I had described a cooling problem that I thought was solved by purging
the air from the system.

However, after a sustained day of crawling over the Lockwood and up the
Miller Trail, then a high speed run back to the SF Valley, I had a
vaporlock, no indication of high temp, and the radiator was *cool to the
touch*. That is, until I belched the pressure release, then all the
superheated water flowed into it.

I'm glad it stalled a half hour from home, and not halfway up the steep
Miller Trail.


Mechanics take on it: screwed thermostat. Also recommended rodding and
boiling the rad, but that was only 100$ cheaper than a new, warrantied
rad. So I got a new rad along with the 'stat.

What I have to watch for is the condition that caused the first rad to
go bad.

Cal

'94 YJ
37s on Dyna60 Rear+Dyna44 Front

 

Cal Wheeler did pass the time by typing:

<trimming>

> ...I had a vaporlock, no indication of high temp

What amazes me is the sillyness of putting temp
sensors where they do no good. Take the ZJ. It's located
above the temp regulator. That's good, but in the Grand Marquis
it's located at the top of the radiator. That is stupid. If the
engine vaporlocks or the radiator runs low the temp sensor is out
of the coolant. Wonder why they don't put those down on the radiator
or closer to the water jacket.

I'm almost tempted to track down a sensor that could be threaded
into the engine block or into the oil pan. Actually, oil temp
might be a good way to go. hmm. Should be able to use the same
sensor too.

--
DougW

 

Cal Wheeler did pass the time by typing:

<trimming>

> ...I had a vaporlock, no indication of high temp

What amazes me is the sillyness of putting temp
sensors where they do no good. Take the ZJ. It's located
above the temp regulator. That's good, but in the Grand Marquis
it's located at the top of the radiator. That is stupid. If the
engine vaporlocks or the radiator runs low the temp sensor is out
of the coolant. Wonder why they don't put those down on the radiator
or closer to the water jacket.

I'm almost tempted to track down a sensor that could be threaded
into the engine block or into the oil pan. Actually, oil temp
might be a good way to go. hmm. Should be able to use the same
sensor too.

--
DougW

 

Cal Wheeler did pass the time by typing:

<trimming>

> ...I had a vaporlock, no indication of high temp

What amazes me is the sillyness of putting temp
sensors where they do no good. Take the ZJ. It's located
above the temp regulator. That's good, but in the Grand Marquis
it's located at the top of the radiator. That is stupid. If the
engine vaporlocks or the radiator runs low the temp sensor is out
of the coolant. Wonder why they don't put those down on the radiator
or closer to the water jacket.

I'm almost tempted to track down a sensor that could be threaded
into the engine block or into the oil pan. Actually, oil temp
might be a good way to go. hmm. Should be able to use the same
sensor too.

--
DougW

 

DougW wrote:

> Cal Wheeler did pass the time by typing:
>
> <trimming>
>
>>...I had a vaporlock, no indication of high temp
>
>
> What amazes me is the sillyness of putting temp
> sensors where they do no good. Take the ZJ. It's located
> above the temp regulator. That's good, but in the Grand Marquis
> it's located at the top of the radiator. That is stupid. If the
> engine vaporlocks or the radiator runs low the temp sensor is out
> of the coolant. Wonder why they don't put those down on the radiator
> or closer to the water jacket.
>
> I'm almost tempted to track down a sensor that could be threaded
> into the engine block or into the oil pan. Actually, oil temp
> might be a good way to go. hmm. Should be able to use the same
> sensor too.
>

I think you've got something going there. A autotranny temp sensor could
be fitted where it's needed. I don't know where the YJ heat sensor goes,
could anyone clue me in? I can understand the thermostat going on the
fritz, but why didn't my temp sensor give me a heads up?

 

DougW wrote:

> Cal Wheeler did pass the time by typing:
>
> <trimming>
>
>>...I had a vaporlock, no indication of high temp
>
>
> What amazes me is the sillyness of putting temp
> sensors where they do no good. Take the ZJ. It's located
> above the temp regulator. That's good, but in the Grand Marquis
> it's located at the top of the radiator. That is stupid. If the
> engine vaporlocks or the radiator runs low the temp sensor is out
> of the coolant. Wonder why they don't put those down on the radiator
> or closer to the water jacket.
>
> I'm almost tempted to track down a sensor that could be threaded
> into the engine block or into the oil pan. Actually, oil temp
> might be a good way to go. hmm. Should be able to use the same
> sensor too.
>

I think you've got something going there. A autotranny temp sensor could
be fitted where it's needed. I don't know where the YJ heat sensor goes,
could anyone clue me in? I can understand the thermostat going on the
fritz, but why didn't my temp sensor give me a heads up?

