Build Dick's '84 Saudi 45

[wngrog]

Next item to rear it's ugly head is an issue with excessive heat and high temps in the engine bay.

While both the Dakota Digital and Sniper show engine temps to be right at 190 degrees (stock OEM 190* thermostat) when driving, at idle they climb slightly and the engine bay gets so hot that you cannot touch almost anything metal. Neither the 40 or the 60 are like this.

Since the 45's cooling system is 100% new parts and the problem is worse at idle, after research I believe that the heat issue is an airflow problem caused by the fan being completely inside the shroud. Both my 40 and 60 have 1/3 to 1/2 of the fan blade outside the shroud, and have no issue with engine bay heat.

The fan is farther forward into the shroud because I replaced the original non fan clutch with a new water pump/fan clutch/fan blade assembly that moved the fan forward about 1 inch -see post 77 of this thread.

I will not have time in the next week to work on this, so in the mean time, I look forward to some good MUD input.

My buddy took his shroud of and had 2” taken off

 

[Michael B]

I don’t run a shroud on my 12HT. It was installed in 2017 and I have driven it 14k miles living in northern Alabama with no cooling issues thus far.

 

[DickM]

Started the shroud remodel process. To get the fan the recommended "1/2 in and 1/2 out" of the shroud, I needed to take 1-1/8" of of the shroud.
With the shroud flat on the radiator side on the worktable, I took a couple of wood blocks whose height left the needed 1-1/8" and scribed a line on the masking tape I put on the shroud at the cut zone.

Used the angle grinder with cut off wheel and Dremel to make the cut.

Next, took the cut off piece and put it inside the radiator side piece and pushed it flush to the cut line to get the circular opening for the fan.

I am now attempting to fill in the open "corners" to get smooth airflow between the shroud and radiator. I don't plan on doing the same on the engine bay side.

 

[DickM]

Shroud mod complete. Inside corner patch panels tacked in and sealed with High Temp silicon sealant.

In spite of myself and my claims to the contrary, I did fill the engine side corners for strength and aesthetics.

After 24 hour cure time for the sealant comes installation and the moment of truth, fingers crossed.

 

[DickM]

All back together(again), burped and test driven. Fan is within 1/8" of 1/2 in and out of shroud.
Lower temps at idle, max of 196 degrees on a 15 mile test drive with air temps at 96 degrees.
Engine bay temp still hot but definitely improved and not worrisome at this point.
I think all is OK now. If I get nervous and aren't 100% happy, I will throw in a 180* thermostat and see what that does, but for now, time to drive it.

 

[DickM]

Ordering and receiving parts and pieces for future projects, but driving the truck as my DD as I payback my friend for his help on building our house.

 

[DickM]

Another small improvement. My partner ,wife, and CFO came across a picture of 45 series tailgate chain sleeves, so she sewed some up out of cloth backed vinyl she had in her stash. Not bulletproof, but should last a while.