Runs Hot - Out of Ideas

Road test report. First off made it home, no side of the road waiting periods or tows, that is a plus. Limited to how many miles I can drive it since the insurance is classified as "storage only" but USAA allows a little around the block testing.

Did twelve miles which is twice as far as the van would of made it before without breezing right on past the 220* mark.

At sixty the gauge hovered in the 185 +/- range, never higher than 190 when turning around to head home, back to speed the temps would drop to 185 maybe a little lower, cool with me. This is with shroud and the belly pan installed. Even the trans temps behaved.

You would probably have to of been an air cooled owner driver to understand this but upon return I popped the engine cover open, the engine or escaping air did not smell hot like before, yea I know weird, not exactly scientific, but the lack of that sensory trigger was a happy moment.

Looks like we have a winner, anybody need a six blade Mopar water pump that is guaranteed to cook your cooling system, make you a good deal. Even have lots of extra fans laying around, although I am pondering putting the Cooling Components two speed fan back in, it is quieter than a steel 17" race fan.

You all have been a blessing, thank you.

That's awesome Busman!

Cooling is Great, with "8 and a Plate"......😀

Egg-Sellent!!! Congrats busman and all who helped get him on the road again!

I've read it all and everytime I thought I had a sugestion, someone else would have already said it. Then when I ran completely out of ideas, I kept reading. You guys are smart and I learned something. I'm glad you got it fixed

I am glad for the members on this forum, nobody knows everything, bouncing things around opens all kinds of possibilities, should of posted the heating question last year, would of had resolution a long time ago and not eaten all those cookies due to stress.

At the the beginning of the thread page one it was Rustytoolss whomentioned the water pump as a possible culprit, mentioning 6 blades and a/c equiped water pumps, Post #17 it was. I think with the amount of posts afterwards that covered just about everything in the system and the fact it was a new MP pump and based on the description of the pump you had everyone including myself assumed, or took for granted that the pump was fine: check, the problem was elsewhere. For me, that pic you posted of the pump opened my eyes to the fact that there are many versions, I never paid attention to blade count, never had to, just would go to AutoZone, napa, etc and snag a pump for the vehicles that I've had with 318/360s and slap it on! I know now (and maybe many others ) that for these v8 vans, with the heat under the doghouse and questionable airflow quality, an 8 blade w/plate is probably best or at the least the standard 8 blade is. I know what I'm using when I get to that point👌

Yes indeed, the simplest in your face item is the one that it just can't be, especially when the pump is not defective, it is the configuration the maker of the pulleys advises using. Was not aware that Chrysler did both over & under driven cooling systems, for the same engine for the same model. Most of the postings about pumps only talks about with or without ac, nothing about pulley sizes.

Not just the eight blade pump, verify your pulley sizes too.

A lesson well learned.

That is great!!! I'm glad to hear that you will be on the road cruzin the old van without a care in the world.

if you bought a real mopar waterpump and have the bill they should return your money.

Yes it is a real one, part of Mopar performance group parts, there is nothing wrong with the pump, it is not defective, in a vehicle with the correct pulley ratio it would be the star of the cooling show. Bouchillion does not sell small block pumps, purchased it from Jegs, since there is nothing wrong with the pump plus it was purchased back in March 2015 I seriously doubt Jegs would take it back.