tlava

thanks-- I do notice less coolant in the reserve tank this morning than yesterday--it was cooler overnight, if that matters...

I've replaced the radiator, fan clutch, thermostat (not sure what temp, probably 180-90), and now the coolant sensor...

Ok--thanks for that--so after running a 30-secs to maybe one minute, it would be normal for the water to start to rise and perhaps overflow? I assume from what you are saying that as the system pressurizes, it pushes up the spring on the cap and lets water into the tank, under normal running conditions, and not just if it pressurizes too much (if that is possible due to a blockage or something)?

Somethings I still haven't resolved--after the engine runs about a minute, the fluid in the radiator begins to rise and will overflow if I don't tighten down cap--is this normal, since the radiator I guess pressurizes? does it suggest an overfilled radiator? Also, one morning, I noticed the hoses were sucked in, after about a 1.5 hr drive on highways, etc the day before; on opening the radiator cap and releasing the vacuum, the hoses popped back into position. Driving about a half hr on mountain roads the other day, this didn't happen, so it seems inconsistent, or maybe only happens after extended driving? Though I haven't highway tested yet, driving 50--65 on mountain roads (depending on hills, curves, etc), the temp gauge stays below the half mark; when i pulled into a parking lot after about 15 mins. of this sort of driving, the temp gauge rose to just a bit over half, but then began to drop, and stayed just a bit below as I let it idle about 5 mins. does all this seem normal? should I still have it checked out for possible fan clutch (though new) of block or thermostat issues? thanks!

oops--there was not washer with the replacement part... don't rememer one on the old part, though there was apparently something--remains of something on top of manifold; I assumed it was some kind of sealant... well, I didn't notice any seepage-do I need to take all apart again and find a washer? but where would I find this washer? As I say, the new part came without one...

David--Yes, thanks, I would very much like to get the oven if possible. BTW--esp Totem--I did get the pilot quite a bit higher--I discovered that if I press in and turn the little screw under the knob counter-clock wise, it will go more than 1/4 turn--in fact, it will go full around and probably eventually unscrew? This did seem to raise pilot flame, however--maybe to much. But when I push in on the screw it goes out all together.... the problem now seems to be the oven temp--the burner lights, but does not seem to respond to the temp setting on the dial--just keeps burning, even with temp set on 170...

Hi All-- well, I replaced the temp sensor, and that may have been the problem... will know for sure after taking a drive, but I let the engine run qute a while and temp read below half... one concern--the nut on the sensor does not screw down flush with the manifold--it is snug, though, and I didn't notice any seepage of coolant--is this correct?

HI Totem-- I can find no adjustment screws,front or back--only an on or off screw on the front under the plastic knob...

Thanks Totem--I did pull the knob off previously, and saw a small scriew/switch to turn the gas "off" or on--that was marked right on the regulator under the knob in front; I took the burner shelf off to look at the regulator from the back side, but wasn't looking for any adjustments there--is that were the pilot adjustment is, or is it on the front side under the knob? is it marked?

Totem: any idea how to raise the flame on the pilot? Mine is very low and hard to keep lit... David: I would be interested in the oven; I often visit my mother in SL, but may not be making the trip for 4 mos.; if not then then not till next summer... any way to hold it? is the oven door working on it? seems to be detached in pic...

I was able to remove the temp sensor--the thing looks so basic, hard to believe it would go bad; I'm wondering if maybe someone had put the wrong one in? maybe meant for the 4 cyl rather than the 6? could that cause a too hot reading? I will replace it, and see what happens... should the threads be treated? I use Harvey Seal thread compound on LP and plumbing fittings--good up to 6,000 psi on gas fittings, and up to +400 F, so should work well in this application...I swear by this stuff--never use teflon tape...

