engine and drivetrain Running Hot

[ggrann]

Hi all. My wife's 72 tii runs hot above 50 mph and when sitting in traffic. Close to the red. I'm going to try the easy fix of a 71 degree thermo first. Hopefully that will cool things down. But here's the thing, the air from the heater never gets hot or even warm. Any thoughts? ALSO, what speed can I cruise at once I get it running cooler. Even at 60 mph car soon runs very hot, just short of the red. Thanks so much

[Preyupy]

Sounds like you might have an air bubble trapped in the system. Try parking it on the steepest hill or driveway you can find NOSE UP. Turn the heater to foll hot. Remove the radiator cap (let it cool off first) with the engine off add water as you squeeze the lower radiator hose when it is full start it and see if you get any more air out if it. Does the heater work now?

Other thing to check: is it REALLY HOT? Or does the gauge just say it is? Mid scale on the gauge should be about 200 deg F check it with a thermometer.

[foreste2002]

On a tii ... I have seen air trapped in the warm up device ..... Also is your radiator truly clean and flowing properly? I put a 320i radiator in my tii and the car ran half way up the gauge in az. I didn't like the look of the 320i radiator and went back to the original and the car tried to run hot even with The cooler thermostat installed. My plan is to send my stock original radiator out and make it into a 3 row radiator which should fix all problems. Also check your gauge grounds. Good luck

[mike472]

Mark Preisendorf at Silicon Garage will recore your original brass tank radiator with a three row copper core. Works great. That along with a new thermostat and your good to go. Preserve your stock look and it has more capacity then the plastic tank 320i radiator. Think it's close to $400. Worth the piece of mind of knowing your cooling system can handle whatever climate you throw at it. Especially if you have A/C

[Mike Self]

Is Mark back to making the Silicon Garage radiators again?  I read on the FAQ several months ago that production had been at least temporarily suspended.  Hope he's back in production again--those radiators will cure 02 overheating with the additional bonus of looking completely stock from the outside.  And they're real metal...call me a Luddite, but I just don't trust plastic/aluminum radiators for the long haul.

 

mike

[chichy]

Sounds like your heater control valve is stuck closed as well, if it's oriented toward the firewall it's on cold, toward engine, hot. Mine was really stuck but I got a wire through the little hole above the cable bolt and gave it all I had and it loosened up after that. Lots of penetrating fluid and then lube spray and it works for the first time in 15 + years

[mike472]

Is Mark back to making the Silicon Garage radiators again?  I read on the FAQ several months ago that production had been at least temporarily suspended.  Hope he's back in production again--those radiators will cure 02 overheating with the additional bonus of looking completely stock from the outside.  And they're real metal...call me a Luddite, but I just don't trust plastic/aluminum radiators for the long haul.

 

mike

Mike

 

I'm not sure and you may be right.  His email is  9grenzen@gmail.com for anyone whose interested.  Count me in on being a Luddite.  My E36 had the broken neck just like clockwork at 60K.   I like the stock look too even though those polished fancy jobs sure look good!  And they're all metal too. 

[OriginalOwner]

If Mark isn't in the radiator business .... 

 

3-row cores ..... page down to "radiator"

  http://www.kormanautoworks.com/2002.htm

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

Edited September 7, 2013 by OriginalOwner

[ggrann]

Thanks you all for you kind and knowledgeable help. I swapped thermo, squeezed out air bubbles and tightened up the fan belt and things have cooled down considerably. I will get a 3 core rad from Korman over the winter off the road season as Mark seems to be MIA. This is such a great forum. you all are TIRRIFIC.