Discovery 2 Operating Temp
#71
Without back checking your previous data points it sounds like your load has moved your truck to the ambient plus 120 degree range with the AC on at 70. So once temps hit 100F, you are looking at cruising temps of 220. Not ideal, but survivable.
I too have been researching larger radiators but waiting for summer to arrive to get them a good test. Kinda pointless until we are in the 90s which probably won't happen for another month on the east coast. You guys out west already there.
I too have been researching larger radiators but waiting for summer to arrive to get them a good test. Kinda pointless until we are in the 90s which probably won't happen for another month on the east coast. You guys out west already there.
Are you looking at existing manufacturers of Discovery 2 radiators for one that is larger or biting the bullet and going to have a custom one built? You said earlier that it would need to be 40% larger to get the 4.6 to consistently run cooler - what is the capacity of the stock radiator? I have never looked at custom radiators but know guys who have them built for racing - so not even sure what to ask a radiator shop.
There are a couple of existing manufacturers like Allisport and GPI Racing that claim 40% increase in performance over stock but don't really explain much on how they accomplished that - and I have yet to find anyone that installed one and has replied with their results.
GPI doesn't give any specifics on how they got to be 40% better but it is a 3 row vs the stock 2 row. However from my understanding more rows alone isn't a difference - if the additional rows result in more volume, that would be make a difference.
https://gpiracing.com/products/for-l...pr_seq=uniform
Allisport says they are 40% better because of their "special controlled atmosphere brazed core and optimum 12 fins per inch (FPI) for maximum cooling" but not because of any increase capacity.
https://www.allisport.com/shop/perfo...lloy-radiator/
Have you researched either of those? are there others I am missing?
Last edited by FtWDisco2; 06-06-2023 at 08:51 AM.
#72
Just returned from a Northern Arkansas trip with the family. We had the truck loaded pretty good with four people, dog and gear. The truck is a 04 with a 2" lift, 235/85-16 mud tires (31.75") which are heavy. Extinct inline, Nissens radiator new in the last 2 years and all new coolant hoses. Weather was humid and in the 80's. On the highway at 65-75 the temps stayed pretty even in the 183-194 range depending on the elevation. This was the outbound leg and the AC was turned off for most of the trip down from KC. Now, if you have ever been to Northern Arkansas you know it is not flat. Once we got into the Buffalo river area and started the climbs, temps started to climb. For most it went up to 200-204 before cresting, then dropped quickly back down to the 180's or lower. Climbing up to Mt. Sherman it did get to 210, held there until the summit and then dropped on the decent. On these climbs you are mostly going slow due to the tight hairpins and they are steep. For me thats about 30-35mph max. So you are trading less airflow for speed load I guess. On the return trip with AC on and temps in the high 80's, it stuck right at 200-204 at 65-75mph. I consider 70mph the sweet spot for my truck. For the most part I was impressed with how temps behaved. My truck has 185k, runs well but I know the engine is tired. I leaked or purged zero fluids or used any oil. Scan gauge said 14.7 mpg
So my post trip questions are -
What happens on a real mountain pass that lasts for many miles and longer times? Say, I-70 over Vail pass or up to the Eisenhower tunnel? With a well functioning cooling system, which I think mine is, do the temps stop climbing at some point? What speeds can be held? I have driven all over Colorado for years, just not in my D2. I felt like in Arkansas I ran out of mountain before the temps got scary, but if the climbs kept going who knows.
On radiators -
Does anyone have experience with the aluminum options you see on ebay? There are others CHR, etc but the GPI link is below. Cost is in the stock range. They advertise more cooling and capacity but who really knows? My amateur thermodynamic thought is increased capacity would help but surface area is what it is and maybe set with the space available.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/28406126216...oaAsrsEALw_wcB
So my post trip questions are -
What happens on a real mountain pass that lasts for many miles and longer times? Say, I-70 over Vail pass or up to the Eisenhower tunnel? With a well functioning cooling system, which I think mine is, do the temps stop climbing at some point? What speeds can be held? I have driven all over Colorado for years, just not in my D2. I felt like in Arkansas I ran out of mountain before the temps got scary, but if the climbs kept going who knows.
On radiators -
Does anyone have experience with the aluminum options you see on ebay? There are others CHR, etc but the GPI link is below. Cost is in the stock range. They advertise more cooling and capacity but who really knows? My amateur thermodynamic thought is increased capacity would help but surface area is what it is and maybe set with the space available.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/28406126216...oaAsrsEALw_wcB
removing the grill does help about 5 degrees or so and takes about a minute so that is helpful if you know you have to make a climb
#73
Lol. I keep thinking about all of the dazzling stylish suburbanites that bought D2's new back in the day and hammered them up into the mountains on the weekends. Woozy on V8 power and having no idea the factory temp gauge was telling them nothing. I would guess Land Rover of Denver was busy sorting that out.
#74
Lol. I keep thinking about all of the dazzling stylish suburbanites that bought D2's new back in the day and hammered them up into the mountains on the weekends. Woozy on V8 power and having no idea the factory temp gauge was telling them nothing. I would guess Land Rover of Denver was busy sorting that out.
