So, I'm planning on changing the T-stat for the 180 tomorrow or this weekend. But, I used my hand to check the temperature of the radiator top and bottom and the whole thing is pretty cold. With the engine at around 210* after a 30 minute drive, the top hose is warm and stiff and the bottom hose is coolish and less stiff. But, the radiator itself is cold to the touch in the center and luke warm at the top/bottom. So, either the radiator is *really* stuffed up at or near the inlet, or the Tstat is stuck closed and circulating little to nothing through the radiator.

I'll probably replace the radiator in the future anyway just due to what I flushed out of the heater core.

 

I dont believe the rads are as clogged as everyone claims they are to be.

I have seen the pics posted here of them, and I agree that it does happen...but of all the ones I have scrapped, taken apart, fixed, not ONE was ever clogged more than one or two runners.

Go rent a bore scope cam from Advance or buy one $50-$60, or hell stop by and you can use mine. Drain the coolant out, and put the cam down inside the rad. This will SURELY tell you if its clogged.

The rad can be disassembled, flushed and repaired. All you need is a special crimper for the side tanks.

Your hose can be hard because of air. There is a method to burping the system, take the over flow bottle and raise it in the air etc...

I like to park my rover on an incline or raise the front end on a lift. I like to turn on the heat, squeeze the hoses.

 

Anyway if you do want to try the flush, it comes from GM TSB bulletin #99-06-02-012D, on flushing cooling systems that have had dexcool in for a long time. (been discussed on this forum and several others)

When I did my TR8 V8 I had some oxalic acid crystals handy that I use on the boat (you can buy them from any chandlery). Just put a cup in a bucket of hot water, then fill and run the engine for a while. You can neutralise the acid with a baking soda solution then fill with coolant.

 

The BIGGEST IMPROVEMENT will be MADE by INSTALLING the 180 degree ROVER thermostat.

If you bought the Motorad 180 degree, get a hammer and mash it into a wad so it will NOT get into a running rover.

You need the genuine 180 degree Land Rover tstat.
Please get that in soon.

Put in a Hayden HD fan clutch.

 

I just put a 180 stat in now I run about 186. If it sits at ideal it goes up to 192. I don't think that's to bad

 

Just a quick update on this. I finally got around to replacing the radiator and putting in a 180 degree Tstat. The old Tstat was definitely not opening consistently. I boiled it on the stove and it did not open. I pried it open and it did open after that. Hence, it got tossed. The old radiator was a little bit clogged, but not badly. I replaced it anyway with a Nissen radiator ($230-ish on Amazon) and the t-stat is the motorad 180 degree. Temps stay around 195 now and have not gone above 200. This is a *huge* improvement. Maybe now I can take my eyes off of the UltraGauge a bit more. Thanks for all the input.

 

Much improved. congratulations.
late to the party,but fyi on the nissens radiator. I got one, couple weeks ago from partsgeek for like $215, shipped. that's a little cheaper.
odd, there was a tree limb sized dent with a pinhole leak on mine. sneaky mesquite monster, i presume.

 

If you want to stop fixing the cooling system you need to do all this at once:

1) New radiator $230 Nissens from Rock auto.
2) New 180 Degree thermostat - Land Rover Genuine - not a Motorad
3) New Hayden Heavy Duty fan clutch.

Replace all this at once and you are done.
Fan clutch may be different on an 04 then my ex 2001.