 

DougW wrote:

> Cal Wheeler did pass the time by typing:
>
> <trimming>
>
>>...I had a vaporlock, no indication of high temp
>
>
> What amazes me is the sillyness of putting temp
> sensors where they do no good. Take the ZJ. It's located
> above the temp regulator. That's good, but in the Grand Marquis
> it's located at the top of the radiator. That is stupid. If the
> engine vaporlocks or the radiator runs low the temp sensor is out
> of the coolant. Wonder why they don't put those down on the radiator
> or closer to the water jacket.
>
> I'm almost tempted to track down a sensor that could be threaded
> into the engine block or into the oil pan. Actually, oil temp
> might be a good way to go. hmm. Should be able to use the same
> sensor too.
>

I think you've got something going there. A autotranny temp sensor could
be fitted where it's needed. I don't know where the YJ heat sensor goes,
could anyone clue me in? I can understand the thermostat going on the
fritz, but why didn't my temp sensor give me a heads up?

 

Cal Wheeler did pass the time by typing:
> DougW wrote:

>> I'm almost tempted to track down a sensor that could be threaded
>> into the engine block or into the oil pan. Actually, oil temp
>> might be a good way to go. hmm. Should be able to use the same
>> sensor too.
>>
>
> I think you've got something going there. A autotranny temp sensor could
> be fitted where it's needed. I don't know where the YJ heat sensor goes,
> could anyone clue me in? I can understand the thermostat going on the
> fritz, but why didn't my temp sensor give me a heads up?

Actually on the ZJ it's above the regulator. And I did have a problem
after loosing some coolant and the temp not showing what was going on.

It has to be either on the radiator or by the regulator. That's the usual
place. It didn't work because it was hanging in an air pocket and couldn't
read the actual engine temperature.

As for the autotranny. If you don't have a tranny cooler the bolts where
the hoses go might be a good place. It would take some doing to find
a location where a sensor could be threaded into the case. I'm thinking
about using a tranny cooler then building an aluminum block in the line.

You have the feed coming from the tranny going into the block where it
can flow next to/around the temp sensor. That block can then be mounted
anywhere like up against a frame rail. Install a valve and you could
take the tranny cooler out of the loop for winter driving.

--
DougW

 

Cal Wheeler did pass the time by typing:
> DougW wrote:

>> I'm almost tempted to track down a sensor that could be threaded
>> into the engine block or into the oil pan. Actually, oil temp
>> might be a good way to go. hmm. Should be able to use the same
>> sensor too.
>>
>
> I think you've got something going there. A autotranny temp sensor could
> be fitted where it's needed. I don't know where the YJ heat sensor goes,
> could anyone clue me in? I can understand the thermostat going on the
> fritz, but why didn't my temp sensor give me a heads up?

Actually on the ZJ it's above the regulator. And I did have a problem
after loosing some coolant and the temp not showing what was going on.

It has to be either on the radiator or by the regulator. That's the usual
place. It didn't work because it was hanging in an air pocket and couldn't
read the actual engine temperature.

As for the autotranny. If you don't have a tranny cooler the bolts where
the hoses go might be a good place. It would take some doing to find
a location where a sensor could be threaded into the case. I'm thinking
about using a tranny cooler then building an aluminum block in the line.

You have the feed coming from the tranny going into the block where it
can flow next to/around the temp sensor. That block can then be mounted
anywhere like up against a frame rail. Install a valve and you could
take the tranny cooler out of the loop for winter driving.

--
DougW

 

Cal Wheeler did pass the time by typing:
> DougW wrote:

>> I'm almost tempted to track down a sensor that could be threaded
>> into the engine block or into the oil pan. Actually, oil temp
>> might be a good way to go. hmm. Should be able to use the same
>> sensor too.
>>
>
> I think you've got something going there. A autotranny temp sensor could
> be fitted where it's needed. I don't know where the YJ heat sensor goes,
> could anyone clue me in? I can understand the thermostat going on the
> fritz, but why didn't my temp sensor give me a heads up?

Actually on the ZJ it's above the regulator. And I did have a problem
after loosing some coolant and the temp not showing what was going on.

It has to be either on the radiator or by the regulator. That's the usual
place. It didn't work because it was hanging in an air pocket and couldn't
read the actual engine temperature.

As for the autotranny. If you don't have a tranny cooler the bolts where
the hoses go might be a good place. It would take some doing to find
a location where a sensor could be threaded into the case. I'm thinking
about using a tranny cooler then building an aluminum block in the line.

You have the feed coming from the tranny going into the block where it
can flow next to/around the temp sensor. That block can then be mounted
anywhere like up against a frame rail. Install a valve and you could
take the tranny cooler out of the loop for winter driving.

--
DougW