# plow up = engine temp follows



## BrooklynJim (Nov 12, 2008)

what are you guys using to keep engine temps down when the plow is up?

im running a western pro 9 footer on a diesel GMC dually


----------



## Turbodiesel (Aug 5, 2008)

Keep your blade low for starters . Watch the amount of highway miles with blade on .
You may have a thermostat or some sort of cooling issue. Comb your cooling system


----------



## BrooklynJim (Nov 12, 2008)

Turbodiesel;701490 said:


> Keep your blade low for starters . Watch the amount of highway miles with blade on .
> You may have a thermostat or some sort of cooling issue. Comb your cooling system


cooling system is good to go, but i cant avoid the highway miles, some accounts are miles from each other, time consuming to go local, i have to ride with the blade scraping the ground when i hit a bump or dip in the road, about 4-6 inches from the ground..

anyone try those plexiglass sheet looking things that bolt to the lift arm? i can just picture one of those breaking off and flying into the windsheild

anyone have any experiece with them?


----------



## Scott13136 (Dec 25, 2008)

My temp is better if i angle my bade, 97 k2500 burban, 8.5 hiniker straight


----------



## CityGuy (Dec 19, 2008)

Keep plow low to ground and also angled as much as possible full right works best for me.


----------



## Turbodiesel (Aug 5, 2008)

what he said


----------



## bersh (Dec 12, 2003)

Do you have the HD fan clutch installed? If not, that will solve your problem. I can drive at 65 mph all day long with the plow in any position and not have to worry about temps.

Do a search and you'll find all the info you need.


----------



## tattooedplower (Dec 29, 2007)

I added an electric fan to mine and it helps a ton. I wired to a switch at first but I seem to forget to turn it on until it's to late, so now it is on a thermostat and all is good.


----------



## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

bersh;702334 said:


> Do you have the HD fan clutch installed? If not, that will solve your problem. I can drive at 65 mph all day long with the plow in any position and not have to worry about temps.
> 
> Do a search and you'll find all the info you need.


It probably won't work, especially with a 9' blade. I know of plenty that still get hot with the HD clutch.



tattooedplower;703701 said:


> I added an electric fan to mine and it helps a ton. I wired to a switch at first but I seem to forget to turn it on until it's to late, so now it is on a thermostat and all is good.


The elec. fan kits are sweet. Especially if you get one designed for your truck. They come as duals, shroud and all. They run around $1k installed though.


----------



## tattooedplower (Dec 29, 2007)

I did a single one myself and I have about $100 into it and a couple hours.


----------



## naturalgreen (Dec 6, 2008)

i built a wind foil for the top of blade to keep temp down
scaled down cheapy version 
made it to my needs


----------



## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

naturalgreen;703761 said:


> i built a wind foil for the top of blade to keep temp down
> scaled down cheapy version
> made it to my needs


Wow, you have way too much time on your hands.


----------



## naturalgreen (Dec 6, 2008)

do some serious highway and sometimes it isnt real cold
took me about an hour to make
painting took longer
really keeps air circ back there
prob 30 bucks total
had everything layinng around though


----------



## Sno Biz (Nov 19, 2008)

I too have highway mile...I find when you angle the plow, you also have to take into consideration which way the wind is blowing. if your over heating with it angled left, try turning it right.


----------



## Scott13136 (Dec 25, 2008)

up/down does not seem to matter. Only thing I can do is full angle. Not sure what fan I have, but this has been a problem on both trucks the plow has been on. First truck had a history of running cold untill I bought the plow.

Those of you that are runing electric fans, are you replaceing the stock fan or adding electric?


----------



## Doom & Gloom (Mar 2, 2008)

They sell the dual fan replacement at Summit Racing # FLX-284. 6000 CFM lots of air, its for the 6.0 gas. Should give you more power and MPG without the high drag clutch fan. The kits $549.95


----------



## RichG53 (Sep 16, 2008)

BOY !!! That's a lot of $$$$$$$$$$


----------



## millsaps118 (Aug 13, 2006)

U might have already checked but I would suggest making sure your radiator is free from debris packing into the tiny little cooling fins. Spray it down really good and get it as clean as possible.
I had the same problem with my '97 K1500, once I cleaned the radiator it made a huge difference. I still couldn't travel with the blade all the way up without heating up so I just kept it about 3"-4" off the ground.


