How do you keep the engine temperature up?

Temp that is.
Driving to my friend's place last sunday morning and my Jeep coulnd't get to its normal operating temp - especially when I was running the heater. So I pulled off the highway and took side streets which allowed me to run the heater and she warmed up at all the red lights.
My question is - should I be covering my radiator or running different rad fluid?
I recall seeing quilted covers in front of rigs a while back. Could I simply place a piece of cardboard behind my grill to achieve the same results? Just wondering what anybody else does or is something wrong with my coolant system?

Thanks

Marc out

 

Re: How do you keep it up?

That's what I used to do with my CJ7. Works great. Just remember to keep a daily watch on your temp guage or it will overheat when the sun comes out.

Paul

 

Re: How do you keep it up?

Are you running a thermostat? If so, what temp? If your not it might never maintain normal temp when it's cold. If you are it might be stuck open. Also make sure your coolant level is good. If it's real low your pick up might not be reading the water temp and showing cold. I wouldn't think you would need anything covering your radiator unless it is seriously cold, that is if everything else is okay.

 

Re: How do you keep it up?

my first thought is thermostat, but i could be wrong

 

Re: How do you keep it up?

Me, too.R)

If your water level is low, you wont have any heat 'cause none of the water is flowing through the heater. It usually sits higher than the block.

 

I have this same problem. You can take off the fan to get it a little bit hotter, or you can put in a higher temp thermostat.My buddy blew his fan clutch on a 87 YJ. We pulled it off. He was scared to drive it like that but it ran better. Just be ready to put it back on in the summer.
I never heard of the cardboard method but sounds like I'll be trying it tomorrow!

 

In real cold weather the 225 is hard to keep warmed up good, it has way to many water jackets. When I used to hunt alot in the winter I had to put cardboard in front of the radiator and cover about half of it up. The darn thing would barely make it to 160* and it took 25 miles of driving to do that. When I covered up about 30-50% of the radiator it ran great.

 

Wow, this has never crossed my mind. I'm worried about keeping my V6 cool when summer comes around.

If I was going to be putting cardboard or anything in front of the radiator I'd be careful about overdoing it.

 

i guess washington state never really got that xold... i mean it got cold, but the jeep always sat at 180 nomatter what the temp was. i would keep an eye on the temp gage if useing the cardboard method

 

Years ago when I got out of the Navy I bought a '62 Volvo 544.
At the bottom of the dash was a ring like a keyring hooked to a pull chain like the ones for hanging lamps. This was hooked to what looked like a rollup windowshade behind the grill and in front of the radiator. This was a factory item. you would pull the ring out to what ever position you desired, and the shade would comeup and cover that much of the radiator. great idea. It gets really cold in Sweden where they are made.

 

Interesting.

 

I would check your thermostat first, fluid won't flow through the radiator unless the thermostat is open. If it is really cold, then the cardboard in front of the radiator I do believe helps by slowing the flow of air into the engine comartment which can cool the engine from the air rushing past the engine block.
How old is your thermostat, they are pretty cheap and easy to replace. Good Luck, where is o-fries country? Idaho?

 

Listen to the man from Alaska, he knows.
That was my experience in Fairbanks, too. The cardboard hang on a hook in the garage in the summer time. Plus with the sun only up for two hours a day, things never warm up.

 

I am going to have to agree with madizell, when it gets really cold out, that thermostat has to shut if the coolant get to cold, which in below 0 weather is quite likely. I am not sure what manden68 outside air temp is when he is having this problem, but if his jeep is drafty like mine, then you start to miss out on the heat from the radiator that comes through the firewall/floorboard cracks also. I think the cardboard trick will work great but would first check the cooling system out, thermostat, coolant level,incorrect coolant hose routing, correct gauge operation. Could be the engine temp is fine, but the heater just wont keep up at highway(drafty)speeds.

 

Like I told my 14 yo step daughter years back "If you are cold go put some more clothes on!"R)

 

What do you mean coolant hose routing? It dosn't have to be stock right? I've got two heaters and there is a ton of coolant hose, but plenty of antifreeze to fill them.

 

This makes complete sense to me. As soon as the thermostat opens up the temp drops so it'll want to close again. It seems to me though at some point if you're driving on a straight flat stretch for a long time without changing the throttle it would eventually reach some sort of equilibrium and stop fluctuating. However, as soon as you changed the thermal input to the system (ie. stepped on the gas) it'll start opening and closing all over again to maintain temperature. Even when we're driving on the freeway though we have to deal with grades (except for a few of us in some parts of Kansas R) ) or passing. That will make the thermostat do its thing again so when it stops moving would be pretty rare.