ninefourteener Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 So.... I got all the electrical snafus figured out..... everything in this car works.... from the license plate bulbs, to the dash bulbs, to the dome light.... all markers brakes signals.... everything. The next hurdle is to tackle the overheating problem that I've known this car had since day 1. Now.... keep in mind.... I've discovered that the previous owner was a MORON when it comes to cars, so I started with the most obvious first. last night, I removed an old arctic inline heater that I have no idea if it worked, and I figured it could be acting as a clog... so I removed it and replaced it with some brand new heater hose. Also changed out the thermostat.... ops check good today.... no leaks anywhere. filled it up with coolant..... and let her run at idle in my garage. and she's running beautifully if I may say so ..... 25 minutes later of just idling..... this is what my temp gauge looks like. It "seems" a bit high.... but I've never owned a brat. Does this look right to you after 25 minutes of idling in 75-ish degree outdoor temps..... or do I still have an overheating problem? If so.... suggestions on the next thing to check??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUBARU3 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 It's within the normal range. The fan usually does not come on until it's halfway up through normal. With that said, the temp will rise until the fan turns on and lowers it. Your temp gauge may be slightly off. Additionally, if you have the original radiator, it may not be working up to par. They lose alot of their flow as they age. (sediment). 1. Make sure the fan is cycling on and off. 2. Check radiator at radiator shop and or replace. (cheap) 3. Try synthetic oil 4. Lower the temp outdoors! 5. Gauge inaccuracy 6. Water pump full of sediment. Todd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninefourteener Posted July 14, 2010 Author Share Posted July 14, 2010 (edited) Ok.... now you threw me for a loop... My fan doesn't "cycle" at all..... it's like a flex fan.... directly connected to the pulley.... spins as fast as the motor does. I'm thinking maybe do a chemical flush of the coolant...... and then maybe install an aftermarket electrical fan, on it's own separate switch/curcuit so I don't have to tap into the existing "touchy" electrical system. suggestions???? Edited July 14, 2010 by ninefourteener Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caboobaroo Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 There's supposed to be both an electric fan and a mechanical fan on the gen 1 4wd IIRC. A lot of the clutch fans were removed throughout vehicle maintanence since they can be kind of a bear to deal with. You should also have an electric fan on the passenger side of the radiator. There will also be a thermoswitch in the lower portion of the tank on the passenger side as well to control it. See pic below of my old '78 Brat... The canister looking deal at the very bottom of the pic is the motor for the electric fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninefourteener Posted July 14, 2010 Author Share Posted July 14, 2010 LOL.... No tank ...... No electric fan either ..... at all - LOL I'll take a picture this afternoon when I get home and see if I can't get pointed i the right direction Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUBARU3 Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 (edited) Thats the problem. The belt driven fan is not of much use at idle. All Subarus have the electric fan. I think I have the stock fan, the shroud and the brackets if you need them. There...thats fixed!!! Edited July 15, 2010 by SUBARU3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninefourteener Posted July 15, 2010 Author Share Posted July 15, 2010 Just PM'd you^^^^ Here's my engine bay.... notice the complete LACK of any sort of electrical fan - LOL I'm assuming that bracket over on the driver side is an overflow tank?? Or at least where one is supposed to be???? Does anyone have any pics of what it is SUPPOSED to look like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subiemech85 Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 the gauge position is not "normal" no "overflow" tank until gen3 the bracket is for the jack only time mine read higher is when it was 1/2 gallon low of coolant I added a vw diesel coolant tank when I did the engine swap refer to picture @ http://www.pixbox.se/pic_show_id30699044.html for "normal" gauge positions this picture was taken before purchase, much cleaner now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninefourteener Posted July 15, 2010 Author Share Posted July 15, 2010 Thanks for those pics man. And that DEFINITELY explains the overheating problem... I just bought a twin electric fan kit, with a relay and sensor...... I'm going to mount one of them as a puller in the stock location..... and the other one as a pusher on the front driver side of the radiator. That will keep this damn thing cool. Just paid for it 10 minutes ago.... it's on it's way here. Question..... where is the best place to mount the temp sensor?? Any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twitch de la Brat Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 Best place to mount your temp sensor would be directly above the thermostat, IMHO. It'll be in an easy place to work on, and I believe there is a spot to mount it, but don't quote me on that one, its been a while since I owned a gen 1. Or, you could just wire in a switch in your cabin. I know there are a lot of places to mount a switch in those cockpits. I run one of those on my gen 2 on the stock fan, it should work just fine on your aftermarket setup. And for either application, make sure you get your polarity right, as that will affect your fans' direction of rotation. Twitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninefourteener Posted July 15, 2010 Author Share Posted July 15, 2010 I just did the thermostat a couple days ago, and I don't remember seeing any additional places to mount a sensor..... unless I do an "inline" thing on the upper radiator hose. I suppose that would work. Trying to avoid a cockpit switch though... with a temp sensor and relay.. don't need to. Any other suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caboobaroo Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 The factory thermoswitch is located in the passenger side of the radiator in the tank, on the lower portion of the tank. Also, since you don't have an overflow bottle, make sure you only fill the radiator up until it covers the tubes inside, no more then that. If you fill it up beyond that, it'll purge the overflow onto the ground and thats no bueno. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninefourteener Posted July 16, 2010 Author Share Posted July 16, 2010 I'm familiar with the sensor on the radiator.... I was under the impression that it controlled the temp gauge in the car though.... so I don't want to remove it. If it doesn't.... and if it supposed to serve as a temp sensor for my non-existent electric fan, then I'll definitely use it. What controls the gauge in the car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caboobaroo Posted July 17, 2010 Share Posted July 17, 2010 IIRC, there's a sensor in the intake that controls the gauge. The one in the radiator is just a thermoswitch, so when it gets to s certain temp, the switch closes and powers the fan. Kind of like a relay but instead of a power closing the switch, the heat does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninefourteener Posted July 17, 2010 Author Share Posted July 17, 2010 Outstanding!! Thanks!!! I'll just replace it with the switch that comes with the electric fan kit. Should be here tuesday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninefourteener Posted July 21, 2010 Author Share Posted July 21, 2010 The overheating problem that has existed since I bought it???? Solved. Busy day today..... Installed a new water temp sensor, a new dual-electric fan kit, aftermarket fan relay, and a circuit breaker to keep the whole thing safe. Ops check.... perfect.... comes on at 190 degrees.... turns off at 175 Didn't have room to run both fans on the back side of the radiator, so I ran a "stock location" fan on the passenger side, and then an additional fan on the front of the driver side. I backwards-wired the front fan to serve as a "pusher" while the one behind the radiator maintains the stock "puller". The "pusher" The "puller" New water temp sensor My Frankenstein wiring job. Believe it or not, it's "over-safe" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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