Fourtrak Heater improved by rad blind?

Forum: 

Hi, not long had my Fortrak 2.8td J plate. Reading the forums I realise that a previous owner has cured a problem with viscous fan by effectively siezing the coupling. I have cool heater and wondered if a fix for this cold period could be made by the use of an adjustable rad/grill blind, as fitted to london black cabs etc.

Cheers and thanks for a very informative site.

Colin

Cardboard.

Cut a cardboard box and use a sheet of card between the radiator and the grill - adjust for cooling. Works ok but watch the temperature gauge towards springtime! Smile

Faulty / no thermostat

Sounds to me like the thermostat isn't working / isn't there!

I wouldn't try blocking the rad with a blind until you've checked for correct thermostat operation.

I'm sure some Fourtraks were fitted with directly coupled fans.

1985 Veg oil burning Fourtrak "Rocky".

1985 Veg oil burning Fourtrak "Rocky".

can the fan turn

When engine is switched off can the fan be turned by hand cos if it can then its not been seized, blocking the rad doesnt hurt a bit, loads of vehicles with big lazy diesal lumps have blinds to warm them up in winter, especiallly landy's, if i was you, block it, run it, does it get warm (in cab and temperature gauge) if it does then sounds like your fan is very efficient and cuts in to early or it is seized (using extra fuel), if the thermostat didint work your engine would overheat, so it sounds the opposite - make sure the gauge works ok.........

Full of ideas but no time to do them!!

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Checked Fan, turns but stiff.

Thanks for the comments. Checked the fan and it is stiff but turns by hand. When started from cold the fan is spinning quickly, thats what made me suspect it had been modded. I have only had the car a couple of weeks and when I drove it 30 miles at up to 60 and then 2 miles through town traffic the heater was still cool and temp gauge seemed low/normal. I'll have a closer look around it when the weather warms up, maybe the weekend. Bought this mainly for fishing and towing the 13' boat I have. Maybe I'll have a go at a bit of off roading if there is a local group - anyone know of any such group near to Boston Lincs?

Cheers Colin

Speed humps 10 chavs 0

Cooling or not

In addition to the previous comments, it would be prudent to flush and fully clean the cooling system, this will improve things considerably.

Viscous Fans

These always roar and spin quicker on start up and as said if you can turn it by hand it isn't seized.

A blind will help however crude to reduce colling by blocking air flow aroos the Rad fins but watch the temperature guage. A lt of old cars had quite ingenious rad blinds that could be adjusted from the dash and the old Landies have them with roll down pop stud panels that allow you to adjust them dependant on outside temp. Apart from the Landy type most others have gone now as engines are more efficient hot than cool and the circulation of coolant has improved n modern engines,

Ant card used should be infront of the radiator and behinf the grill and should be accesible for removal. Normal cardboard will get soggy in wet weather so something like a sheet of alloy is better as long as you can stop it rattling. Try cutting some holes in it to allow air through but restricting the total area.

OLDMINIMAN

M J Young

Jammed open thermostat

I mention about checking the thermostat, as ours was jammed open, therefore it never reached operating temperature.

1985 Veg oil burning Fourtrak "Rocky".

1985 Veg oil burning Fourtrak "Rocky".