I think my B210 automatic is over heating.

[Sierra]

Question for all of you with an B210 automatic.

So the needle goes a little over the 3/4 mark when I do more than 30 min of more street driving. Highway it goes down to almost half.

I just did an oil change, new thermostat, new water pump, I took my radiator to a shop to get it clean, new antifreeze was added 3/4 antifreeze 1/4 water, and I the needle still goes up to 3/4 of the way.

 

Is this normal?

On my old 4 speed manual the needle always stay halfway regardless of the type of driving I would do with it.

 

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks guys!

 

[datzenmike]

50/50 is a better mix for coolant. Anti freeze by itself does not carry as much heat as straight water.

 

 

 

The difference between highway and around town driving is mostly the amount of air going through the rad. That it actually cools better on the highway where it's working harder bears this out.

 

First thing I would do is change the thermostat, it's cheap and easy and no harm if this doesn't help. You'll have a spare in the glove bos for one special day. This eliminates an internal part that is usually the biggest cause of over heating. I know it's new but it's no gaurantee it's a good one.    

 

1/ Do you have your fan shroud on? It increases the efficienct of the fan at lower speeds.

2/ Can air leak' around the rad? are there any openings in the rad support? Some cars have a rubber dam mounted on the under side of the hoot that when shut seals air from going over top of the rad.

3/ Do you have the heater hose looped to by pass a leaking heater core?

 

If everything checks out borrow or have someone shoot the thermostat housing with an infra-red heat gun. It should be around 180 ish. If it is, then it's normal and there never was a problem.

[B210GX]

WAS THE OLD WATER PUMP LEAKING?  sorry damn cap lock....  is the new water pump impeller cast or the stamped steel one?  

the factory Nissan was cast, the stamped steels ones tend to cavitate the coolant (bubbling) and not provide proper flow.

 

If you have the old W/P and it was not leaking, throw it back on there and check.

 

After doing the thermostat first...

 

Was it running warm prior to replacing all the parts?

[Sierra]

How much of an influence those the radiator fan clutch has on the overheating of my B210?

[datzenmike]

OK... when the engine starts up cold there is no use for a rad or a fan. In fact not until the thermostat opens and all the rad water has been pushed into the warming engine and all the remaining rad water has been warmed by the engine and is as warm as the water leaving the engine does it need to be cooled. Often, even then, the vehicle motion above 30MPH is enough to push enough air through the rad to cool the water, and still the fan isn't needed. You could drive indefinitely without a fan. But if you idle long enough at a light or stop and go driving around town you will need one.

 

Enter the clutch fan. It is designed with a fluid coupling that will move enough air at low speeds to cool the engine but when forced to spin faster will slip. Generally it will not exceed about 1,500 RPMs so out on the highway where it isn't needed the engine saves some power. Most have a thermostatic valve that senses the hot rad air and increases the friction allowing the clutch to spin up to 2,300 RPMs if there is an over heating problem.

 

The latest and best set up are electric fans that only come on when needed. I've driven across Canada and my Sundance fan never came on for 2,800 miles except maybe when off the highway getting gas.