zero Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 2 hours ago, jjrbus said: A local club contacted an AC company because of AC comfort level issues, they wanted to have a humidistat installed. The AC company told them before doing anything to install a wall thermometer next to the thermostat and check the accuracy of the thermostat. Inaccurate thermostats must be more common than I knew. Jim The mechanical thermostats are very easy to install wrong and have come on at the wrong temps since they must be perfectly level. I purposely had our's off level so I could force it to work at the low temp of 40 degrees (did not go that low on the scale). Funny thing is - this year I changed to a digital thermostat that comes with a low temp setting of 45 degrees F. Problem is - AT 45 degrees F - the LCD screen gets too cold and you can't read it. Seems the Robert Shaw people never tried their own thermostats at the lowest setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjrbus Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 1 hour ago, jdemaris said: Last year, a Dolphin owner on this forum with a 1987 22RE said his engine was running badly and was suspecting his computer. That's when I offered him my extra for $50. He posted here after installing it and said his was Dolphin ran great afterwards. So, who the heck knows? Running like crap did not surprise me. But in your case with an absolute no-run situation? THAT does surprise me . Computer-controlled systems usually have "default" modes to keep the engine running if main system fails. Now you've got me thinking Toyota does not have one? I've got two Dodge Grand Caravans. A 1998 AWD and a 2001 FWD. Both have had computer problems all the time I've owned them. Charging system will stop working once in awhile. After some panic parts changing while away from home (new alternator and battery) - I found out that all I have to do is "reboot" the computer when it stops charging. I.e. just shut the engine off, and restart and then all is fine - sometimes for months. So, now knowing that - I refuse to get to computers fixed on old vans. These Dodges are kind of odd because the alternators have no discrete voltage-regulator. It is built into the main ECM. Jim - what you did with diagnostics is what I need to do with my 1988 some day. I just don't have the patience and not as motivated since it runs fine. Fuel mileage has gone from 14.5 to 12 MPG and I ought to sit down and do a complete diagnostics on all the electrical components. What irks me is the system is supposed to throw an error code if something is amiss and I have no code. On the receipt it says I had a corroded trace, then in parenthesis (power circuit) If the power circuit is cut off then the computer is dead and not capable of anything. Of course that is a only a guess and not a professional diagnosis. I still need to check why the MAF is not withing specs, but it is running so I am not as motivated to do it and I am getting a bit tired of working on it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanRT66 Posted June 7, 2016 Author Share Posted June 7, 2016 So I ran the Warrior back out in the heat on an uphill and the temp needle went into that little space between the black and red parts of the scale. Pulled off, used the heat gun in a couple places (best seemed to be pointing it at the place where the temp gauge sender screws in) and the reading was about 240 degrees, as someone on the thread predicted. So, the sender is probably okay. Likely the last thing I can do myself is to get a Toyota thermostat and put that in (a 195-degree Stant was just installed) as a sort of Hail Mary play, in case that makes a difference. Radiator shop after that, I guess. I note the many posts warning that the valve-thing in the thermostat must be at 12 o'clock. By the way, the reason this is all bugging me so much is that before last year's mess where the fan exploded and took out the radiator and associated parts, the temp ran at a little more than halfway to the midpoint markings on the gauge. I'd like to get back down there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjrbus Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 I have read countless posts on non aftermarket thermostats causing problems and switching back to OE Toyota curing the issue. Internet myth or some truth behind it. I have read it so many times I would not even consider anything but an OE thermostat! Then I would double triple check to insure I installed it right. That change would bug me also and I would spend the time to figure out why. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanAatTheCape Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 On 2016-06-06 at 4:17 PM, jdemaris said: On 2016-06-07 at 6:35 PM, jjrbus said: I have read countless posts on non aftermarket thermostats causing problems and switching back to OE Toyota curing the issue. Internet myth or some truth behind it. I have read it so many times I would not even consider anything but an OE thermostat! Then I would double triple check to insure I installed it right. That change would bug me also and I would spend the time to figure out why. Jim Have you run it without any thermostat installed to see how hot it runs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanRT66 Posted June 8, 2016 Author Share Posted June 8, 2016 No, I haven't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjrbus Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Pulling it would be a good place to start. Even though it is new it could be defective in some way. You can put a stat in a pan with water and a thermometer on the stove top and see what temperature it opens at. Temp guns do not work well checking water temp. Thermostats come in different heat ranges, some people insist on low temperature ones and others want high temp ones. Would a different heat range cause what you are seeing, I don't know above my pay grade, hopefully we will find out. Since burping did not work on mine I would be looking at thermostat and then radiator sizing. When I redid mine I did not pay enough attention to radiator size I bought a single core aluminum that fit. So far I have not had any issues but I would pay a whole lot more attention to radiator size if doing it again! Number of cores in radiator is not the issue, it is the amount of surface area that is important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 I don't know of ANY normal automotive thermostat that isn't designed to be fully wide open by 212F. So if it's operating normally, it shouldn't be responsible for reaching 240F. I see people reporting overheating with a 180F thermostat and plan to install a 160F thermostat thinking that will magically make the engine run cooler. Well, it will, but only in Winter. Some engines will actually run hotter and overheat when running with NO thermostat. I don't know if our Toyotas are amongst them. http://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=111938 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanRT66 Posted June 8, 2016 Author Share Posted June 8, 2016 Hmm. Well, the replacement radiator is a three-row, nothing else about its surface area or other characteristics is obvious to me. If nothing changes with the Toyota thermostat, I guess it's off to the radiator shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanRT66 Posted June 8, 2016 Author Share Posted June 8, 2016 On 6/7/2016 at 0:00 AM, Wade said: My gauge is running the other way. Waiting to get my new rig back from tire shop and then will use my thermal gun to see what the truth is. As for finding the parts, frankly I think I am going to give this guy most of my business. Planning on putting in an order this week after I inspect and see what I need. He pretty much carries everything we need and what a useful resource. I just think anyone that has all that put together is worth giving my business to. That said I have yet to do so. http://www.22reperformance.com/22RE_Performance_-_Installation_Parts.html Going through the engine, including cooling, is my next step and being as I am going to be doing it myself I was thrilled to read such a write up. When I was actually able to talk to the guy who wrote it I was hooked. Wade Wade, just saw this. Very interesting. Hoping to find a page like this for the 3VZE. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanAatTheCape Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 1 hour ago, DanRT66 said: Wade, just saw this. Very interesting. Hoping to find a page like this for the 3VZE. Thanks! so the green sending unit is for the ECU ? Wonder if that is the same for VZ3E Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanRT66 Posted June 8, 2016 Author Share Posted June 8, 2016 4 hours ago, DanAatTheCape said: so the green sending unit is for the ECU ? Wonder if that is the same for VZ3E Dan, there's a photo here that explains which sensor is which: http://www.yotatech.com/f116/coolant-temp-sensors-3vze-224860/index2.html Photo about 2/3 down the page, You can see the unlabeled sending unit lower right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanRT66 Posted July 4, 2016 Author Share Posted July 4, 2016 (edited) Just to close the loop: I bought the CSF 2057 radiator Linda suggested to Sherrie, and a Toyota thermostat. I don't know which of these did the trick, but I'm now running at a better temp, about a half inch from the red line after a long uphill with AC on. Thanks to all for suggestions along the way. Obviously, I have done what people wisely suggest not doing: throwing parts at it. But there is a very limited amount that I am able to do myself, and I'm just relieved that it's running less hot now. This is a great forum - thanks again. Edited July 4, 2016 by DanRT66 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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