Running TOO Cold... Body lift to cause?

[rkalb]

Ever since i did my body lift a few years ago my engine doesn't seem to go above 1/4 of a way past C on the guage. In the past few weeks i havn't had it go past C.
I noticed compared to before the body lift the heater hoses going into the cabin are now the highest part of the cooling system. Improper bleeding?
Any ideas?

-Replaced thermostat

 

[briwayjones]

Shouldn't have anything to do with the heater hoses. Sounds like you need a new thermostat. Oh you said you already replaced it. How long ago did you replace it?

 

[rkalb]

Replaced the thermostat last year but it didnt make a difference. I guess icould try again.

 

[gmanpaint]

A body lift can affect engine temps.

The one thing that the body lift can do is change the air flow to the clutch fan.

The air flowing from ABOVE the radiator is what operates the clutch fan. The fan kicks on from the temps of the flow of air passing over its center. When it reaches a certain temp, the fluid in the center of the fan body is released when the spring heats up and opens the valve, then centrifugal force takes over and kicks the fan on. When the ambient temp around the spring steel valve is cooled, it closes and the fluids return to the body, thus shutting the fan off.

Okay, now with that being said,
Depending on where the air flow is most concentrated coming in the engine bay will determine how the clutch fan reacts.

Edit: A body lift changes the flow of air coming into the engine bay. (The radiator core support is lifted along with the body lift. The fan location stays the same.)

In the summer months, the air flow is hotter and flows over the sensor, and the fan runs more.

In the winter months, the air flow is cooler and the fan runs less.

Now with the lifted truck, the air flow path is changed up and does not flow right too the center of the clutch fan. The fan now also operates on ambient temps trapped in the engine bay.

What does this mean? It means the engine will run cooler in the winter & hotter in the summer.

How do you remedy this? With a heavy duty severe clutch fan of course.

The fan will run better as the switch that operates the fan is more sensitive, and the fluids in the body are greater and the fan turns harder/faster.

After all this explaining how a clutch fan and a body lift work together, I have no clue if this is the reason why your rig is running cooler right now.

It could be your Anti-freeze is bad and needs changed out. Do you have sufficient heat?

It could be your t-stat is stuck wide open and wont allow the engine to reach temps. Do you have sufficient heat?

Your temp gauge or temp sensor could be messed up.

Heck if I know, I mean what do I know anyways? :

 

[mr_valingo]

Im guessing its a faulty sensor. My x runs hot, sometimes dead center on the guage, and i have a heavy duty clutch fan. With the body lift my fan shroud was sacrificed allowing the fan to suck air from the engine compartment instead of through the radiator

 

[Jason c]

A body lift changes the flow of air coming into the engine bay. (The radiator is lifted along with the body lift. The fan location stays the same.)

My kit came with drop brackets for the radiator, as do most of the other kits. So the radiator does not get lifted with the body. I have had no temp changes after doing my body lift.

 

[gmanpaint]

My kit came with drop brackets for the radiator, as do most of the other kits. So the radiator does not get lifted with the body. I have had no temp changes after doing my body lift.

True.

But the Rad core support is lifted.

Will edit your acute observation, thanks.

 

[RomeovilleIL]

Im guessing its a faulty sensor. My x runs hot, sometimes dead center on the guage, and i have a heavy duty clutch fan. With the body lift my fan shroud was sacrificed allowing the fan to suck air from the engine compartment instead of through the radiator

Might be missing something here, but why didn't you just cut the bottom of the shroud and remount the remainder lower with zip ties? The airflow around the engine is nowhere near as important as the flow through the radiator. Pulling air through most of the radiator with a relocated shroud beats the poop out of none. If you don't have it anymore, they are like $5 at any u-pull lot or you can custom make your own for very little cash using cardboard with fiberglass cloth and resin.

 

[RomeovilleIL]

Ever since i did my body lift a few years ago my engine doesn't seem to go above 1/4 of a way past C on the guage. In the past few weeks i havn't had it go past C.
I noticed compared to before the body lift the heater hoses going into the cabin are now the highest part of the cooling system. Improper bleeding?
Any ideas?

-Replaced thermostat

As stated before, check if you get heat before you go crazy with everything else. Could be a simple bad connection or temp guage. If the heater hoses do not get hot, then start looking for clues. One would be the make sure the thermostat is 195 or 198 degree. It should have been printed on the box, but you can always test it in a pot of water on the stove with a meat thermometer. If its a 180, you stay cold and the engine will not go closed loop which equals running rich and crappy gas milage.

 

[mr_valingo]

Might be missing something here, but why didn't you just cut the bottom of the shroud and remount the remainder lower with zip ties? The airflow around the engine is nowhere near as important as the flow through the radiator. Pulling air through most of the radiator with a relocated shroud beats the poop out of none. If you don't have it anymore, they are like $5 at any u-pull lot or you can custom make your own for very little cash using cardboard with fiberglass cloth and resin.

Yeah the shroud was long gone before i got the truck. I got the clutch fan for free. Gonna ditch that for an electric fan come spring.

 

[rkalb]

Thanks for all the replies. But i think I have found the cause of this issue!!!! The other day my truck died on the freeway and i was having my friend start the engine when i noticed the fan was wobbling.... I had him turn it off and noticed there was a crack in the fan making it way off balance. Therefore the cyntrifical force from the wobble was making run all the time even when the clutch was not engaged.