I have a '91 2WD Pickup with a 22re that is overheating only when climbing hills (the road I've been testing on is an average grade of 10%). No problems on flat ground or sitting in traffic. It actually runs very cool normally, just a bit over the C line.
I've recently replaced the radiator, thermostat, water pump, fan clutch, and hoses.
I have the OEM fan shroud in place as well.

Is this a common problem with 22re's or is there something wrong that I'm missing?

 

Unfortunately, posts like this one have become a common problem. Get a life...

 

Right on, thanks for your help.

 

Perhaps you have an air bubble in your cooling system and on climbs the air bubble makes it way to the top of the system, which seems like top front of engine, which is right where your coolant temp sensor threads into the intake. There are lots of threads on burping the 22re coolant system, so maybe give that a try and see if that helps. I mean also certainly possible that your cooling system just can't keep up on long pulls up hill but you have a new radiator & water pump, but I'd make sure it is burped well and then see if still happens.

 

Was there a post that got deleted or something? This doesn't match up with the first post at all.

As for the overheating issue, are you sure it is actually overheating? Can you hear the coolant boiling over in the reservoir? Is only the gauge telling you it's getting too hot? The gauge should read closer to the middle at normal operating temp

 

I did burp it already but it is possible i didn't burp it well enough. I'll try burping the hell out of it again and see what happens.

 

Yeah it's definitely overheating. I've just been relying on the sensor during tests but the first time it unexpectedly overheated it smelled like something burning and the idle was very strange after I pulled over. Hard to describe exactly but it was almost like the engine was off, no vibration and very little noise. Definitely not operating normally.
I'll take a reading with an infrared thermometer next time to verify the temp sensor is accurate.

 

Yea. I didn’t get it either?? I was like dang that’s hardcore for YotaTech….

 

Spill proof radiator coolant filling funnel kit works every time for me. Just had to refill my 92 22RE when the alternator went bad. Have to remove the big lower hose on the driver side to get the alternator out. I use the funnel kit linked below. $19.86 on Lightning Deal with approximately four hours left.



If it's not air in the system, a weak water pump could definitely cause it to over heat. I would check the coolant for exhaust gases too. Test kits available at various retailers.

 

Do you hear the fan roaring and pulling air while going up hill like it does on first starting up?

 

The pump is brand new. I hope it's not bad already. I'm not sure how I'd check that it's moving the proper volume of coolant.
I'll test for exhaust gasses tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestion.

Yeah I can hear the fan moving a good amount of air.

 

I had a similar problem... Running 3/4 of the way to red, mostly on the freeway and always uphill. It was very difficult to troubleshoot. Eventually I instrumented the top and bottom of the radiator and figured out there was only a couple degrees temp drop through the radiator under certain conditions, suggesting an airflow problem. As a temporary solution I swapped the stock fan for a flex fan, which seems to move more air at high rpms. I'm planning on adding louvers to the hood above the header, and hopefully putting the stock fan setup back in. My theory is all the heat from the engine wants to flow towards the radiator when running uphill (in addition to higher load), my guess is my bumper setup and cold air intake make the problem worse... If you rule everything else out (especially head gasket/exhaust in coolant as others have mentioned) you might look for a junk hood you can cut a big hole in to see if that helps.


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