i have an 84 toyota pickup with a 22re engine. the truck was overheating recently and so far i changed the oil pump, thermostat, waterpump, and fan clutch in that order. after i changed the waterpump and fan clutch at the same time is when it helped a little. instead of being almost in the red its now a little bit over half way hot on the needle. is this normal or should it be a little cooler than that, and if not what should i do.

 

just over half way doesn't sound bad. Now, depending on the conditions you're seeing it hit that high, that may change things a tad, but if it doesn't get up to the red any more, you should be okay. Another thing to consider is the thermostat you've put in. You want the stock temp stat, not one of the lower rated temp ones- it should be 180F. Anything lower and your coolant won't sit in the radiator long enough to cool down when driving around town and it can also hurt your mileage. If you're seeing that mid-range temp reading only when you're on the freeway, I wouldn't worry at all. If you're getting it around town, double check the thermostat for correct operation and temperature range.

And keep in mind the factory gauge is about as accurate as trying to judge your tire pressures by kicking them.

 

Is the shroud in tact? Is the fan still about halfway IN the shroud? Is the radiator clean (on the outside between all of the fins)?

 

whatever it is its weird. I run my 94 without a shroud and dont you kno it doesnt get hot...lol

 

True true!

In the bay area of California, my temp needle sits about 5-10 degrees BELOW the half mark. I think that's the correct position... you know how I know? Please allow me to explain...

I was watching Back to the Future 3 on DVD and I freeze-framed the part where Marty revs the 85 yota and it displays the instrument cluster...

his temp sat where my temp sits... and his oil pressure sat where my oil pressure sits.

The truck in the movie is an 85 and it was filmed in 1990. So, its only 5 years old, how much damage coulda been done to it in 5 years.

... Yup, that's my reasoning right there!

 

thanks for the info. and the needle doesnt even get to half in town and i put the stock temp switch (180) in when i replaced it. if you can think of anything else please let me know.

 

How old is the radiator or what condition is it in? Drain it down a little and look inside at the coolant passages or better yet full drain it and look inside the lower fitting with a flashlight and see what the bottoms of the passages look like. If there are lots of deposits there it may be partially clogged and making the engine run too hot. Also, try using a thermometer in the radiator to see what temperature it is running at when it gets to the normal temp on the gauge. Or borrow an infrared temperature gun and see what it reads. Might just be the gauge or temp sender is showing a higher reading than typical for a normal temperature.

 

If you haven't garnered by now the needle will run a foul so there's nothing left to worry.
As long as the pointer is not out of kilter a repair will not be required in a hurry.
So you may have gleaned from the words in between that there might be something else building
But don't you fret if your radiator's wet and nothing else is failing.
Keep your eye on the pointed guy that tells you what your temperature's doing
Depending on the circumstance of what happens next... that will point at what you'll soon be replacing.


sorry for the rhyme and prose... I've had to sit through The Nightmare Before Christmas more than a few times this week.