The fan being turned around won't make a difference on flow. If you flip it around the blades will still be angled the same way just curved backward so they won't move the air as efficiently.

 

Thanks for the correction.

 

ok, took the weekend off. So my fan has the blades protruding from the ring of plastic at the back, next to the nut. I trust this is the proper direction. Met a LR Tech at a BBQ and he said he puts a funnel on the expansion tank upside down and lets it idle for 15 minutes to get all the bubbles out. He says it works for him, every time. Thoughts? He is also going to lend me a pressure testing tool, and I will report back after that time. Thank you for your help, as always.

 

having just gone through my fan explosion issues, I don't see how you can put the fan on backwards. If you did, the plastic lip of the fan that is supposed to go to the front would protrude in the back making it impossible to get a wrench over the clutch nut.

I can't help diagnose your issue, but I can tell you that since I recently had to change my radiator due to the fan breaking the nipple on it, changing a radiator is not that hard. And a new one is only $225 shipped from partsgeek. I dragged my feet about doing it because it seemed like a big job, but it wasn't that bad. If you radiator is original from 2000, it almost would fall into a service item in my mind given how cheap it is.

 

I am having similar issues here. Mine would get hot at idle and more so with AC on but if normal driving it would hang around 194 with a motorad thermo. Viscous fan felt ok by hand but went ahead and replaced it, along with new radiator and OE thermostat. I replaced the upper hose and the condenser fan both last year so really all that left on mine is water pump and/or cap. In regards to the cap, I could be wrong but if it wasn't holding pressure would it not leak out the over flow tank?

Anyway after replacing all that I know my belt is on correct and fans are blowing the right way but I still get hot at idle with AC on. Its jumping about 2 degrees every 30 seconds or so. Mine will cool down if I rev and hold it to about 1500 rpms without moving so guessing mine is water pump or I have an air pocket. I have been bleeding it over the last week and I hear air escaping through my bleed screw. HG have been replaced so hoping that is not it. I will say when moving though I see temps in the 180 to 188 range so improvement there for sure

 

Well, the fan sucks very well, the vehicle was bled according to many theories and lastly pursuant to the RAVE. Went for a drive on the freeway and at 58 degrees ambient, and she stayed at 206, came off the freeway and stopped at a light and saw 210 and then the A/C fan came on and the temperature went down to 206. Seems to idle at 206 (201 with the bonnet up). So, I will check the coolant for a proper mixture and then put this issue to rest). Reading the RAVE I see that the OEM thermo does not come fully open until 203 and if my motorad is a 180, she is still running hot. But I have done all that I can at this juncture and it is time to start driving her again.

 

Are you not going to try the Genuine Grey 180 T-Stat? If you get a spare $80 in the future you should give it a try.

 

Thanks Jared9220. That was the initial one I replaced when I bought the truck and was shocked at the idle temperatures. Every one of my other vehicles idle at 194 and I am fearful of aluminium and heat. In any event, come next summer, if the issue arises again, I may have to go back to OEM and see if that works. Cheers,

 

Get the fan on correctly. Look at another rover to understand how it goes.

JUNK the motorad thermostat. Put in a genuine gray 180 degree.

Replace the fan clutch.

Replace the radiator.

Bleed it with the funnel on top of the elevated coolant tank with the engine running.

Failure or refusal to do the above MAY result in continued overheating.