----------



## Burkartsplow (Nov 1, 2007)

got-h2o;703708 said:


> It probably won't work, especially with a 9' blade. I know of plenty that still get hot with the HD clutch.
> 
> The elec. fan kits are sweet. Especially if you get one designed for your truck. They come as duals, shroud and all. They run around $1k installed though.


you need to replace the factory hd clutch in the truck with an aftermarket one. i have had 7 chevys and they all do this. $65 and about a half hour of work and you are set. this will fix the problem right away. good luck


----------



## bersh (Dec 12, 2003)

got-h2o;703708 said:


> It probably won't work, especially with a 9' blade. I know of plenty that still get hot with the HD clutch.
> 
> The elec. fan kits are sweet. Especially if you get one designed for your truck. They come as duals, shroud and all. They run around $1k installed though.


What difference does the length of the plow make in whether the truck overheats or not?

GM updated the HD fan clutch, and the overwhelming consensus on this board and others is that the updated fan clutch works. I installed the new fan clutch a year ago and ever since I haven't had an issue with overheating. I recently made a 100 mile round trip with my plow on, traveled at 65 mph for much of it (long story), and never once did the truck get any hotter than normal, though admittedly the trans temp was warmer than normal, it never got above 150°. The plow was straight and all the way up for the entire trip.


----------



## bersh (Dec 12, 2003)

Doom & Gloom;704183 said:


> They sell the dual fan replacement at Summit Racing # FLX-284. 6000 CFM lots of air, its for the 6.0 gas. Should give you more power and MPG without the high drag clutch fan. The kits $549.95


So $550 for an electric fan, or $130 shipped and about 30 minutes of work for the updated fan clutch. Pretty simple math to me.


----------



## Scott13136 (Dec 25, 2008)

150 sounds low


----------



## bersh (Dec 12, 2003)

Scott13136;704439 said:


> 150 sounds low


I guess what I'm referring to is that without the plow on, just driving around, the trans temp rarely gets much above the 100° mark.


----------



## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

bersh;704321 said:


> What difference does the length of the plow make in whether the truck overheats or not?
> 
> GM updated the HD fan clutch, and the overwhelming consensus on this board and others is that the updated fan clutch works. I installed the new fan clutch a year ago and ever since I haven't had an issue with overheating. I recently made a 100 mile round trip with my plow on, traveled at 65 mph for much of it (long story), and never once did the truck get any hotter than normal, though admittedly the trans temp was warmer than normal, it never got above 150°. The plow was straight and all the way up for the entire trip.


(1) B/C air can get around the sides better with a shorter plow, not to mention the extra width puts more drag on the engine at higher speeds b/c it deflects more air.

(2) Even GM's updates still haven't fixed the problem for everyone. I'm glad it helped for you, although I'm not really sure why you've decided to turn this into an argument. Maybe some are pleased, but some are not. A good friend of mine deals with vehicles that are under heavy commercial use 100% of the time. After multiple returned visits and complaints, the dual elec fan kits solve the problem. Customers don't bat an eye at the $1k installed price tag if it prevents serious problems from occuring. Personally, I feel that $5-600 if you can DIY is a cost effective investment for peace of mind.


----------



## naturalgreen (Dec 6, 2008)

with my bigger plow on my temp still got higher than i liked even with the hd fan so i added the airfoil and now it cool as cool can be back there


----------



## brad96z28 (Aug 21, 2005)

I can drive as far as I want at 80, mine does not even try to get hot.


----------



## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

brad96z28;704893 said:


> I can drive as far as I want at 80, mine does not even try to get hot.


It's also a diesel


----------



## sledrider2005 (Nov 8, 2008)

My temp stays normal but my trans temp goes up to 150-175 with plow straight and all but on the ground. I have plow prep and the towing package. What will help with the trans temp?


----------



## naturalgreen (Dec 6, 2008)

that was my problem too


----------



## elite1msmith (Sep 10, 2007)

hey , i have a 95 chevy 454 tbi 3500 dump, and it gets REALLY hot quick ...found angleing helped...but still looking for a good solution

also.... I find it EXTREMELY funny, how to this point, only 1 or 2 of you have acctually mentioned the year, motor, and type of truck.... 

