So I sprang a leak in my radiator. Nothing major but it was enough to make me pull it and take it and have it fixed. My fan shroud was already broken at the top/middle. So when I put the radiator in it I didn't put the shroud back on because I'm going to pick another up Friday. I drove it to work this morning and it done fine granted it was cooler. I drove it home and when I got home and parked it I noticed a slight amount of smoke. I popped the hood and the smoke wasn't all that bad. So, question number one is, is this caused by not putting the shroud back on?

Question two: about a month ago I done a SR5 cluster swap. My temp hand, no matter if its cold or warm start shoots up to the same position every time... It's almost right in the middle. Does this mean my gauge isn't operating properly?

BTW it's a 84 4runner

 

Smoke or steam?
Smoke is something burning, steam could be from a pinhole that got overlooked or incomplete fix.

Not having a shroud is not going to cause either smoke or steam.
There is something going on that requires further inspection.

The temp gauages in the dash are notoriously unreliable.
Mine has a mind of its own and if yours shoots straight to opperating temperature at start up yours sounds faulty too.

 

Are you sure you weren't leaking water from one of your radiator hoses? and ussually your engine will run at the same temp when running, which changes during seasons obviously. But mine does that and I had thought that until the next day I had sprung a radiator hose leak haha. but if you still have your old temp gauuge off of your cluster give it a try.

 

Well now that I read "shoots up" if its cold that may be a bad gauge. Does it go up instantly, or after a few mins?

 

Went outside just a few mins ago and looked under and didnt see any wet spots. Took the cap off the radiator and didnt see any fluid. I filled it back up and it held about a gallon. Also, I felt my fan and it has play in it. I'm unsure about this, does the mean my water pump and clutch fan is bad? No loose nuts/bolts.

 

It instantly goes up. I'm going to swap back to my stock cluster this weekend and see what happens.

 

does the fan just have play against the shaft?))) Or bothshaft and fan?<<<< )))If so i'd say your water pump would be going out. Which may be why you have lost so much coolant. Make sure it isn't the bearing also.

 

I paid closer attn to my temp hand when I started it this morning. After about twenty seconds it went up to here...

 

Haha, I sure am glad mine doesn't do it, a working one sure does come in handy alot.

 

That high in 20 seconds is not accurate at all. Do not trust it!

Sounds like your water pump is leaking from the weep hole on the underside.
Suspect the "steam" you saw was this leaking water hitting something hot enough to evaporate it.

Take a small mirror out of your wife's purse (ssshhhh don't tell her) and use it to look under the pump where the shaft enters. There will be a small hole there, if there is any discoloration or wetness there it is leaking and needs replaced.