Has anybody done a electric rad fan conversion on a LJ78?

[Coiled Cruiser]

Hello everybody!

Since this is my first thread here let me start with a introduction I own a JDM LJ78, I’ve had it for 3 months and absolutely love it! And yes the head has cracked-the weekend after I bought it, fortunately the dealer I bought from (RAMS auto sales in Surrey) replaced the head with a 3L head even though we never discussed any warranty and talked him 2 grand off the price and gave him trade-in. This 4x4 is far more capable off-road then my Cherokee was (RIP) and I can live with the slow acceleration on the hwy.

I am currently on vacation in California and I have had some minor overheating problems with this truck, coming through the mountains in Oregon and into California the LJ was running hot, I didn’t let it get as high as the red line of course, turning the heat on or slowing down was enough to cool it down. It was night and around 10*C outside, the LJ only overheated when I was going uphill slowly (usually stuck behind a semi) or when in rush hour traffic with the A/C on. However the LJ had no problem at all driving in 30*C+ temps with the A/C on and floored on flat ground (even @ 145 KM/H) for long periods. (The A/C works extremely well in this truck, if I leave it high the LJ will become a fridge)

Hmmm, overheating when moving slowly at high RPM or when not moving at all, but not when moving fast and floored on level ground, my Jeep used to do the exact same thing. And this is one of many known problems with Cherokees that have only a thermal clutch fan. So I tested the LJ’s fan and sure enough the fan turns easily when the engine is cold and doesn’t need much more force to turn it when the engine is hot (not as bad as the jeep was but not very good either) I did an electric fan conversion on the jeep and had excellent results.

I know that the thermal clutch can be rebuilt or even replaced, but I am looking for something better than stock, I am thinking of 4 10” fans mounted on custom bracket, will fit nicely on the 21” X 22” radiator.

If anyone out there has done this before what did you use for an electric thermostat for the rad fans? I want one that is in the coolant and not one that sneaks in a rad hose and could cause a leak or one that mounts in between the rad fins, as these kind can be unreliable if mud/dirt/bugs get in between the sensor and the rad fins.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance, Chris

 

[Entaran]

Get a thermal switch from wolf, autronic or haltech (all aussie ECU manufacturers... google them for websites), cut the upper rad hose, install a 4 inch long bit of steel clamp off on both sides AFTER....

in said bit of steel pipe, cut a hole, weld on a bung, make sure the weld is sealed all the way round. Screw in your sensor to doublecheck it fits. pull it out, threadtape it, screw it back in, put the whole thing back together...

tack weld the end of the bit of steel pipe to create some uneven bits so the hoseclamps have a better hold and it's much harder to blow the pipe off under pressure (can happen, may as well be safe)

and you're done.

In Oz they're Thermo Fan Relay Switch Kits. NFI if it's called the same in North America.

The above method is pretty standard fare among the "performance" scene over here.

 

[prado t]

Hi there , yes the lj can get hot on the hills, best to gear down and bring the revs up, 4000 rpm in 2nd is about 70 km/h, when the stock temp guage starts going to the halfway mark gear down. (gearing down to rev notice that you back off the go pedal, by doing that you also bring down the egt,s(most important)
careful spending lots of money on the electric fan kit, I was told that a 2007 clutch fan replaces the orig. from a guy in our group aparantly they are all the same.
aaron kuit

 

[buggyboy7]

Cooling the 2L-TE

Hi Chris

I have the same vehicle with the same probs. The head cracked after 6 mon and then I installed the 2L-TE head from AllHead in Aus. Iv'e done everything to keep her cool but the most dramatic improvement came from adjusting the blue hub fan clutch and filling it with 6000cts silicon oil (fr Cruiser Dan). I would recommend this mod highly. It's dead simple. Check out this post https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=102633&highlight="silicon+oil"
Landtank helped me out with some questions but it went without a hitch. I believe even without all the other things I did like a 3 core rad, improved water pump and 2.5" exhaust the head may have not cracked in the first place with only this mod. Possibly going to even the 10000cts oil may be an even better option.

Let me know how you make out
Keith in Courtenay

 

[Coiled Cruiser]

Entaran, I was planning on doing that as a last resort, just wanted to see if there was a easier way (On the jeep all I had do was get a thermastat housing from a newer 4.0L that a a temp sender in it then swap the sender for a thermal switch)

Aaron, Thanks for the advice I will try gearing down on the way home.

Keith, I saw that post when I searched for this, but to be honest I don't have much confidance in thermal clutch fans so I just wanted to get rid of it, but that could just be emotional baggage from my jeep days!!! if that worked out for you I think I will do the oil change first then but the LJ through some rough service and see how well she does!!!!

Thanks for the advice everybody!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[prado t]

Sorry guys, the clutch fan from a Tacoma 07 is a direct replacement, I forgot to mention that in my last post.
aaron kuit