser. This also prevented the clutch fan from engaging since it could not sense the heat from the radiator. You might try to flush the debris out with a hose by squirting it from the engine side. If that fails, you might want to pull the radiator and see if the fins are all clogged. Perhaps you might be able to check this at night by holding a light by the fan area (engine off of course!) and looking through the air conditioner condenser to see if you can readily see the light. This is a free fix that worked for me. John
Re: LAZY DAZE / OVERHEATING Reply #4 – July 26, 2005, 02:51:56 am Yahoo Message Number: 56117QuoteWhen the fan clutch on my LD kicks in you know it, it's pretty loud, and I remember a while back another post likened it to a jet taking off. If you don't hear a large whirring noise when you're engine gets a little hot, then this might be the problem. Yep, and if you've never hear this sound, look at what sort of fan is installed. Fan blades should be stiff, broad, steeply pitched, and should be clutch mounted (a squat, cylindrical, heavily-finned aluminum box that allows the fan to turn with resistance on its shaft when the engine is cold and off). If, instead, the fan has flexible, shiny blades and will not rotate, someone has installed a 'flex-fan'. This should be removed and discarded, and the correct fan and clutch installed. Flex-fans provide moderate airflow at moderate engine speeds, but no more at high engine speeds. The stock clutched fan will provide NO airflow if off, moderate flow if on at moderate engine speeds, and tremendous airflow if on at high engine speeds. If you are ascending a steep grade in hot weather, THIS is what you want to keep things cool. The proper fan will suck nearly 40 hp from the engine at full rpm, and this will effectively cool the radiator even as it slows you down some.Steve
Topic: LAZY DAZE / OVERHEATING (Read 4 times)
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Topic: LAZY DAZE / OVERHEATING (Read 4 times)
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