I have a Wedgwood model is T 2130 (4 burner) in an '86 Sunrader The pilot for the oven lights, though with some difficulty (hard to keep lit), and when/if it does finally light, the flame is extremely low/faint; when I turn the oven from pilot to a temp setting. the main burner does not ignite, and it seems no gas is getting to it. Any ideas? is this just a thermocouple issue? any go get the gas to flow into main burner an bypass thermocouple, etc? Thanks!

thanks David--I do see something stuck directly into the top of the manifold, perpendicular to it (i.e., mounted vertiaclly), close to where the main hose from the radiator connects to the block (though I assume the thermo. itself is located further down on the block, since another hose splits off from the main hose at that point and dips down into a quite hard-to-see/get to place?). The part that looks like the sending unit is right under the air cleaner apparatus, and fairly small--maybe about a 10mm nut on it--with a wire coming out and feeding into the main wire harnace--could this be the sending unit?

Hey--anyone out there close to Andes, NY (Catskills--about 50 miles west of Kingston on I 28)? If so it i could drive out to meet and actually look over this in person, it might be a great help (reward for whoever solves the problem!--ha!)...

THanks for the link--the Nissan V6 is a different animal, though, when it comes to getting at the thermo. But your suggestion is the the sending unit shuold be in a similar spatial relationship to the thermo, regardless? Or might it be in a totally different place on the VGi?

Does anyone know where the sending unit is, what it looks like, and whether I can get to it on this engine? It's funny, though, since a previous mechanic put a sensor on the block, and said the temp seemed basically to match the position of the needle on gauge, and that the gauge was accurate... of course, he didn't check the temp when the gauge was in the hot area. I think the block temp was about 160% when he checked it, and the gauge was more or less in the middle? Sot it's possible that as the engine gets hotter, the gauge begins to lose accuracy? some sort of error related exponentially to heat? I did buy a new radiator cap in a small town I was passing through... but who knows. I squeezed around on the tube to the tank, and it doesn't seem there are any blockages (also some fluid runs out when I take the submerged end out of the reserve tank).

I have not tested the water pump; but the sending unit sounds like a possibility? I just took the Sunrader to a mechanic. He put a temp gauge into the water, and said that the thermo seemed to be opening as it should at about 187%; he also said that the temp gauge inside the cab was reading up to the double lines, yet the water was only 185-187, and suggested that perhaps the sending unit was sending false information to the gauge? I didn't ask him directly, but he seemed to imply that the temp stayed at 185-187, or maybe dropped a little, but definitely wasn't overheating, even though the temp gauge suggested to was... I don't know... still, if the fan clutch were working properly, shouldn't the water temp drop down below 185-187? Also, as I said, when I pull over, shut off the engine, that turn it back on again, the temp gauge does respond, and begins to drop.... About getting at the thermo: I guess Linda may have to answer this: do I have to remove the fan, the pulley above it, and the timing cover to get at the thermo, or can I get to it just removing the air cleaner and related apparatus directly over it....

Hi LInda, John, and all--let me make sure I understand. First, yes, I installed the new fan myself, but there didn't seem to be any special procedure there--just remove the nuts and put the new one in (a bit tricky since not much room to work) the instructions did say to torque a certain amt, which I just estimated since I could only fit a small thin crescent wrench into the space--but the torque wouldn't effect the operation of the clutch, right--the nuts just secured the fan to the pulley So Linda if I want to get the right thermo, where/how? do you have a source for that, or can I just ask at NAPA, or wherever, for a 160 thermo? but how can I tell if it is the right one with the vent? the one in there now is probably whatever the parts store suggested. Also, if water is hot, wouldn't this indicate the thermo is opening OK? Otherwise, I should remove it, put everything back together, then refill with coolant through the radiator top hole? The one thing I did notice though as I said the fluid right now pushed up out of the top hole almost immediately, before the engine is warm... Thanks again for all advice!

