2.2 overheating! please help

[XtremeVictory2000]

okay so my truck stated overheating every once in a while last year, i just could not figure out what was wrong with it. I was reading some threads on here about the fan clutch and i thought that might have been the problem since i only overheat when im at stops (i find it more common when the a/c is on also). Does anyone know what else this could possibly be, maybe a water pump or air in the system or something like that... i replaced the thermostat last year. I read some threads that said if the fan spins freely when the truck is off, then it could possibly be bad.. well i just went out and spun it.. and its pretty tight.. wont even go around a full turn if i spin it...

[SH-60B]

It sounds OK the way it is now (motor cold). I mean the thing won't freewheel like a window fan. When the motor is cold (motor off) the fan should turn like what you just described. When the truck is warmed up (again, motor off) it should be locked, or at least very hard to turn by hand. Getting hot at stops does sound like a fan problem tho.
Is the fan shroud on there?, there is also an air dam under the front of the truck, is that there?

[XtremeVictory2000]

yes both shrouds are there, it does look as tho the fan is on all the time when the truck is on.. isnt that another sign that it could be bad?

[jeffs99dime]

sounds like you need to replace the thermostat

[XtremeVictory2000]

i just replaced the thermostat last year when all of this started happening... didnt fix anything

[Dr. Nate]

Check to make sure you don't have air in your system.

-Nate

[S15vortecpwr]

how about trash/debris between the rad and condensor. believe it or not that is a great place for leaves to collect. Just an idea.

[XtremeVictory2000]

hrm i never thought of that.. how would i go about cleaning that hose out?

[Danny R]

Remove the radiator and clean out any junk stuck between the rad and the condenser in front of it (ie: leaves, dirt, sticks, small woodland critters, etc).

Air in the system may be an issue, but that only happens intermittently. You'd know it because suddenly your temp gauge will spike or drop and then shortly after go back to normal. That signifies that an air pocket got trapped by the sensor, and screwed up the temp reading.

You may also have gunk buildup inside the cooling jackets or radiator. Have the system flushed with a cleaner used for aluminum heads and hot water. A pure water flush will get some out, but not as much as the acid cleaners they have out on the market now. Just make sure its approved for ALUMINUM!!!

More than likely though, its a blockage outside the radiator itself, not allowing enough air to flow through. If your fan is hard as hell to turn after the engine has been warmed up, than your clutch is good. If it free wheels, than its bad. A plugged heater core may be the problem also. Does the heater blow really hot, or is it just warm? If warm, than that's the problem. Those are kind of hard to clean out, even with an acid flush and may need to be replaced. But that's not something you just want to replace just because. It is a PITA! Good luck.

[XtremeVictory2000]

okay so i tried to "burp" the system by taking the radiator cap off and turning the truck on til it warmed up with the heat on. After it heated up i didnt notice any bubbles or burps and the level did not change.. also i didnt notice that any circulation was taking place... after i shut off the truck i spun the fan and it spun pretty freely like there wasnt much tension on it... and it was on the whole time the truck was on

[Dr. Nate]

If it spun freely with the truck warm then your fan clutch needs to be replaced. The fan will spin anytime the truck is running (just like the AC pulley). It just doesn't engage if it isn't needed to reduce the drag it has on the engine. This is why so many people switch to electric fans so there isn't that power being robbed.

-Nate

[XtremeVictory2000]

okay so it sounds like im going to replace the clutch fan and waterpump as well as flush out the system