A different truck type . size, motor.... all makes a HUGE difference.. JMO

next we can compair apples and oranges


----------



## naturalgreen (Dec 6, 2008)

05 2500hd chevy 6. gasser
radiator and transmission cooler behind front grill


----------



## elite1msmith (Sep 10, 2007)

tried getting an after market tstat - to help keep the temps lower to begin with? 

id say ask the man - BB


----------



## Scott13136 (Dec 25, 2008)

97 K2500 burban, 5.7, 8.5' hiniker straight. Have to angle to keep temp at normal level. If the blade is straight at ANY hight temp will go up after 5 miles. I don't mind the angle, but it covers 1 light, so night driving sux. I really dont want to drop $1K more in to the rig right now.


----------



## bersh (Dec 12, 2003)

I tried a couple t-stats in my 94, and unfortunately it made no difference. Unless you are able to pull in extra air through the radiator, chances are that there will still be heat issues.

I still think the best place to start is a new updated HD fan clutch, whether it be factory or aftermarket. If you're still having issues, you can then decide if you want to invest in an electric fan, fabricate an air dam, or whatever.

I will say that I find it odd that some people don't want to believe that a fan clutch will work. When I first mounted my 8' Fisher HD on my old 94 1500, it overheated easily. I came on here and asked for advice, and everyone said to angle the plow, carry it low, carry it high, or a combo of the above. None of it worked. I was told to run with the heater going full blast. That didn't help. I was told to change the thermostat. That didn't help. I was told to modify the spring in my fan clutch, and the guy that suggested it got roasted. Odd thing was I tried it and it worked like a charm. I could drive around all day with the plow wherever I wanted it and never worried about overheating. The only issue was that I screwed the spring up and my fan was fully engaged all the time. I bought the HD fan clutch for that truck and never looked back. When I got my 04 2500HD 6.0 cc, I plowed with it a few times to see how it would do. It ran very hot, but the thing that worried me most was the tranny hovered between 200-250°. I installed the updated fan clutch and now the engine runs at normal temp, and the tranny hardly ever gets above 150-160°. I know of at least a dozen guys locally that have later model GM HD trucks. Every one of them that had heat issues installed the newer fan clutch and haven't had an issue since. I asked three different dealers about it and every one of them stated that they keep the updated fan clutch in stock and install a bunch of them every winter and not one of them have had a truck come back that was still overheating. On this board and many others, the vast majority of guys with heat problems have installed the updated clutches and now everything is fine. Just because the truck may have had the factory plow prep package doesn't mean that the fan clutch is the correct one as it's been updated a couple times in the last few years. Whenever a truck has heat issues, this should be the first thing that is checked. I agree that there may be a few oddball cases where this alone isn't going to be enough, but considering that we're probably looking at about a 95%+ success rate, chances are that this is a good place to start.

Once again, I think the moderator should make this overall topic a sticky. This question comes up at least once a week, and the same debates happen in just about every thread.


----------



## Scott13136 (Dec 25, 2008)

how exactly did you modify the spring on the 94?


----------



## bersh (Dec 12, 2003)

Scott13136;705696 said:


> how exactly did you modify the spring on the 94?


It's a bi-metal spring, and you have to bend it to get it to engage sooner. The spring has a small tab that engages a slot in the clutch housing, and using pliers you can grab it and pull the tab out of the little slot. I don't recall which way it has to be bent, but I think you bend it out against the wrap of the coil to make it larger. I bent it too far, so the clutch was engaged all the time. Considering that at the time it was a dedicated plow truck and at the time I had a rental house I was plowing that was about a 20 mile drive away and I could drive however I wanted and never had to worry about it getting too hot, I just lived with it for that winter. I then had to start driving it the next summer, and I was getting poor mileage so I bought a new clutch for it off ebay for cheap and never had to worry about it after that. I plowed with it a couple more years and never once overheated. The guy I sold the truck to has been using it pretty hard and it's still going strong.

If you do a search for fan clutch spring, there should be a couple threads that pop up. I jumped into one of them mid way and the poor guy that suggested it just got flamed, but the simple truth of the matter was that his mod worked.


