very little heat

[fourand20]

anyone ever heard of a FJ60's radiator working TOO good. i replaced my radiator with a new one, new hoses, clamps, coolant, thermostat and gaskets. Temps are good when iding, but rolling down the road, temps are very low. i have checked and rechecked the thermo seal between the top of the thermo and thermo housing and it is installed correctly. heater core and bypass valve are clear and clean, and the rear heater works good.


It is the correct radiator for a 84 fj60, i verified the part number thru various LC websites and OEM. i just think its to efficient. now that its arctic time in north dakota, a little bit more heat would be nice.

I just cant get the nice and toasty heat i had with the old radiator. maybe blocking off the front???

 

[Butt Ugly Chuck]

You shouldn't have to block airflow to get things warmed up nicely. Per your post you've checked the squared o-ring that is the frequent culprit for these symptoms. Maybe the thermo is bad? Have you tested it? Are you positive the system is well burped?

Butt

 

[RockDoc]

Is the system well burped (air out of the all the high spots, like the heater)? Or have you had the system drained recently?

You'll definitely have to run with a winter front, I've found at particularly cold times on the highway I need to add a full covering of cardboard direct to the rad as well.

 

[RockDoc]

You shouldn't have to block airflow to get things warmed up nicely.

Butt

I've watched my engine temp drop while idling at a stoplight, it can get downright frigid inland

 

[fourand20]

havent checked the thermo, but it was bought and replaced at the same time as the radiator. system is well purged.
thats the next thing i was going to do, but was going to explore other options first before cracking the system again.

 

[Dave-T]

may be the temperature sending unit.....or the wire going to it, often gets shorted out cause of a bare spot on the insulation.

 

[fourand20]

its not the temp sending unit or the wire

 

[fourand20]

ok...so i checked everything out and all is well....EXCEPT for the thermostat seal located on top of the t-stat. turns out the seal i got from one of our major LC parts sources that everyone on here uses, (name will remain omitted as it wasnt worth the trouble trying to fight them over a two dollar part), is sourced as the WRONG seal. It is the right thickness, and type, but the WRONG SIZE.

As i said in my previous post, the last thing i wanted to do was crack the cooling system again since its in the low 10s and below here in grand forks, but the lack of heat in the cab outweighed the lack of heat outside.

I ordered a new seal from the local Oreillys (Murray Caps & Stats - Thermostat Seal Part Number: 2259 - $1.69 Each), replaced the "other" one, refilled and purged the system and now i have a very toasty warm LC.

For all my other brethern that are having cab heat issues and you have completed all of your other troubleshooting steps and still have no heat, this could be your problem!!!

Cheers from the great white (subzero) north

 

[NYC FJ62]

DId you have SOME heat prior to changing the seal?


My wife has complained lately that its not "as hot as it was".

No leaks, no high temps, no low temps...car is normal but just not real hot.

I dont really recall it being "real hot" as I hate driving with the heat blasting. I love driving with the window open all the time. I'm one of "those".

 

[Rigger]

Hey 4&20:

Glad to hear you got it squared away! My '62 had the SAME problem: no heat, freezing my buns off driving around, 'bout made me crazy! A Cruiserhead on this board pointed me to that small-but-so-important O-ring, and sure-as-shootin', that was the issue.

 

[Von Hayek]

I have just started to unwind the low-heat puzzle on my 62. I turn on the rear heater to help warm the cabin and it is much hotter then the front. It seems to me that of the rear is much hotter than the front (or vice versa for that matter) than the radiator can't be to blame. Should be an issue with the heater core. So you might want to check to see how you're rear heat is.

DId you have SOME heat prior to changing the seal?


My wife has complained lately that its not "as hot as it was".

No leaks, no high temps, no low temps...car is normal but just not real hot.

I dont really recall it being "real hot" as I hate driving with the heat blasting. I love driving with the window open all the time. I'm one of "those".

 

[fourand20]

I replaced the radiator (new, not reman) over the summer because the OEM rad was starting to leak from both upeed and lower "tank" seams. heater cores, both front and rear seat, always provided great heat, so that wasnt a problem.

VonHayek - check your heater control valve located passenger side, near the top of the firewall to ensure it opens fully when you select "warm" on your dash board controls. Its moved (opened and closed) by a wire, so check for bends or binds.

Cheers