Overheating while wheeling on the beach??

[Spydaz]

Was out on the beach for the first time this year (got my new pass). Let the air out of the tires running at 25psi. and cruised the beach (stopping a few times) for about an hour. i turned on the CDL but left it in hi gear. Was contemplating on putting it in low gear but thought i didn't need it.

Well low and behold i get to the air station after all is done and while i'm filling the tires back up (with the truck off) i hear a gulping noise from the engine compartment. I look under the engine and see no leaks. I then open the hood and see my coolant res filled over the "full" line. I felt the radiator cap and wow it was hott. The guage read normal mabey alittle higher than normal but not to the red line.

I just filled my tires up and left, i drove about 5 miles home on the highway doing 60-70mph and then when i got home openend the hood and everything was fine, the coolant res was normal and the engine was alittle hot but no scolding. Didn't feel any powerloss or hesitation and the guage went back to norm.

Whats the story here guys?? Do you think it was jsut becuase i was going through thick sand and should have had my tires on a lower psi and or in low range or running at high range with the OD turened off. I think its time for a coolant flush, i just had one done the first week i bought the truck whcih was almost a year ago.

 

[Brentbba]

Most folks that run Pismo/Oceano Dunes sand on the left coast are running 15psi.

 

[CreeperSleeper]

I don't think that's his question... What speeds were you going?

 

[Spydaz]

I was doing about 10-25mph. Revving the motor to around 2k-2200k

 

[OZCAL]

When trying to get up a sand track off the beach I've had my floorboards get so hot they burned my feet through my shoes, but I've never seen the engine do anything like that in all kinds of sand driving, gear choice and tire pressure.

 

[CreeperSleeper]

Yeah, mines doing the same thing... I've replaced everything but the radiator, so I'm pretty sure that is what it is. As for me a new fan clutch helped, but didn't fix it. I would check that first. HTH

 

[Rusty Phillips]

do you think you could have made it with the CDL off? only turning it on when / if needed and then back off again?

I'm curious what is going on with the "CDL on / running hot"
(my gut instinct tells me that it has something to do with the transmission computer changing the way the tranny operates when the CDL is actuated - but Im not gonna put any money on that bet)

more "runs hot with CDL on" threads
https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=82369&highlight=cdl
https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=82117&highlight=cdl

 

[Koffer]

you have a nasty double edged sword your running . Fan stops locking up at the rpm but not enough air flow through the rad (to relock the fan). Add a old fan clutch and a rad thats not 100% and you have what you are seeing . do the fan clutch 1st then move on the rad if your still seeing the problem

 

[e9999]

I did 20 miles of fairly deep sand trails in Joshua recently at 10-20mph. I had the temperature gauge on, and never read anything much above the usual. Don't remember seeing any evidence of overheating while playing in dunes in Pismo either.
That your fluid level would go up a bit is not unusual and is what the system is designed to do.
You may want to ascertain for sure whether things were unusually hot before doing too much more. If you really saw the needle move up above it's "usual" position, that may indeed be the case, though, and you should be careful.

 

[Bear80]

I took mine down the coast this fall and had to run it in low range most of the way, 120miles down and back. It was an all day trip for each way since Katrina had ruffed it up causing the sand to be deep and soft plus she washed a bunch of trash, etc up. It was mid 80's, low gear, 10 mph tops for 60 miles and never had a hint of over heating. Maybe your fan clutch is on the way out?

 

[Jason Andrews]

Koffer said it. Spiratic heat. I have the same problem. Fan clutch first my friend.

 

[CruiserLegolas]

You need to get the radiator checked. Last summer, I boiled over right before Las Vegas on 100+ degree weather and going up hill with the a/c on. A radiator shop couldn't clean it out and I had to replace it with a new 94 from cdan.

See if you can get a radiator shop to clean the gunk and you should also check the fan clutch. In about 9 months, mine has no signs of overheating (knock on wood) and I've put over 10k miles since the incident.

 

[topend yobbo]

May also be an R.S. radiator cap not allowing the coolent to flow BACK into the radiator.

 

[Mickldo]

Same thing happened to me the other day, turned out to be the fan clutch. OK, OK the mud in the radiator fins might have had something to do with it.

BTW, I do a lot of sand driving and I always run 18psi. I can notice the difference between 18 and 20 psi. The difference is amazing on the amount of reduced effort on the motor. After repairing a lot of broken Fraser Island Rentals I reckon that overheating is the second (after burnt out clutches) most common breakdown for a sand trip.

 

[rolliges]

It's important to remember that the stock temp guage is designed to stay near normal. It's not a good indicator.

 

[Spydaz]

The truck never over heats at all ever, jus this one time, i think its becuase of the air pressure that i didn;t let out. I think i was running at 30psi which is way to high. The needle didn't move at all from what i remebered, iu thought it did but after looking at it again while driving on pavement it was at the same spot.

How do i test the fan Clutch??

 

[CreeperSleeper]

How do i test the fan Clutch??

Search "fan clutch" (I'm not being an ass, there is a lot of info on it.)

 

[Jason Andrews]

to test your fan clutch quickly and by yourself get the engine heated up to normal driving temp. Then try to spin the fan the way it normally spins and see if it stops or has resistance. I checked mine like this and know it is bad cause it will spin about five or more times before it stops. it should only turn a 1/4 to 1/2 turn if it is in good shape.

 

[Spydaz]

Checked and the fan is fine. I think its becuase there is all goop in the radiator. How do i do a very through flush??

 

[WES1977]

BTW, I do a lot of sand driving and I always run 18psi. I can notice the difference between 18 and 20 psi. The difference is amazing on the amount of reduced effort on the motor. After repairing a lot of broken Fraser Island Rentals I reckon that overheating is the second (after burnt out clutches) most common breakdown for a sand trip.

I agree with that statement. I ran the other weekend on the beach with out deflating the tires and what a strain it put on the motor. Later that morning I let the air down to 15 psi and I floated on top of the soft sand. And the moter ran with out strain.

This is on a FJ40 of course but the concept is the same.

I have noticed the stain on my tacoma also. Never took my air pressure down just ran in low range.