----------



## Scott13136 (Dec 25, 2008)

Thank you. I have done simular modifictions in the clutch of my Quad.


----------



## jgsxr750 (Feb 16, 2006)

*1500 2005*

do they make upgrade kits for an 05 1500 chevy. my temp runs up on warm days. Oat around 40 degrees makes my truck run hot with plow up or down. then temperatures drop slowly. i want to avoif this from over heating. truck runs at 195-200 normally and will run up to 225 sometimes with plow on it. i have to sit and have heat full blast to bring it down. any help would be greatly appreciated. if you have model number and place to order would be great.


----------



## B&B (Nov 4, 2006)

jgsxr750;750734 said:


> do they make upgrade kits for an 05 1500 chevy. my temp runs up on warm days. Oat around 40 degrees makes my truck run hot with plow up or down. then temperatures drop slowly. i want to avoif this from over heating. truck runs at 195-200 normally and will run up to 225 sometimes with plow on it. i have to sit and have heat full blast to bring it down. any help would be greatly appreciated. if you have model number and place to order would be great.


Head over to you local parts store and ask for an Xtreme Duty fan clutch for your application. They work wonders on the 1/2 tons too..


----------



## Lencodude (Dec 30, 2008)

I was overheating in my 2002 and 88 and went and got the extreme duty from the partstore and they work great the only problem so far I find it effects the gas milage abit. In the old days we would change out the rads from a 2 core rad to 3-4 core rad that would help big time no more overheating. My 1984 has a 4 core rad to stop it from overheating. These day it is cheaper to change the fan clutch.


----------



## Detroitdan (Aug 15, 2005)

I don't think the problem here is the fan clutch, at least in my experience. The huge plow blocks the airflow no matter how low I carry it, angling only helps a tad. So, after a short time at anything over 40 the truck heats up. The fan kicks on and brings the temp back down, but if I'm driving for a while the fan has to keep kicking on over and over. That's what I'm trying to avoid; it isn't that the fan clutch doesn't work, I just don't want it to have to work so hard.
I lifted my truck with a bodylift and taller tires, so my radiator is considerably higher than it used to be, but it is still by design a small grille area (not sure what year the OP is talking about). This winter I tried building myself an airfoil or airdam to direct air to the grill. I put a piece of 18x24 plexi on the light tower aimed up a little. Didn't help much, aimed it up a little more and started to notice a difference but I'm still not crazy about it. I think I'm going to take it off and mount it to the plow ribs above and behind the blade. I think that will let me get into the airflow a little easier, plus it will come off with the plow. My light tower stays on the truck all winter, so I can't really drive around with a big plexiglass guillotine sticking off the front. I have to unbolt it every time I want to use it. PITA.

Driving in the snow at night you can watch the flakes in the light, they swoop up over the blade and get carried over the hood, you can see all that airflow isn't going anywhere near the grille.

Also, when I did the bodylift I removed the radiator to clean it. An absolute must, you cannot clean a radiator while it is in a truck. I soaked it in degreaser and then gently pressure washed it. There was so much scuzz built up over the years, I can't believe the truck wasn't overheating.


----------



## B&B (Nov 4, 2006)

Detroitdan;751259 said:


> I don't think the problem here is the fan clutch, at least in my experience. The huge plow blocks the airflow no matter how low I carry it, angling only helps a tad. So, after a short time at anything over 40 the truck heats up. The fan kicks on and brings the temp back down, but if I'm driving for a while the fan has to keep kicking on over and over. That's what I'm trying to avoid; it isn't that the fan clutch doesn't work, I just don't want it to have to work so hard.


 Thats the point to using the Xtreme duty (or whatever the manufacturer refers to theirs as) fans Dan. By design they engage at a lower temp, which is why they will prevent overheating in most cases. By engaging at a lower temp they'll engage sooner and STAY engaged longer, since they'll more easily (and sooner) "sense" what little hot air that they're receiving from the radiator. Thats why the stock clutches don't work. Until they sense the rad is hot...it's too late. It'll either not engage soon enough, or not stay engaged long enough once the temps begin descending. And starting the cycle all over again.



