That sure is a nice looking radiator. I love the fact that it's all aluminum instead of having the plastic end caps.

 

I looked at their direct replacement radiator & I might just give it a go when I get my tax return.

 

i was surprised when I came back to reading the d2 section to see the ownership churn. My D2 has been pretty solid for the last few years so I've been more active on the series and RRC boards getting those things into shape.

 

allisport makes great stuff. I have their intercooler on my 200tdi and it's been a big improvement.

 

Yeah the quality looks great.

I've been on Discoweb since way back in 2000, but my account was killed off for some reason over the years. I never officially joined this forum during all that time, but I always checked it out.

When I got back into LR's I re-registered at Discoweb, but honestly that forum sucks now. Everyone that's active on there are just a bunch of smart @sses, and I got bashed by the top guys there because I appeared with 0 post although I'd been there for years. I like this Forum MUCH MUCH better and it's way more up to date and everyone here is much nicer.

 

Robert I understand that your only having issues when traversing steep hills but could you elaborate on your overheating symptoms? What are the engine temps while climping hills? Is your engine literally overheating? Smoke billowing from the engine bay and coolant spewing from cooling system? Etc? How many times has your truck overheated? Is it possible that your engine and or cooling system were damaged as a result?

Honestly I dont think your issue is mechanical. Not to say you could not invest enough $$$$ into some fancy aftermarket upgrade to improve your cooling system but just think your putting to much strain on your rig. Excessive gear, re-geared diffs and large over-sized wheels and tires are likely the culprit. How is your vehicle weight distribution by the way? Perhaps you should consider revising your build plateform. Make some resonable compromises (like downsizing the wheels). Do you really need the roof top tent? Is it possible to relocate the tent to a tow behind trailer? Might you have excess kit inside your rig that you either dont use very often or dont need at all? How heavy is the tow behind trailer?

Perhaps a TD5 could handle the extra load but I dont believe the Rover V8 is capable of the kinds of loads your are putting on your truck.

 

Good points Julian.
if money were not an object, I'd revise my build. But since I do have a finite budget, it's actually more cost effective than to make the changes you suggest. I actually did pull my rooftop tent off last month and put it on my RRC lwb, which has zero cooling issues in any scenario

sure i could elect not to tow with it but I'd prefer to build it so that it does what I want.

overheating. I define overheating as any scenario where the cooling system can not maintain an appropriate operating temperature once the thermostat is fully open. In my case, driving home from work puts me in this scenario every day as my engine temps would continue to climb into the lower 200's unless I were to pull over.

I do appreciate your questions on the integrity of the cooling system but that's a fools errand in this case. New airtex water pump (brass impeller), new nissens radiator, Block was tested, HD Hayden fan clutch, new head gaskets. Moving to the inline stat dramatically improved overall cooling. Really it's such a no brainer mod that everyone needs to do. I run a constant 183-188 except on mountain passes, climbing up to my house and the freeway on the way to work

In this case, thermostat is fully open so a cooling upgrade is in order with my current setup. What I'd love to be able to do, is to measure trans temps though. Regearing would cost about the same as a fancy radiator.

One last point, Alex isn't having any of these issues with the changes that he made to his cooling system. The switch to electric fans and the ability to have them switch on under load keeps him at constant temps while towing and climbing.
Its not the engine, it's either the radiator, airflow through the grille to the radiator, or the transmission getting hot from "lugging".
i'd just prefer not to switch to electric fans as a personal preference or I'd jump on it and call it good.

 

I'm not a believer in E-Fan's vs the viscous fan. I tried a very expensive SPAL E-Fan conversion on my 08 H3 Alpha with a 5.3L V8 once and I nearly fried it. The fan ran all the time, and on the highway it couldn't keep up with the engine and keeping it cool.

 

i remember reading about that experience on this forum
i have no doubt that an electric fan can work, it's just my preference to run a viscous fan. I'm curious though, was the spal blocking airflow through the grille to the radiator? The viscous should not be a factor in cooling at highway speeds right?

 

Robert, I notice a new radiator or rad lush isn't on you list there. Might I suggest taking your rad to a local radiator shop and having them clean it out? Its very possible your rad is just gunked up from years of service.

Electric vs viscous fan is really one of things that comes down to personal preference. I like it for my uses, but honestly there's no clear winner either way.