Water Wetter

[94K30]

Perhaps an electric fan (I heard Volvo fans from junkyards are good) on a relayed toggle may be my best bet. Just ziptie it to the grill for the winter months. can use it when I have plow on, may act like a weatherfront when I dont.

Hi Matt,
I believe that a volvo fan, or a taurus fan for that matter, are set up to pull through radiator, not push.......
if you were mounting in front of radiator, you would need one set up for that spot, like the mercedes or an aftermarket one that is reversible...

 

[packratt]

Here's how I worked the benz fans. http://www.dieseltowingresource.com/showpost.php?p=82693&postcount=9

I looked at the volvo. It was a pusher but would have taken alot more work to pull and modify to use. The benz was almost as easy to pull and set up as aftermarket for alot less.

 

[Pruittx2]

I'm using a single thermostat,, duramax fan with upgraded clutch and only the top half of the shroud, cause of the 3in body lift. WW and green coolant. Mine run's fine both winter and summer,, Also plow with a Snoway plow. No issues. I think if everything is good, then you shouldn't have issues.

 

[Acesneights1]

Matt,
I used water wetter for my towing issues. Didn't see any differenence but that's towing. As a fellow New englanderer, I know your problem. I have it too. None of that stuff will help much because the plow is blocking the air. PLain and simple. Best thing you can do it run with the plow as low to the ground as possible. I noticed by doing that it improved my cooling. These truck have a very poor airflow to begin with and hanging a blade off the front increases it 10 fold some guys will say run with the blade angled but personally I have found running with it straight but low as possible helped the most.

 

[Michaeljp86]

My dad had a john deere 1010 and those were known for over heating. You couldnt use it for anything, even a 5' disk would over heat it. My dad put in 3 bottles of water wetter and it was amazing, you could work it hard all day long. It had no thermostat but would stay right on the normal mark just like it had a thermostat. Later he bought a 3pt 200gal mist sprayer that needed about 60hp to run it and the 1010 ran it fine.

 

[Detroit Dan]

Matt,
I used water wetter for my towing issues. Didn't see any differenence but that's towing. As a fellow New englanderer, I know your problem. I have it too. None of that stuff will help much because the plow is blocking the air. PLain and simple. Best thing you can do it run with the plow as low to the ground as possible. I noticed by doing that it improved my cooling. These truck have a very poor airflow to begin with and hanging a blade off the front increases it 10 fold some guys will say run with the blade angled but personally I have found running with it straight but low as possible helped the most.

I just built an airfoil for my plow this year. I took an 18x24 sheet of plexi (course I had to cut a half inch off, only had room for 23 1/2 inches) two 18" pieces of pre-punched angle steel, bolted the plexi to the angle, then bolted the angle inside the verticals on my light tower. It's angled up about, I don't know, maybe 15 degrees, just enough to grab some air before it goes over the hood and directs it down to the grille. I had this idea when I was watching the snowflakes going up and over the plow at night, and even with the plow almost on the ground the airflow was obviously missing the grill by a mile. I've always had airflow problems when I get up over about 40 with the plow on. Not problems really, the fan comes on and manages the heat, but I didn't want it to have to come on all the time.

Of course this exact design wouldn't work on most plows, but it's a thought. Even a blade mounted airfoil to direct air to the grille would be worth a try. Personally I'd rather manipulate the free air into cooling my radiator, rather than adding pricy fluid to my coolant to try to make it work better.

 

[Matt Bachand]

I tried this actually a little bit last time i had my plow on, I used a scrap piece of plywood strapped up at an angle to grab air. Notice no difference. Time to test for sure is when its snowing, perfect air tunnel

Not only is my plow 9' but a friend of mine re-welded the entire face and top. I'm not sure how much the engeneering goes to air flow design for plows, but I completely modified it, so perhaps that is the issue too. Up down, left right ... overheats. I also have a 8" x 5/8 brand new cutting edge, and about 100lbs of weld + the 9'... she literally weighs over 1,000k. So that brings you lower, huge brand new cutting edge forces you to go higher... etc no benefit.

I agree, some sort of wing on top of the plow to angle down...without crossing the plowlight path....

Perhaps I should have left those huge rotholes in the face of the plow!!!!!!!

 

[Matt Bachand]

To make matters worse I am just flat-out paraoid when my temp guage hits 210... (Even though I've seen it go 230 before before I installed a new clutch 2 years ago...)

 

[buddy]

Matt, you have a serious work truck, and it was amazing the fix you did to get it running to plow snow, it would really suck if you blew a head gasket from overheating!

Have you considered the updated D-Max fan and clutch? SSDS has a fairly reasonably priced fan and clutch for $189. And SSDS clutch is made to work with 180* T-stats. Heath's is $299, but uses the stock 195* T-stat I think which makes sense for most people.

Normally I'd say lower T-stat isnt necessary, but in a truck that spends a lot of time working hard and not moving I'd think it would be good. I lowered the T-stat in my Z28 just 10* and made a huge difference in engine temp, sitting around 190* idling when it used to sit at like 210* idling after very spirited driving.

 

[Michaeljp86]

When I tore apart my jimmy engine and the engine in the 484 there was alot of junk built up in the waterjackets. The 484 was really bad, maybe you have the same and using some sort of additive that will clean that stuff out will help.

I think I would try the dmax fan and 180 deg thermostat.

 

[Pruittx2]

Are you sure that the GM crappy gauges,, are really that spot on? If you could hit that baby with a laser temp reading to Make sure, your seeing the truth or not,, might help to ease the mind a bit!

 

[Detroit Dan]

Regarding the Dmax fan, I'm sure it pulls better, but I don't really have a problem with my stock fan working, it brings the temps down when it kicks on. What I'd like to do is have enough airflow so that the fan doesn't have to come on. IE, keep the temps down below 210.

 

[Brooklyn Tow]

The D-Max fan made all the difference for me......Moves way more air than the stock fan.

I tried them all, I started with my 96 OEM 6 blade, then bought the "Kennedy setup" clutch and 9 blade metal, Then against his advise bought the D-Max.

2 Cents