Radiator EXPLODED on a trail...geeeez

From: Killerdak@aol.com
Date: Sun Jan 21 2001 - 12:32:17 EST


OK, so I hit a local trail yesterday afternoon with a buddy in an old
4Runner, just cause the trails were nice and slick and we needed a quick 4x4
fix. Hit a very muddy, soupy, huge, deep mudhole and I got high-centered on a
rut, tires spinning, kicking up tons of mud but going nowhere...tried pulling
me with the 4Runner but no luck, I was STUCK.
Apparently I overheated pretty bad because while I'm fishing around the
toolbox for a shovel and Hi-Lift, I hear a loud BAAAM! and big billowy clouds
of steam are coming from the engine bay...CRAP! I shut down the engine, temp
gauge is maxed out. Pop the hood, the radiator had exploded and there is hot
coolant everywhere. The entire top plastic half of the radiator had blown
out, ripped to shreds. I was stunned!
How it happened, not sure. Need to do some investigating. Perhaps electric
fan did not kick in, perhaps it did not cool fast enough, don't know yet...
Had to call another rig with a winch to get me out and towed to the road, got
flatbedded home. Can't get a replacement radiator from anywhere for at least
a couple days, AutoZone so far had best price. And the Dak is my ONLY
vehicle...

Has this ever happened to anybody? The guy that winched me out thinks that
the electric fan is not drawing enough airflow when I'm going slow on trails,
thinks a spacer and a shroud might help...?

Also, having the engine overheated like that, is there anything I need to
check that might have been seriously damaged? There were a couple times
getting out of the slippery trail that I had to start the engine back up
(without coolant) to turn the wheels to get unstuck but it was not long...
____________________
Dave Kilian -- Clayton, NC
'96 Dakota CC 4x4 3.9L 5-spd, 4.10, 4" susp/2" Body lift, 33" MT's etc...
http://cnc.4x4.org/members/members.php3?member=david_kilian



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