Now they head gaskets have been replaced, machine shops have worked the heads if needed and things like soft spring T-stats, inline mod, Ultraguage to monitor real time, changing from DexCool, etc have come into play to combat the issue
Plus we are all aware of it so we pay closer attention instead of just driving until it breaks
#75
So my post trip questions are -
What happens on a real mountain pass that lasts for many miles and longer times? Say, I-70 over Vail pass or up to the Eisenhower tunnel? With a well functioning cooling system, which I think mine is, do the temps stop climbing at some point? What speeds can be held? I have driven all over Colorado for years, just not in my D2. I felt like in Arkansas I ran out of mountain before the temps got scary, but if the climbs kept going who knows.
What happens on a real mountain pass that lasts for many miles and longer times? Say, I-70 over Vail pass or up to the Eisenhower tunnel? With a well functioning cooling system, which I think mine is, do the temps stop climbing at some point? What speeds can be held? I have driven all over Colorado for years, just not in my D2. I felt like in Arkansas I ran out of mountain before the temps got scary, but if the climbs kept going who knows.
My setup is stock, but I flushed out the Dexcool, put in a new radiator, replaced the water pump and fan/fan clutch, and went with the soft spring thermostat a few years ago. The truck has seen less than 10k miles since then and as far as I know I'm still on stock head gaskets at ~135k miles.
#76
I see a lot of Lemon law titles in Texas on D2's - I have no way of researching why a vehicle was Lemon law'd back in the day, but given how many are still running 100k later - I would guess many were sold back to the dealership because of overheating issues in August when its 100+ for 60 days in a row and the inherent design means the issue could not be corrected using standard parts, etc so people just gave them up.
Now they head gaskets have been replaced, machine shops have worked the heads if needed and things like soft spring T-stats, inline mod, Ultraguage to monitor real time, changing from DexCool, etc have come into play to combat the issue
Plus we are all aware of it so we pay closer attention instead of just driving until it breaks
Now they head gaskets have been replaced, machine shops have worked the heads if needed and things like soft spring T-stats, inline mod, Ultraguage to monitor real time, changing from DexCool, etc have come into play to combat the issue
Plus we are all aware of it so we pay closer attention instead of just driving until it breaks
#77
I see a lot of Lemon law titles in Texas on D2's - I have no way of researching why a vehicle was Lemon law'd back in the day, but given how many are still running 100k later - I would guess many were sold back to the dealership because of overheating issues in August when its 100+ for 60 days in a row and the inherent design means the issue could not be corrected using standard parts, etc so people just gave them up.
Now they head gaskets have been replaced, machine shops have worked the heads if needed and things like soft spring T-stats, inline mod, Ultraguage to monitor real time, changing from DexCool, etc have come into play to combat the issue
Plus we are all aware of it so we pay closer attention instead of just driving until it breaks
Now they head gaskets have been replaced, machine shops have worked the heads if needed and things like soft spring T-stats, inline mod, Ultraguage to monitor real time, changing from DexCool, etc have come into play to combat the issue
Plus we are all aware of it so we pay closer attention instead of just driving until it breaks
BTW, solution coming....
#78
The 3 row GPI are the same size as stock, so no benefit there.
As I said before, been kinda waiting on the summer to get a good test, and busy with some other projects. My guess is there are maybe 30% of D2 owners who would pop for the 40% larger radiator. We fitted a universal 3" core radiator in to the space last fall, but would require electric fans and trans cooler and radiator hose reroute. That's why I was thinking maybe try one of the 4 row or perhaps custom build a 3" this summer.
You said earlier that it would need to be 40% larger to get the 4.6 to consistently run cooler - what is the capacity of the stock radiator? I have never looked at custom radiators but know guys who have them built for racing - so not even sure what to ask a radiator shop.
There are a couple of existing manufacturers like Allisport and GPI Racing that claim 40% increase in performance over stock but don't really explain much on how they accomplished that - and I have yet to find anyone that installed one and has replied with their results.
GPI doesn't give any specifics on how they got to be 40% better but it is a 3 row vs the stock 2 row. However from my understanding more rows alone isn't a difference - if the additional rows result in more volume, that would be make a difference.
https://gpiracing.com/products/for-l...pr_seq=uniform
GPI doesn't give any specifics on how they got to be 40% better but it is a 3 row vs the stock 2 row. However from my understanding more rows alone isn't a difference - if the additional rows result in more volume, that would be make a difference.
https://gpiracing.com/products/for-l...pr_seq=uniform
Allisport says they are 40% better because of their "special controlled atmosphere brazed core and optimum 12 fins per inch (FPI) for maximum cooling" but not because of any increase capacity.
https://www.allisport.com/shop/perfo...lloy-radiator/
https://www.allisport.com/shop/perfo...lloy-radiator/
#79
#80
I just made this drive coming back from Moab and on Vail Pass I saw 206 and up to the Eisenhower Tunnel from Silverthorne I got up to 204. For both I was heading East and it would oscillate between 200 to those upper values as the revs and terrain changed. I don't remember speed, but I was likely around 60 (definitely in the far right lane!). Going West from Denver to Moab it only hit 200 on both of those routes and my load was heaver as the 15 gallon water tank I have on-board was full. I think ambient temp played a role in that, but both passes seem longer heading East.
My setup is stock, but I flushed out the Dexcool, put in a new radiator, replaced the water pump and fan/fan clutch, and went with the soft spring thermostat a few years ago. The truck has seen less than 10k miles since then and as far as I know I'm still on stock head gaskets at ~135k miles.
My setup is stock, but I flushed out the Dexcool, put in a new radiator, replaced the water pump and fan/fan clutch, and went with the soft spring thermostat a few years ago. The truck has seen less than 10k miles since then and as far as I know I'm still on stock head gaskets at ~135k miles.