Supercharger/Armor and HIGH Heat, How to cool it??

@RyanL
I haven't yet. Supposedly Walmart carries one that specifically says it's ok for automotive radiators on the label. With this heatwave though, it's been sold out so I can't confirm it. Brand is ACSafe which was formerly FrostKing. The Dawn seemed to get the job done but I suspect the foaming stuff might be better for a deeper clean.

 

maybe something like this: http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXDRST&P=ML
says safe for plastics... but also says flammable.. with the word extremely... so my thoughts would be cold rad spray this stuff then flush with water and a wand..

 

Why exactly are you guys agonizing over which coil cleaner to buy? Almost all the ones I can find claim to be non-corrosive. You can buy a can at Home Depot any day for around $6.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/AC-Safe-Air-Conditioner-Coil-Foaming-Cleaner-AC-920/100599017

 

lol I'm not...
Just had thoughts roll through my head and figured I would throw them out there.

 

Wait. Hang on a sec. There is a whole lot of speculation going on here. My question to you is what are the temps at idle, and what are the temps while you are going freeway speed? At NORMAL even ground.

 

Best thing is plain ole water and the garden hose and lots of time and make sure you get the WHOLE thing!

 

depends on the heat outside, prior to me finding the caked mud on the lower part of the rads it wasn't uncommon to be at 198-202 and if I was idling for longer periods like sitting in a parking lot with AC on get as high as 220. freeway speeds unloaded on flat ground the truck was running 202-215ish again depending on outside temps.

**however, after cleaning the caked mud I am at an idle temp of 180-190 no higher with a flat ground highway speed unload temp of about 186-188** problem seems to have been solved.. good portion of rads that I couldn't see behind the winch and lower section of the plate bumper were nice and caked.. I missed that

my concerns were peaked when on my recent road trip where my temps were higher then the above stated..

 

If it's in stock to get it. That has been my issue.
Also, there are different levels of "safety" for cleaners out there.

 

Run it. Check it out. Temps of 200 and up unless manufacturer specifies those temps as being normal are NOT normal on this truck. Blower or not. If you are still getting higher than reported temps just replace the radiator unless you want to pull it out or pull the fan and shroud assembly and pressure wash it, but then you run the risk of bending the fins due to indirect pressure straight on the fins.

I have the same mileage you do and have never had an overheating issue even on steep inclines. AC or not. May not be a bad time to replace the t stat if you want to be preventative of future issues as well. I'd rather replace a higher mileage functioning t stat with a brand new one than a failing one which is causing overheating. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure as the old saying goes.

And for future reference, don't mess around with mud. Unless you want to kill your frame early.

 

are you removing your rad? might be dumb question as that takes even more time. Or are you doing it on the truck without the grill and such?

 

I was losing darn near or maybe even more than a quarter of the cooling ability of the rads due to packed mud... the rads are fine and so is the thermostat.. the rads are designed size in mind for the spec of the truck.. you reduce that = higher heat. these rads aren't as fragile as many people believe. I used a light pressure mode at my local wash and not a single fin was bent when I was done. truck is back to temps I had when it was new.

 

something to note for everyone in here as well... the dash readout for engine temp didn't even begin to climb until engine temps had reached the 225ish area... soooooo I will leave that for your interpretations, but Toyota designed and programmed that gauge. Yes of course high heat = degradation of parts and gaskets, but if creeping into the 200s was as horrible as some seem to think it is, I would think the gauge would begin to move for anything over 190.. and would climb much more drastically than it did.

 

It's dry enough here in SoCal the mud I see has no effect.. truck gets washed after any such outings and I have yet to have any rust on her.

 

As long as you have it off in short order.

 

At 225 you are reaching close to boiling point of standard motor oil. I'd be more concerned about internals rather than gaskets at those temps. I don't like seeing any vehicle reach those temps whatsoever.

 

Yea That is why I got on here to see what people could offer as advice. I'm just glad it was solved as simply as washing the rads now I know to keep a better eye on it.

 

Yeah man. Glad to hear the fix was cheap. Like you said, just keep an eye on it and if your temps don't rise resume enjoying your blown Taco. If they do feel free to reach out to any of us. Most of us are more than happy to give you solid advice, myself included.

 

Operating temperatute is the PARAMOUNT thing in making sure you are A. Operating within the proper emissions range (california exclusive) and B. Making sure that your engine is running properly no misfires or blown gaskets, seals, and emissions components. Also electrical! All the plastic in our engine bay has its heat limits. You start melting looming you can start melting electrical insulation. Lol.

 

If it hasn't been mentioned yet, you should probably change your oil.

 

Weatherman is saying temps to be up this weekend back into triple digits. We will see how she does for staying cool. If she continues to stay within the current temp range problem should be solved.

also the oil just changed so that's checked off the list. I will also go ahead and drain my rads and refill with fresh coolant since the temps got so hot, just to be sure.

All in all though, everything seems to be good now.