2001 36' Fleetwood Expedition, 270 hp Cummin's and 5 spd Allison. We are fulltimers, summer in WY and Winter in S CA. Last Nov just outside of Winslow AZ my radiator fan self destructed. Lost belts and fan pillow block. Repair facility had a hard time finding the correct parts and even the correct belts. After a week in their shop I was back on the road. Winter is cool but in May I found my first 90 degree weather on I-17 between Phoenix and Flagstaff. Started running a lot hotter than it has ever run. I made it to Albuq with no real problem and thoroughly cleaned the radiator which I do as normal PM. BTW: Slobber tube is rerouted under radiator. Traded cars and now the new toad is 800 lbs heavier and traveling in 90+ temp, the MH still overheats on long grades. My theory is: the repair facility replaced the fan with a different fan than the original and it isn't pulling enough air. I finally arrived at our summer destination and will do a more careful check of belt tention and number of blades on the replacement compared to the 9 blades on the old fan. I unhooked the toad on the last long grade today and it still overheats. I guess I'm looking for any other suggestions.

My first guess is an air bubble in the system. If they did not follow proper burping procedures it is possible.......

donn0128 wrote:My first guess is an air bubble in the system. If they did not follow proper burping procedures it is possible.......Tnx. Would it self burp in the 2000 miles I've put on since the repair? I've added just over a gallon of fluid since the repair to the system thru the radiator bottle view.On edit. The system was drained and radiator hoses replaced during the repair. I did notice that the temp raises and lowers perhaps 5 to 10 degrees very rapidly during the warmup period. I don't remember that happening before the repairs. Maybe we;re on to something.

What you describe is classic air bubble. There are a number of ways to clear the air bubble. I found the easiest is to use one of the fillers below. Then again, if there's a warranty type thing involved, let them do it. Assuming you used a nationwide facility. If not, and you're going to do it yourself, invest in the item below. You'll be happy you did...Easy to use, attach it in place of your radiator cap and start your engine. Fill the funnel as needed and let the air bleed out of the system...Done....DennisLisle Spill Free Coolant Funnel

Dennis, wouldn't taking the radiator cap off of the expansion tank do the same thing? I've never seen a DP with the cap on the top of the radiator.

DP started overheating after a repair | Good Sam Community

30 Replies

hershey
Explorer
Jul 07, 2015
Kayteg1 wrote:
Hmmm.. garage that put blades backwards on good garage list?
Sure customer service stands up to garage errors, but I would think twice about going there.
This way, or the other I would love to see pictures?
I posted it on my FB page. On edit: Sometimes you don't have a great choice of garages when your dead in the water on I-40. Actually, I was quite comfortable with this garage, had a lot of trauma fining the right parts for the reassembly and all in all, they did a very good job, I think the repairman just had a brain fart and was used to working on larger trucks, and if that were the case, the blade would have been correct. Heres the UrL: https://www.facebook.com/gene.hirschman
mpierce
Explorer
Jul 07, 2015
We are all human. Mistakes are made. I give them credit for accepting blame, and offering to make it right. Especially since they do not have it there to look at themselves.
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Jul 07, 2015
Hmmm.. garage that put blades backwards on good garage list?
Sure customer service stands up to garage errors, but I would think twice about going there.
This way, or the other I would love to see pictures?
Farmerjon
Explorer
Jul 06, 2015
That's terrific and the way it should be. What is the name and location of that garage? I want them on my good garage list.
hershey
Explorer
Jul 06, 2015
Update: I got a hold of the garage that did the repair in AZ. Got thru to the GM and he was a bit tentative at first in believing that they did the error. After a few more words, very calmly, I explained the way it is facing and he agreed that it is indeed backwards. He asked for some time to check with his service dept and called me back. He indicated since I was nearly 1000 miles away, he would arrange for a local garage to reverse the fan blade for me. What more could I ask for. Wish every garage or dealership took care of business the same way.
hershey
Explorer
Jul 06, 2015
Thanks for the input and verification. I'll call the repair facility in Winslow AZ tomorrow but I just can't help but believe I'll be blow off. I'll report my finding.

Thanks to wolfe10 for getting me pointed in the right direction.
PaulJ2
Explorer
Jul 06, 2015
I agree it is installed backwards. The inside curv should scoup/grab the air and push it through the radiator. Make sure of the rotation first. If wrong-it should be on their dime.
A backwards installed fan will have reduced air flow as most of it will just slip sideways off the outside curve of the blades.
Ivylog
Explorer III
Jul 06, 2015
You should be seeing the back of the "C"of the fan blade, not the cup. Turning it around should solve your problem.
hershey
Explorer
Jul 05, 2015
Your correct about the oil from the engine, (blow by valve) will coat the surface of the radiator and of course restrict air flow and cause overheating. Side radiators don't seem to have the same problems and probably a better choice but....when you buy what you buy, you get what you get. My blow by has been re-routed early on and my radiator stays very clean, with PM I give it a heavy power wash from the rear forward and this has worked well for over 80,000 miles. My airplane comparison is only for the shape of the prop and the effect to move air, thats exactly the same weather in your desk fan, airplane or engine fan.
I just checked another DP here in the park and my theory is confirmed, the fan is indeed installed backwards. The air is being pushed by the outside curve of the fan instead of the inside curve. I'll check at least one more DP before committing to the task of reversing the fan. Thanks to all.
hershey
Explorer
Jul 05, 2015
Kayteg1, I reread your post can't tell what your are really saying other than rear radiators are "tricky animals". The url you presented doesn't have anything to do with the subject at hand but back to your post, we may be saying the same thing. Normally air is sucked thru the radiator by movement and the fan but on rear radiators, the fan sucks the air from the engine side and blows it thru the radiator backwards. I'm presently looking around the RV park we are presently in to find a similar RV that someone will let me crawl under :)
Thanks for the info.

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DP started overheating after a repair

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