temp climbs with AC on

Half way on the temp gauge? Why is that a problem?

it didnt do that before. temp stayed normal. may have climbed a little but didnt climb halfway. Just a little concerned because i dont want to blow a headgasket on the aluminum head.

You're far from having that concern. It has t go into the red before there is any risk at all.

Let it go and see just how far it goes and under what circumstances as far as speed.>>>>>>

what?? and risk a blown head gasket. not going there. no thanks.

Well, you already know that an a/c system will put a heavy load on an engine. Some systems handle that better than others.....

I'm a little unclear on your gauge reading.....If you are saying normally when warm with no a/c, the temp reads a little off cold and with the a/c on its at 1/2....I would probably want to see actual temps,,,,,a data stream would be good or temp gun...something to see what the actual temps are....
chas>>>>>when i say normal temp with no a/c i mean the temp gauge is about 1/4 to 1/3 from the cold white line even on the hot weather. When the a/c is on the temp will climb.
I guess i could put a thermometer in the radiator for the actual temp but i will need to change the radiator cap to one with a pressure release. Just a standard 13lb cap with the over flow to the reservoir tank.

I saw where you put in a "reconditioned" radiator......not sure what that means....wrecking yard? used from a rad shop? etc? >>>>>
chas>>>>>same brass radiator tanked and pressure tested at a radiator shop. At least that's what i payed for. Not a junky plastic after market. They said it was ok and cleaned it up.

a lot place are in the middle of a heat wave....that can make the temps rise as well.....>>>>>
I forgot to mention it also has a new water pump. Yeah, it's been hot but the entire cooling system is fresh.

Also is there any differences between idle, slow speeds & high speed?>>>>> dont matter if sitting at a light, cruising on city streets at 35mph or at freeway speeds. It could use a new clutch fan but at higher speeds the clutch fan is not needed. Even at freeway speeds the temp will climb. Turn the a/c off it will slowly cool down.
I even cleaned out and degreased the entire front and a/c condensor fins with detergent and checked to see if i could see through the fins before installing the new cooling system with the reconditioned radiator. Im thinkin' maybe the radiator is no good or still has a restriction.

No, you are not risking a head gasket at all when the temp gauge is well within the operating range. That or any engine can run up to 230-235 degrees before any damage is done, in fact many new cars are intentionally designed to run up to 230 with no problem.

Head gasket damage occurs when temps start to hit 240 and above. It sounds like you are barely going over 200deg.

All things considered, if you are having temp issues while cruising over 40 MPH, and the coolant is confirmed full, it is likely a radiator issue.

>>>>>in fact many new cars are intentionally designed to run up to 230 with no problem.<<<<<<
well yeah, but this an aluminum head on cast iron block. A slight overheat on this can blow a head gasket and maybe a warped or cracked head depending on hot it got. This is one of the down sides of this motor. I would change out to a cast iron head if it was available.

When you're doing highway speed and the temps are climbing. If you crank on the heater with ac still running, what happens to the temps?

The aluminium radiators actually last longer than the brass ones. If the vehicle originally came with a aluminium radiator, you should still with that.

chas>>>>>with a/c and heater on the temp might not climb or may even cool down a little depending on the outside temp and speed.
It originally came with a brass radiator from the factory.

well yes, but this an aluminum head. Dont want to chance a blown head gasket and maybe a warped or cracked head from the an overheat.

discrete s>>>>>It does cool down when you turn the heater on at cruising speeds? If so, I would be thinking about the performance of that radiator you installed.

You really don't need to include the reply function. I'm having a hard time reading your replies when you include our replies.

I have a 1992 Toyota pickup with a 3.0L and I replaced the brass radiator with your standard aluminium one years ago and haven't had any issues.
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chas>>>>>been using brass. it doesn't rust. Usually the upper tank, headers inside, fins and solder fail around the seams. Been using 1 gallon pure antifreeze and maybe 1 gallon filtered drinking water fro a 50/50 mix. Trying not to use water from tap faucet.
Never had an aluminum radiator. How does the aluminum stand up to time, antifreeze and corrosion. Better than the brass?

been using brass. it doesn't rust. Usually the upper tank, headers inside, fins and solder fail around the seams.

In a nutshell....right now you are diagnosing a "possible" problem via the gauge in the dash....1st you need to verify these temps.....whether you use a data stream, temp gun, install an aftermarket gauge......There may be no problem...other than a malfunctioning temperature gauge....Once we know what the actual normal temp is and the temp with the a/c on then we can take it to the next step........I couldn't count how many times I saw guys chasing heating problems only to find out the gauge or sender was the problem.....

When posting a reply, if you switch to basic editor, that will get the cursor below the quote box.......I'm with DS on this one, those replies are very hard to read>>>>>

chas>>>>i dunno why it is so hard to read. I use the >>>>after the forum reply then use then drop a few lines down and use
chas >>>>for my reply.

hammer>>>>>No, you are not risking a head gasket at all when the temp gauge is well within the operating range. That or any engine can run up to 230-235 degrees before any damage is done, in fact many new cars are intentionally designed to run up to 230 with no problem.

Head gasket damage occurs when temps start to hit 240 and above. It sounds like you are barely going over 200deg.

All things considered, if you are having temp issues while cruising over 40 MPH, and the coolant is confirmed full, it is likely a radiator issue.
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hammer>>>>>in fact many new cars are intentionally designed to run up to 230 with no problem.
chas>>>>>i think that might be where the problem might be. The 22re was discontinued 22yrs ago on about 95. I dont know if the 22re was designed to run that hot. I think the factory thermostat was 180.

In a nutshell....right now you are diagnosing a "possible" problem via the gauge in the dash....1st you need to verify these temps.....whether you use a data stream, temp gun, install an aftermarket gauge......There may be no problem...other than a malfunctioning temperature gauge....Once we know what the actual normal temp is and the temp with the a/c on then we can take it to the next step........I couldn't count how many times I saw guys chasing heating problems only to find out the gauge or sender was the problem.....

When posting a reply, if you switch to basic editor, that will get the cursor below the quote box.......I'm with DS on this one, those replies are very hard to read.

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sidom>>>>>right now you are diagnosing a "possible" problem via the gauge in the dash....1st you need to verify these temps.....whether you use a data stream, temp gun, install an aftermarket gauge......There may be no problem...other than a malfunctioning temperature gauge....
chas>>>>>that's interesting and worth looking into but i dont think the gauge has a problem. The temp gauge climbs with the a/c then cools down with a/c off. The temp gauge is independent from the a/c.
Maybe the a/c compressor has a problem but operates and cools ok. I think it could use a charge. It's not making any noises when i turn it on, idle up valve on the EFI seems to be working normal and the compressor seems to be functioning ok. I don't turn on the a/c while driving with higher rpms or turn it on while on the freeway. I will turn it on idling at a light or shift into neutral while moving to get the rpms down to an idle so it doesn't slam the compressor, fan belt and the shoes in the drum. I don't know what is wrong. It's a new problem.
I'll probably need to get a radiator cap with the lever to relieve the pressure to the coolant reservoir then use a thermometer to check the temp after the temp climbs. Maybe the radiator has a restriction. A new aluminum radiator will be $hundreds easy. A new brass radiator is $200+. I'll have to look around some more.
The radiator shop wants $65 to do the diagnosis thing.


(This post was edited by chas on Jun 23, 2017, 11:40 PM)