duty cycle and durability of the cheaper machines is a big difference . I would think by overusing it, it kills the internals.

I hope you can get a machine for your projects (cheap AC TIG welder is better than no TIG welder)

My welders have paid themselves with the parts and repairs I was able to make

 

Yes, I agree on both counts!

Ray

 

i wonder what the temp delta is across the radiator? that might help tell us how efficient it is.

so i just went about 1k miles on the csf, 100 degree ambient for a lot of it, and it was running slightly hotter than the cheapo cu147 with plastic tanks... i only have the factory temp gauge, it might have hit the half-way point at times, but never horizontal.

some of that difference was probably due to a recent winch install that covers up the lower half of the radiator opening, didn't have that with the cu147... it's a heavy 4runner rock crawler, with rock assault front axle housing, hydro assist, dual cases, armor, york a/c compressor converted to oba, 625lbs of tires/wheels, etc.

as an aside, i run that same catch can that you do, but without the fancy regulator, i had to manually remove some internal mesh to get the vacuum right... it's also drawing off of two ports on the plenum; no more oil leaks, so i can finally see how much oil the engine is actually using, so far it's better than i expected.

 

Yeah, the catch can is pretty handy. I removed the original stuff inside and replaced it with some green paint stripper pad as I remember. On mine, I'm running a two stage PCV setup. Under normal cruising it keeps constant crankcase vacuum at about 1/2 in/Hg and then under any load it kicks up to 1 in/Hg. Usually oil in the catch can averages about 1 oz every 375 miles or so +/- when it's mainly just cruising.

I recently did a 300 mile trip in mostly 95-100 degree heat. The water temp exiting the radiator (which is normally around 110F) was hanging out more like 150F degrees. For a while, I turned on the heater inside the cab with the fan on high and the windows down; it only managed to drop the exit water temp down about 10 degrees.

Ray

 

thx for the numbers on that heater fan, i've tried that myself and i was hoping it would be more

110 to 150? the radiator intake temp must have been at 212 or maybe higher? that's pulling some heat out.

 

Haha.. yeah, I was hoping for more also. I ran the heater full blast for 10 or so miles and then just couldn't take being blasted with hot air any longer and shut it back off. The temp rose from ~140 back up to 150 or so.

When the temps are 65-70 outside, then cruising along the exit water temp barely registers on the VDO gauge (so that is around 110F or so). But when it goes up to 90+ degrees, that causes the exit temp to climb to more like 140-150 ranges (and this is sailing along on flat ground). I don't remember what the oil temp was, but it wasn't anything excessive. Usually the oil hangs out around 180 or so.

With the 3RZ project, I'm definitely going to look into a slightly larger radiator as well as plumbing in some sort of small oil cooler or something into the dry-sump stuff.

Ray

 

Update -- My ebay no-name all aluminum radiator has sprung a leak on the passenger face, where the tank meets the side mount bracket. Not sure if I'll just replace or attempt to have it weld-repaired.

 

Not entirely sure what the temperature going into the radiator is in that situation. I would think it's probably up there in that range. On my setup, I have the factory (dash gauge) temp sender. It didn't climb at all (it was just in the middle like always). The water temp existing the radiator and flowing back into the motor has the VDO mechanical gauge with a capillary style sender. If it's 50 to 60 degrees F outside (and I'm on flat ground cruising), the temp usually doesn't (or barely) registered on the needle. If I climb the hill going up to my house (about 1000 feet above sea level), then it will start to climb. I think the 150F degree exit temp was more an indication of how little effectiveness the radiator was seeing due to outside air temps being nearly 100 degrees F.

I'm building a turbo 3RZ motor for the truck. On that motor, I'm definitely going to monitor coolant temps exiting the motor as well as existing the radiator.

Ray