AndyLala

Gentlefolk,

Having explored the US site and the Aus site, and my local UK site. It would appear that some people suffer from time to time with the 2nd Gen 2LTE overheats.

Investigating further to try and discover a permament cure to this, I have found the following:

Replace the broken 2.4 head with a 2.8 head (remanufactured after 1997), because it is much more substantial.

Replace the 2.4 radiator with a 2.8 radiator... (here is where it gets interesting) retain the water oil cooler, but shorten it so that it doesn't restrict coolant flow. Add an additional (read substantial) air oil cooler on the return to the Auto box.

The Australians mention using a Aus spec Radiator with the cap on the upper header tank (no idea if this is any different to JAP or UK spec - I understand that the US spec has the cap on the header tank).

Use a Toyota brand thermostat, and Rad cap, throughly flush radiator/coolant system, etc...

Questions which I can't seem to answer from scouring the forums:
Is the 2.8l head a straight swap on the 2.4l?
Is the 2.8l head more substantial than the equivalent (redesigned) 2.4l head?
Does the 2.8l manual or auto radiator indeed have a higher capacity than the 2.4l?

Will going through all this pain and effort result in a bullet proof coolant system so that I can use the vehicle the way that it was intented...?
IE. load it up to the gunwalls, with no care whatsoever, and not worry about my toy performing... or overheating?

Reason for my questions, after a week down in Cornwall with my two little monkleys and my good lady wife, and all their baggage, my toy did get a little warm on occassion and although the Kenlowe electric fan (16s) did perform as expected, there were a few interesting moments when the temperature did almost approach the red ever so briefly.

My feeling is that when under load, coolant temperature is rather high, Auto Box oil temperature holds the coolant temperature artificially high such that both the Kenlowe fan and the Toyota Auto box assist fan on the front of the Radiator just isn't enough under certain circimstances, low ground speed - heavy payload - high revs - Aircon on - high outside temperature, etc...

Anyone care to comment? I would like to resolve this issue once and for all, and I would like to do it once... and get it right first time.

andyL


1991 SSR-X Surf 2LTE