Hi John-- Not sure what the thermo clutch is, but I believe the fan has a fluid in it that thickens as it heats? It has a coil on front, like the old mechanical furnace thermostats...in any case, it attaches directly to a pulley driven by I believe the same belt that drives the water pump Would the hoses snap back into place without removing the cap, once the engine is started? Anyway, certainly not normal, I guess. IF it is the fan clutch, wonder what gives, since it is a new clutch. wondering if possible to install an electrical fan (this is an '86--not sure where it would go or how it would fit/mount.)

Thanks again for more info--I just happened to think about the simple possibility of the reserve tank hose being blocked. I'll check that. Yes the heater was on full and blows hot. There is the AC evaporator and then the tranny cooler mounted in front of radiator, but it seems more that the fan is not engaging as it should, since it spins rather freely when hot at first. I'll try the water squirt, though--;like with a squirt bottle, or a hose? through the very front (grill)? SOunds like not a bad idea to have the block flushed anyway? Though, as I say, the water is getting plenty hot, which would suggest it is circulating, just not cooling down? a blockage in the block wouldn't casuse that, right?

Hi All-- OK, one more time--I have tried some of the tests suggested previously; I started out on the highway. After about 5-10 mins, the temp had climbed close to the double lines, but didn't enter that area. As I saw it nearing that area, not knowing if it the fan would kick in, I pulled over before , shut off the engine for about a minute to let the engine compartment heat up, turned it back on, and the temp began to drop. I had to do this a couple of times. I did notice that I definitely could not keep my hand on the top of the radiator. I will add that I did not keep driving to see if the clutch would kick in before the temp actually entered the danger area I also noted that, once off the highway and on the mountain roads, where my speed fluctuates quite a bit, the temp would sometimes get close to the double lines, drop down, and at one point actually went below the half way mark--would this be due to less air flowing through system, and compartment getting hot enough for fan to kick in? ALSO JUST NOTICED: this morning, I looked under hood--plenty of coolant in reservoir, but BOTH top and bottom radiator hoses appeared to be "sucked in" or collapsed; when I took off the radiator cap, that was a vacuum release, and the hoses returned to normal... the cowl seems to be in place, but there is a screw missing from the bottom--could a loose cowl be allowing too much air flow and keeping fan clutch from kicking in? Or, if air flow is being obstructed (there is a tranny cooler mounted in front of radiator), could the fan clutch be kicking in, but not able to properly cool? I also tried turning on the heater w/blower off, but that didn't seem to have much effect either way I also noticed, though, when starting the ending cold, to see if the coolant was flowing properly, it began to rise and overflow after about a minute--I was watching for some sort of bubbling or indication of flow, but didn't notice any, Yet, the coolant does seem to be flowing, since, as I say, I got through the 90 mile drive without actually overheating I had the temp gauge checked, and it seems OK; I put in a new fan clutch, new radiator, and thermo (though this may be a 190 rather than 160) Could this be a combo of things? when the coolant gets hot, does it flow better? should I have the block flushed, put in a lower temp thermo, and perhaps replace the FC again? should I do nothing and just consider it "normal"? These drastic fluctuations in temp are nerve-wracking. Could any of this indicate a head gasket issue? Again, this is a Nissan V6, if that matters

Sorry--I didn't understand those numbers... BTW--the pressure test I mentioned above (that was done, acc.. to the mechanics) was a cooling system test; also had the engine compression tested.

Actually I just remembered--the shop that put in the radiator, etc, did run a pressure test (along with a compression and leakdown--results noted above; can't recall compression test results, but apparently OK)--but I think I recall them saying that they kept it pressurized for a long period of time, and it was fine? (meaning I guess the system held pressure w/ no problem?); it could be of course that I'm remembering something inaccurately (memory often elides...), or maybe it w as a different type of test? But what you are suggesting is the engine would have to be started once pressurized, to see if it builds up yet more pressure?

I also tried adding White Shepherd head gasket sealer/repair to the radiator coolant about 1k miles ago, just in case, but not sure it had an effect....