Detroitdan;751259 said:


> Also, when I did the bodylift I removed the radiator to clean it. An absolute must, you cannot clean a radiator while it is in a truck. I soaked it in degreaser and then gently pressure washed it. There was so much scuzz built up over the years, I can't believe the truck wasn't overheating.


Excellent and always a good idea on a truck with some miles on it. It can't be stressed or mentioned often enough to be sure to clean the rad/condenser/trans cooler fins out at least once a year.


----------



## Detroitdan (Aug 15, 2005)

B&B;751268 said:


> Thats the point to using the Xtreme duty (or whatever the manufacturer refers to theirs as) fans Dan. By design they engage at a lower temp, which is why they will prevent overheating in most cases. By engaging at a lower temp they'll engage sooner and STAY engaged longer, since they'll more easily (and sooner) "sense" what little hot air that they're receiving from the radiator. Thats why the stock clutches don't work. Until they sense the rad is hot...it's too late. It'll either not engage soon enough, or not stay engaged long enough once the temps begin descending. And starting the cycle all over again.


Well, I see your point and I'm not trying to argue, but my fan clutch works fine, I just would like to have sufficent airflow so that it doesn't have to come on. Because normal driving (ie, without a plow) the fan NEVER comes on. Ever. Even when I'm towing, the fan only kicks on when I'm pulling a big hill.
So it isn't that the fan comes on, or that I think it's overheating. I don't have a problem with where the temps get to, it's just that I don't like hearing the fan come on. It makes me feel like I'm overworking the truck.
I agree that the Xtreme duty style would do a better job than stock, but I'd still have to listen to it come on and worry that the truck is working too hard. I think once I get an airfoil adjusted where it works best, I'll have sufficent airflow to keep it from getting up into fan clutch range.
Interestingly enough, when I'm actually plowing, I don't have any temp problems at all. I guess it's slow enough that enough air is available, even without the fan coming on. I actually get the temp up when I'm in between jobs, and when I get there and start plowing again it comes back down. This is exactly opposite of how my old gasser plow trucks worked, I'd look forward to the drive in between jobs to cool them back down.


----------



## B&B (Nov 4, 2006)

If you don't want to listen to the fan then yes you'll need to force the natural airflow though the rad. Thats a mind issue, not a truck issue.


----------



## jgsxr750 (Feb 16, 2006)

thanks for the input. i will head over to my local parts store today and get back to you with what i fin. will this new fan clutch make the fan come on during normal everyday driving or just when the the truck hits close to higher temperatures. i'm not worried about mpg during plowing because you get s$&#% mpg when the plow is on anyway. just worry about when plow is off. i drive 125 miles daily and don't want to lose any more mpg than i got already\. holding good with an average of 18-19 mpg highway.


----------



## Detroitdan (Aug 15, 2005)

B&B;751275 said:


> If you don't want to listen to the fan then yes you'll need to force the natural airflow though the rad. Thats a mind issue, not a truck issue.


Right, it is a mind issue. Now if I could only find something to make my mind come on sooner and stay on longer...


----------



## Lencodude (Dec 30, 2008)

jgsxr750;751380 said:


> thanks for the input. i will head over to my local parts store today and get back to you with what i fin. will this new fan clutch make the fan come on during normal everyday driving or just when the the truck hits close to higher temperatures. i'm not worried about mpg during plowing because you get s$&#% mpg when the plow is on anyway. just worry about when plow is off. i drive 125 miles daily and don't want to lose any more mpg than i got already\. holding good with an average of 18-19 mpg highway.


Without the plow on, I don,t think it will affect your milage any. The fan won't come on.

I can drive 70-80 mph on the highway for long periods and the plow is up fully, blocking the front end and it does not overheat, before my plow was almost dragging on the highway sometime scrapping the asphalt and could only drive 40 mph or it would overheat and the warning light comes on.


----------



## daveklein1 (Dec 3, 2008)

*snow plow overheating*



BrooklynJim;701488 said:


> what are you guys using to keep engine temps down when the plow is up?
> 
> im running a western pro 9 footer on a diesel GMC dually


Jim, there is a quick fix to your problem, plow flowmaster. I field tested this for 2 years and it does work. I must say that the first one I built only lasted 2 storms and it back to drawing board. We used heavier steel and changed mounting location, they have been in use ever since. Check it out.ussmileyflag


----------

