dodge 3500 cummins clutch fan engages on flat with no load

The fan coming on when i didn't expect it was the symptom that drew my attention to the temp. Turns out the fan was behaving normally.

My concern was that the truck was running at the higher temp range when empty. Trying to avoid a surprise when I hook up the trailer.

Great flushing tip.

Now..... get the Cummins back running cool and that big nine blade fan still kicks in with no load "what then" ??

gkainz wrote:
I replaced my radiator in my 97 Ram CDT way faster than I could have flushed it, and it wasn't all that expensive.

So far I'm into the flushing exercise $6. Cheapest new rad i can find is $250 but really, learning stuff is more fun.

In this excercise I've learned a cheap work-around to the lack of agressive radiator flushes on the market.

I've learned how to get all the coolant out of my engine and heater core.

More than worth the time spent, even if i do end up getting a new rad. Early in this thread everyone said to change the thermostat, that turned out to be wrong. I should not have yeilded to the quick fix.

I replaced my radiator in my 97 Ram CDT way faster than I could have flushed it, and it wasn't all that expensive.

You're welcome. It worked for me too when I did mine last year.

ib516 wrote:
I was told by a factory trained diesel tech to remove the coolant hose that mounts to the nipple on the back passenger side of the block and attach a hose there. It flushed everything out of the lower rad hose, including some sand like particles. Pretty easy. The fitting I am talking about is visible in the picture. It's in photo left, at the back of the black valve cover, sticks straight up, kind of brass colored here:

That turned out to be the best tip ever. I had a small scrap of garden hose with the female end that fit snugly over the pipe. I clamped off the heater hose and connected a garden hose and ran the water with the cap off for a while, then i opened the drain and put the cap back on, then i closed the drain and opened up the heater hose, i ran each until they ran clear and removed lots more crud.

I am fairly certain there is no air trapped in the engine anywhere.

thanks

Made my own...

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/25582580/gotomsg/25587464.cfm#25587464

agesilaus wrote:


OK I have been surprised this weekend by a couple discoveries on my F150 5.4 liter.

1) The front wheel bearing is pressed into the brake disk and sealed. I was going to replace them but the bearings seem to be special order unless you buy the disk with bearing installed. Should I replace them in the first place, and can I reset the new bearing with the block of wood and hammer method or do they have to be pressed in?

2) Second there is no radiator cap on this and no drain either. I was going to drain and replace the coolant but there doesn't seem to be a way. It seems to have a double radiator system too with about 4 inches in between.

I got a flush kit but with no cap I'm stumped on using it, can I just remove the overflow bottle cap and let it over flow there? How would you get rid of excess water then?

Thanks for any guidance in these matters.

You have found what I found out back in the 90's with my GMT400 Sub...the OEMs
no longer make much of anything anymore and outsource it.

Timken saw that and worked up these new hub assemblies to address this new direction
from their customers...the automotive OEMs

The hub/bearing/ABS sensor is all one these days on most vehicles and is to be
replaced as an assembly.

Even if you do find the individual part numbers, they can't be ordered as they
are not offered but as an assembly

Here is a clicky to one of my posts on these new hubs:
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseac........d/23555087/gotomsg/23556377.cfm#23556377








The no radiator cap is for the OATs and HOATs. Mainly due to O2 (oxygen) getting
in there when you check fluid levels. Mainly due to the 'O' (organic protection
whatever it is) and the 'A' (acid to etch the metal clean for the 'O' to coat
and protect). Since not all the acid is used up in the initial fill, it is still
reactive to any O2 that gets in there. Toss in some dirt and you have another
chemistry process brewing in there.

Yours is HOATs (hybrid organic acid tech) and GM is OATs (organic
acid tech) and is for the 5yr/100K warranty. I don't like these and
went back to American Green on my GMT400 and will do so till American
Green is no longer available or become too expensive vs OATs/HOATs.

The old 'over flow' bottle is no more just an over flow, but is now pressurized
as part of the hot tank side of the radiator.

It is now the 'fill' access or remove the radiator hose and fill via that.

To check fluid level, you just view the fluid level through that bottle's translucent
plastic body.

Here is a clicky to my DIY reverse flush kit that is copied from buddies radiator/AC
shop's EPA mandated system. The only difference is that this DIY does NOT have
a recycling tank. You have to take that bucket to the recycling center

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseac........d/25116820/gotomsg/25117737.cfm#25117737

Here is the image on the HOW2

ib516 wrote:
OBTW, the cooling fan on my 07 5.9L Cummins would run (be engaged) even when the engine was not even warm -- IF you had the A/C on and the vehicle was traveling at slow speeds, like when you take off from a light. When the vehicle speed was high enough to get enough air flow through the cooling stack, the fan cut out.


.

Yeah I'm sorry, throughout this whole thread my initial fan question has been a distraction. THe issue was that it was running hot, I noticed because the fan came on at a time i did not expect it.

THanks for the info on the heater fitting.

OBTW, the cooling fan on my 07 5.9L Cummins would run (be engaged) even when the engine was not even warm -- IF you had the A/C on and the vehicle was traveling at slow speeds, like when you take off from a light. When the vehicle speed was high enough to get enough air flow through the cooling stack, the fan cut out.

As stated, the fan clutch in your truck is controlled by the ECM/PCM, not viscous fluid controlled solely by temperature like most mechanical fans. The ECM will engage the fan to add extra cooling to the engine, to the trans, the intercooler, and to the radiator if it deems it is required.

If the engine is hot and you stop moving, and put the truck in Park, the ECM will engage the fan clutch and ramp up the idle to ~1000 RPM instead of 750 RPM (normal idle speed) to better cool the engine. It's a smart system.

ah64id wrote:
Also to note is that 2-3 gallons of coolant stays in the block and cannot be drained, it takes many fill/run/drain cycles to clean a block out.

No so. I did a drain and flush on my 5.9L Cummins. I was told by a factory trained diesel tech to remove the coolant hose that mounts to the nipple on the back passenger side of the block and attach a hose there. It flushed everything out of the lower rad hose, including some sand like particles. Pretty easy. The fitting I am talking about is visible in the picture. It's in photo left, at the back of the black valve cover, sticks straight up, kind of brass colored here:



I used one of these to go over the fitting, perfect fit.