Fastest Way to Cool an Engine Overheat

I've used oven cleaner also to clean radiator fins. Spray on let sit 30 minutes, rinse off.

 

I've pulled 100,000 gross and better up to Genesee, out of Evergreen, over Eisenhower, Vail, out of Climax, over Monarch... and I keep the coolant and oil temp down to where the truck may need a brief cool-off at the top. Not an emergency, open-the-hood, 250-F coolant, 300-F oil temp mess, a cool off to give it a minute to rest... it's not a fantasy, it's knowing how to drive your truck.

Lugging and low RPM increases exhaust gas temps (pyrometer), keeping that pyrometer hot, aside from being hard on the turbo, also drags your other temps up.

Keep the engine fan engaged manually, pull at higher rpm to keep the fan turning fast enough to draw sufficient air past the radiator to keep coolant temps down.

Don't pull in the highest gear the truck can hold, drop to where you're running about 50% boost pressure (if you don't have a boost pressure gauge, use your foot to figure it out, you should be pulling in a gear that has plenty of throttle left). This keeps from generating too much heat as well as leaving plenty of throttle for steeper stretches.

If you're still having overheating issues then you need to have the radiator flushed and rodded, have it pressure tested and checked for flow.

Nine times out of ten the truck overheating is because of the drivers foot, not because of the engine. Learn how to pull a grade and you won't even think about it.

 

Yea. While I only do 80,000 I can keep temps down too. That fan override switch is a must and also are oil temp and pyro gauges. Also helps I have the biggest rad that would fit installed when the old one crapped out. Higher rpm, 1500 or so, fan on as needed, no problem. Mountains of i-90 mostly.

 

i pack a hose and tire chuck for flat tires.

for the radiator. blue beacon does a good job, along with the rest of the truck.

 

I actually do carry a spare hose with an inflator and blow gun, but I preferred to plumb a quick connect into one of my air tanks instead of the gladhand hookup. However, it's very tedious to use this setup to blow out a radiator, as you have to turn your engine off (at least I do) to keep the fan from coming on and crunching your hand/blowgun/etc. in it. So you have a very limited amount of time until you have to restart the motor to build your air back up and restart process. Makes a 10-15 minute job turn into an hour plus.

I much prefer a separate air compressor, but to each his own I suppose.....

 

Keep coolant circulating

 

If you can do it, spray some water on the radiator when running while hot, it will help cool it down.

 

Some places will let you do that with an air hose from the shop. The flying j in Dallas for example.