Diesel cooling options and ideas

[CrazyCooter]

Well I don’t have a diesel so I don’t know what the operating conditions are for it but for the 3.6 it turns the fan on sooner and doesn’t let the temps get so high. When does the fan on the diesel start spinning? Before the controller I would never hear mine. Now I hear it all the time.

My fan runs so much it's really annoying. Pretty much runs on high if it's warm enough for the AC to be on.

I've tried running the fan for 100 mile stretches and it does lower the operating a couple of degrees on the flat roads and seems to maybe get ahead of it a little bit on a climb, but doesn't help at all in the end result.

We just need more ways to shed heat than can happen in our core support.

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[jav_eee]

My fan runs so much it's really annoying. Pretty much runs on high if it's warm enough for the AC to be on.

I've tried running the fan for 100 mile stretches and it does lower the operating a couple of degrees on the flat roads and seems to maybe get ahead of it a little bit on a climb, but doesn't help at all in the end result.

We just need more ways to shed heat than can happen in our core support.

Oh well if it’s constantly running then the controller probably won’t help at all. Again, all it does for the 3.6 is turn it on sooner and more aggressively at a lower temp than stock which prevents it from getting so hot. If yours is preparing for take off and is still running hot then it won’t benefit.

 

[biodiesel]

for the 3.6 it turns the fan on sooner and doesn’t let the temps get so high.

That's pretty much the same concept as switching to a lower temp thermostat. This is what GDE offers for the 2nd gen EcoDiesel:

"This thermostat is an OE Genuine Behr product, it starts opening at 88°C (190°F) and is fully open at 98°C (208°F). This will drop warm operating temps for coolant and engine oil about 10°C (18°F). This is also beneficial for towing long grades as full cooling is reached at lower temps, so it takes longer to reach overheat protection in extreme environments (i.e. 100°F towing large loads up a 6% grade) like Davis Dam in Arizona."

 

[Alc]

So is the consensus that the fan controller by RPM Extreme won’t help? I really don’t want to spend an entire day going there while they potentially splice my CANBUS wires if it’s useless….especially since I don’t need it for my usage.

 

[biodiesel]

So is the consensus that the fan controller by RPM Extreme won’t help? I really don’t want to spend an entire day going there while they potentially splice my CANBUS wires if it’s useless….especially since I don’t need it for my usage.

Even without towing, my fan will come on and stay on when the ambient temps are hot enough especially when driving in mountainous terrain. In my opinion, the fan controller by RPM would be redundant.

 

[biodiesel]

The only benefit of the fan controller is the ability to turn on your fan as soon as you start your vehicle. This could potentially keep things a little cooler and prolonging when the fan would normally kick on, but I don't think there would be much to gain.

Going to a lower thermostat like what GDE did with the 2nd gen engine would make more of a difference because you have changed when the engine starts the cooling process which buys you more time.

I added the AFE deep oil pan on my 2015 EcoDiesel and increased the oil capacity to a 12-quart system. That made a difference simply because the oil has more time to rest and cool before its cycled back through the system. Most of us that have tested the AFE oil pan (with cooling fins) have agreed that there's a good 8*F degree lower oil temp when towing.

 

[PuddleJumper]

Simple solution...... LS/LT swap the world.

Smaller platform, less weight, more power and fuckin reliable..........prove me wrong, I'll wait

lets be honest if America kept small block V8s standard in every SUV and pickup. We'd all be happier

 

[PuddleJumper]

@biodiesel does deleting on these Eco's help with temps at all?

 

[RudeJeepin]

The only benefit of the fan controller is the ability to turn on your fan as soon as you start your vehicle. This could potentially keep things a little cooler and prolonging when the fan would normally kick on, but I don't think there would be much to gain.

I could be wrong, but I believe another benefit of the RPM controller is that it will spin the fan at a higher RPM. Not just turn it on sooner.
My understanding from reading on here and the Wrangler forum is that the fan doesn't always spin at 100%.
I've read where the RPM controller helps with temps on the other motors.
Now I could be totally wrong, I haven't looked into it personally, other than what I've read.

@Alc maybe a call to RPM and ask how is their controller supposed to help the EcoDiesel lower temps is in order.

 

[biodiesel]

@biodiesel does deleting on these Eco's help with temps at all?

We've seen no evidence that tuning (or deleting) has improved hot oil temps, especially when towing. All three of my EcoDiesels are bone stock and I no longer have issues with derate simply by slowing down. Like @CrazyCooter said, it's not always fun to slow down, and in some cases, it may be a little embarrassing, but at the end of the day, we can sit back and enjoy the evening at the campfire knowing that we made it to the campsite safely.

 

[biodiesel]

I could be wrong, but I believe another benefit of the RPM controller is that it will spin the fan at a higher RPM. Not just turn it on sooner.

I'm not sure how many fan speeds the Gladiator has, but I know mine sounds like it's running full bore when I'm in mountainous terrain, and that's an unloaded Jeep. I'm pretty sure it's already running at full speed without towing.

 

[PuddleJumper]

We've seen no evidence that tuning (or deleting) has improved hot oil temps, especially when towing. All three of my EcoDiesels are bone stock and I no longer have issues with derate simply by slowing down. Like @CrazyCooter said, it's not always fun to slow down, and in some cases, it may be a little embarrassing, but at the end of the day, we can sit back and enjoy the evening at the campfire knowing that we made it to the campsite safely.

As a gas tow guy on 37s and 4.10s. Slow is the only way to go. 55-60 everywhere with my 19.3 nobo. My 94' bronco with a 7.3 make everything i have look like a joke. It'll pull anything.

 

[biodiesel]

As a gas tow guy on 37s and 4.10s. Slow is the only way to go.

I have more patience than most, so the idea of driving slowly is pretty easy for me. I don't feel pressured to drive fast. As a matter of fact, I set the cruise at 69 mph when I was driving to and from Albuquerque a few days ago (empty and without a trailer). Even though the posted speed limit is 75 mph, I enjoyed the fuel economy (27.8 mpg).

If I wanted to drive fast, then I would have bought a Dodge Challenger. The Gladiator is a utilitarian vehicle not intended for speed.

 

[pmpmstrb]

Finally got all the parts and got everything installed. Flushed the coolant and replaced it with Zerex HD Nitrite Free and added half a bottle of the Redline Diesel Water Wetter. Between the hose and cooler it added roughly another 2 quarts of coolant to the system (factory capacity is 12.3qts) and increased the radiator surface area 25-30%. I'll be putting it to the test end of the month when we go on a camp trip North of Payson, AZ. This is the same road that BPD used to test their supplemental radiator.

 

[Brake]

I saw peak temps of 244 coolant and 267 oil while towing my 5k boat through the hills of central PA in 86 degree weather. Temps rose to the 240’s/260’s quickly then seemed to plateau while the power fell off. No warnings or ill behavior, but still wildly disappointing for a bone stock rig well within it’s rated capacities.

It seems the auxiliary cooler from BPD is the best solution currently available. Before I go down that route, has anyone seriously explored relocating the intercooler to behind the bumper like every other OEM turbocharged truck?
It appears there is ample room behind the bumper / front skid plate without seriously impacting approach angle. So far I’ve only reached out to Mishimoto who stated they have no direct fit products planned for the diesel Gladiator.

Check 9:05 for comments from the EcoDiesel Ram chief engineer about coolant stack design. This is pretty well known across multiple automotive disciplines from road racing to towing.

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