I have a 1993 22RE Extended Cab with serious overheating problems. The engine was rebuilt COMPLETELY some 20,000 miles back due to the same problem. The head was completely rebuilt, the fan clutch replaced, the hoses replaced, the thermostat replaced, and recently....the radiator!

Vehicle runs well until pulling an incline (and of course, we live in the mountains) or sitting in traffic. Under normal running, the guage only goes about 1/8th up .... inclines or traffic, it creeps up close to the peg.

Spoke with the folks at the local dealership, but they haven't a clue.

Am at my wits end with this one. Have run Toyotas for some 25 years without this type incident.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Have you replaced the thermostat? Are you absolutely sure the temp gauge is working correctly?

 

water pump??

thats the only thing i think you didnt list that has been replaced.

 

I worked on a ford 5.0 that had a ground problem and when any electrical was on it would overheat.
otherwise is the coolant flowing?
do you have a infer red heat sensor?
you need to verify the temp gauge in the truck. check the oil for water and pull the plugs and look for water or even rust on them.
last is the correct fan on it? I have seen the wrong fan on motors that actually were spinning backwards so at idle they were ok but when moving fwd there was no cooling. so just check the blades and make sure they are going in the correct direction .
hope this helps

 

As a last resort, replace the thermostat again. I had a similar problem with a Subaru, and after tearing my hair out, I replaced the new thermostat and found that the one I had just installed was bad. If nothing else, it's cheaper and less work than most other possibilities.

 

I know this is hindsight but I always test a thermostat by putting it in boiling water to make sure it opens. It's just a way to make sure it's working before I get everything back together. Then, I know that if it's overheating, that it's not the thermostat.

How does the top and bottom of your radiator feel?

What happens if your turn the heat on to circulate through your heater core? Does it make the temp go down at all.

If your running a rebuilt, are you running a hotter sparkplug?

I'm sorry if you have already viewed this but, maybe this link can give you some ideas.
http://www.prestone.com/
go to car care tips
go to your cooling system.
Good luck.

 

Thanks for all the responses so far, but, we have replaced the thermostat and the water pump. Actually replaced the thermostat twice, finally removing completely to keep temp down.

Have not replaced the guage, but are curious about the VSV and the Temp. Sensor. Does anyone know if these two items would cause this problem?

Indeed, the overheating is real... not just apparent in the guage, as engine runs rough once it starts to overheat and will stall at idle. The idle actually changes as the engine gets hotter, going down with increased heat finally being slow enough to stall.

Again.......thanks everyone! We're real Toyota lovers' and are just stumped on this one!

 

This might be kind of redundant but does the engine stay cool like it normally would with the thermostat not there? I replaced a thermostat once and played heck getting it to open. Had to release the pressure off of it several times to get it to open. Oh and Im sure youve made sure your coolant is topped off, some people dont relize (me included) how much hotter and engine will run if its just a half-gallon or so low on coolant. If all else fails stick a taurus fan on it on high and make it cool the engine down HA HA

 

My 22re was normal to 3/4 on the guage reading with a 180 degree Toyota thermostat.A bit too high for me to drive around.I put a 160 degree and the temperature reading is at under a 1/4 all the time and my heater runs normal.The thermostat is a Stant brand.

 

A head gasket leak gave me fits last summer on my '86.

 

How about the radiator cap?

 

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. We went today to the local dealership and purchased an "overshoot" thermostat that someone had suggested on another post.

So far, so good. It is not overheating!

However, we decided to adjust the valves and timing to specs. Truck runs smooth, sounds great, not overheating but won't get out of it's own way!:cry: Now needs a downhill and tailwind to get to 55 mph. Have to floorboard the thing to change gears!

Any suggestions?

 

The CAT may be clogged. I had the same problem with my 93 22re. Went through all the things you did and found out the cat was melted inside. The truck wouldn't go over 45 and got very hot trying to keep it there. I gutted the cat with a piece of rebar and a hammer. What a difference that made. Its best to remove it and see if you can see through the honeycomb. Or look under after youv'e diven. The cat may be cherry red and HOT.