Overheating

[cgallamore]

i have been warned by others with 2004 visions to stay out of the west this summer because it will overheat. talked to the dealership about this,was told there are some cooling upgrades and their checking on the price of such an upgrade,and will let me know.

maybe i should just stay east of denver june threw august? i would appreciate opinions from anybody with experiance in these truck

[Packer]

I've been all over the U.S. and ran from Salt Lake City to Phoenix, Ariz for years (Summer and Winter).

The only thing you need to due is back off one gear and keep the R.P.M. up.

Comming out of Phoenix in 110 degree heat, when you hit Black Canyon on I-40, you drop a gear (or two) and hang in there!!!!

I don't remember how many trucks passed me on the way up - - - and how many trucks I passed at the top of the hill cooling off!!

You can do it, just a little slower.

Packer

[cgallamore]

so you think it may have been a driver problem instead of a truck problem

i am learning the 2004 are the worst truck mack ever built

[Double L]

so you think it may have been a driver problem instead of a truck problem

i am learning the 2004 are the worst truck mack ever built

I never ran out West but if your in 110 degree heat and if the driver runs the truck like they normally do when it's cooler then yeah it's more than likely the driver causing the problem.

[convoyduel]

We never had any overheating problems grossing 110k to 120k around St. Louis with our '04 CH613 AC427's. That being said, I do know that higher operating temps on the AC427's did affect the longevity of other components, including belts, hoses and bearings. I would, without a doubt, keep a spare belt in the truck at all times. I know early on, the tensioner idler pulley had a very high failure rate due to grease boiling out of the bearing. That may have been fixed with later revisions or updates.

[cgallamore]

ive ran endumps grossing 120,000 to 150,000 in the st lous area for years, but they wherent visions and they werent pulling 7% grade for 12 miles at 20 miles an hour

[JerryB]

bigen I've run Los Angeles to Houston turns in the summer grossed at 80,000 with no probs. My water temp runs around 210 with the oil temp around 220-225. I run mine a gear or 2 lower like packer said with no probs. It wears the fan belt out pretty quick but I suppose that's because the fan never turns off and it takes so much power to turn.

There's a filter screen inside the rubber "Y" connection in the bottom radiator hose that stops up some times but when it does just blow it out with air to clean it and keep on trucking.

[cgallamore]

thanks jerry how often do you kleen the screen, and how many miles you get on a fan belt, ill give a little extra attention to cleening the oil cooler and keep a close eye on the ideler.

still havent heard obout price for cooling upgrade, does yours have it?

[Packer]

Running in the '60s and '70s with 335 and 350 Cummins we ALWAYS carried a water pump and a set of belts.

We would run 28 in fans in the winter and 32 in in the summer.

This was before fan clutches or viscus fans.

I think Phoenix is 3,200 feet and I know the top of the mountain in Flagstaff 7,800 feet.

The big pull out of phoenix was "17 mile hill".

It was the first half that was the bad part.

(Memories, Memories - - - Can't put musical notes in here - - -Damn!)

Anyway, I think the driver error was the problem.

One thing - - - by the time you're hot, it's too late!!!

You back out at the bottom, not half way up!

Packer

[Gambi80]

I think Phoenix is 3,200 feet and I know the top of the mountain in Flagstaff 7,800 feet.

The big pull out of phoenix was "17 mile hill".

It was the first half that was the bad part.

Packer

Phoenix is a lot lower than that...1,117'. (wikipedia)

I wonder if it being a "dry" heat out thataway might alleviate the problem some. When it's sticky hot humid here, my truck struggles a bit more to stay cool vs. when it's just hot.

I lived out there for a bit over 4 years, but up in Pinetop-Lakeside which is about 2.5 hours northeast of Phoenix and 7000+' elevation. Great skiing about 20 minutes away. But when we'd go down to the "valley", my car would run 10 times better and I felt as if I could sprint 20 miles with no problem.

[JerryB]

thanks jerry how often do you kleen the screen, and how many miles you get on a fan belt, ill give a little extra attention to cleening the oil cooler and keep a close eye on the ideler.

still havent heard obout price for cooling upgrade, does yours have it?

I have the cooling upgrade now but I didn't have it when running the desert. I had forgot to mention the idler but I have had to replace mine 2 times in 500,000 miles. The belts run about 100,000 to 120,000 miles. I clean the water screen every fall and renew the anti-freeze.

I did one thing Mack said don't do. I put a 1/4" thick flat steel plate in between my EGR valve and exhaust manifold so it can't transfer exhaust gases into the intake. I left all the sensors in place and the wires intact so it thinks it's still working. Not only did it lower the engine temp but it also gave me about 1/2 mile more per gallon on fuel.

[Rob]

I have the cooling upgrade now but I didn't have it when running the desert. I had forgot to mention the idler but I have had to replace mine 2 times in 500,000 miles. The belts run about 100,000 to 120,000 miles. I clean the water screen every fall and renew the anti-freeze.

I did one thing Mack said don't do. I put a 1/4" thick flat steel plate in between my EGR valve and exhaust manifold so it can't transfer exhaust gases into the intake. I left all the sensors in place and the wires intact so it thinks it's still working. Not only did it lower the engine temp but it also gave me about 1/2 mile more per gallon on fuel.

I'm surprised EGR is not monitored for pressure, or vacume. Typically the EGR system is on vehicles.

Rob

[JerryB]

I'm surprised EGR is not monitored for pressure, or vacume. Typically the EGR system is on vehicles.

Rob

Yeah me too Rob. From what I can tell the temp sensor on the intake manifold regulates the EGR valve control. IOW-- the EGR valve gate seems to operate from temp sensors on the intake only.

oh yeah bigen I didn't mention the fan hubs. A Behr electric fan hub is $860 in Houston and I'm on my 3rd one now. I feel your pain brother.

[cgallamore]

when the fan hub goes bad? should i check for play? will it stop working? will it lock up?

i know im being a pain in the butt.

i learned erly in life its cheaper to ask questions, and learn from other people,than to be a hard head and tear stuff up.

[JerryB]

when the fan hub goes bad? should i check for play? will it stop working? will it lock up?

i know im being a pain in the butt.

i learned erly in life its cheaper to ask questions, and learn from other people,than to be a hard head and tear stuff up.

The way the pros here at Big Mack told me to check worked fine. If you turn the fan blade by hand and hub is locked it's bad. IOW- if you can turn the engine with the fan blades it's a bad hub. I have gotten a lot of money saving and nerve settling advice from these guys.