[alanack6795]

Probably dont even need a radiator at that low of temp!!! Heater core alone would probably do the job.

 

[jpcallan]

Okay, time to kill this thread. No one reads the details anyway. I was in Northern Minnesota for 35 years. We laughed when Minneapolis said it was cold out. In 96 we had -60+- thermometers aren’t accurate that low. My 86 Subaru started without being plugged in.

I have a plan to remedy this: move within a few hundred miles from the Gulf of Mexico.

I think I speak for most of us when I say we have no conception what -37 F outdoors feels like or that kind of cold's affect on equipment. I lived near Winona and your are right, it's a whole different world up by Hibbing and Moorhead. -60 F really was the all-time record low ever recorded in Minnesota - it happened in 1996, wow. I read the entire thread and found a couple of things worth noting.

1) I don't see where it says you are located, other than the Canadian flag glyph under your name on posts. Canada is a big, big country, so I hope you can overlook members not knowing just where your fighting the bitter cold.

2) ... (New aluminum heater core).

That was a mistake, should have gone OEM copper/brass. I just researched replacing my wife's Jeep Grand Cherokee's leaking heater core last fall. A number of people reported their aluminum replacement didn't work as well after replacing the factory heater core with an aluminum aftermarket version. We bought an OEM core on Amazon in November - it's the identical part as yours uses (used in many models and model years). Aluminum just doesn't conduct heat as well as copper. That said, if the coolant isn't at all warm, it won't matter.

3) ... lower hose is warmer than the upper hose.

This flies in the face of physics. The only way I can imagine this happening is the coolant is flowing slowly in reverse. Conduction would more likely explain the lower hose warmth than thermal expansion.

Many people own Dodge/Ram diesel trucks in Canada and seem to be happy. Maybe it's time to visit a very northerly Ram dealership or Cummins dealership and have them look it over. Consult with professional people that have routine experience operating Dodge/Cummins equipment in extreme cold.

Permit me to offer best luck from all of us "southerners" getting warmed up.

 

[ekvhekvh]

The physics are:
1. heat moves into colder objects (everybody thinks heat rises, it doesn’t.) Heat makes air more buoyant and then rises. Liquid is similar.
2. When most liquids and gases are warmed they expand.

This is why I think my thermostat is fine. I think the coolant is expanding but since the thermostat stops its expansion into the upper hose, it takes the next path which is through the lower hose.

If my pump was bad, after 25 minutes warmup and 15 miles at speed, I would have a hot gauge for sure.

I plan to investigate more when it warms up. I am currently doing seven 11-12 hour days a week for 2-4 weeks. No time to mess with it. I thought I was retired???

I was 30 miles from the Canadian and North Dakota border in Minnesota. I am currently in Winnipeg, 75 miles north of the border.

It is supposed to get to near 32f tomorrow through Tuesday.

 

[arlo price]

Is the rubber flap still on the bottom of the front bumper & tucked up to the forward most crossmember? Just a thought.....😉
🇺🇲

 

[ekvhekvh]

Been answered, yes

 

[alanack6795]

Questio......do you have a way to warm it up, like a big trailer or something heavy. That would be the best way to check the thermostat because you can watch the gauge. My guess is its never opening because its too dam cold.

While I think the verdict is its too dam cold. I was looking at old TSBs for cold weather operation and one completely. Bypasses both transmission coolers, but i think that was to help the transmission warm up more so than the engine..... but your cooling system is trying to warm up the engine and transmission at the same time.... I dunno -37 is definitely cold though haha.

 

[dd453ford]

The physics are:
1. heat moves into colder objects (everybody thinks heat rises, it doesn’t.) Heat makes air more buoyant and then rises. Liquid is similar.
2. When most liquids and gases are warmed they expand.

This is why I think my thermostat is fine. I think the coolant is expanding but since the thermostat stops its expansion into the upper hose, it takes the next path which is through the lower hose.

If my pump was bad, after 25 minutes warmup and 15 miles at speed, I would have a hot gauge for sure.

I plan to investigate more when it warms up. I am currently doing seven 11-12 hour days a week for 2-4 weeks. No time to mess with it. I thought I was retired???

I was 30 miles from the Canadian and North Dakota border in Minnesota. I am currently in Winnipeg, 75 miles north of the border.

It is supposed to get to near 32f tomorrow through Tuesday.

As the engine warms up, the coolant expands, and the pressure rises. With the thermostat closed, there s only one direction for the warming and expanding coolant to go. The lower radiator hose!

 

[jimduchek]

As the engine warms up, the coolant expands, and the pressure rises. With the thermostat closed, there s only one direction for the warming and expanding coolant to go. The lower radiator hose!

Yea, this is what I am thinking too. The thermostat never opens because he's losing too much heat through the oil pain/transmission pan. The 3rd best solution would be to try and insulate those, I think.

I think he's on the right track with the 2nd best solution, move somewhere warmer. I am partial to my own solution to the problem, which is to live in an RV... it's always 70-80 degrees somewhere... though south Texas certainly disappointed me in the last week on that front.

 

[GAmes]

..... it's always 70-80 degrees somewhere... though south Texas certainly disappointed me in the last week on that front.

For what 4 or 5 days? And the forecast for this week is ??????????

 

[jimduchek]

For what 4 or 5 days? And the forecast for this week is ??????????

It's 80 degrees out right now But man.. my last few days on Padre were cold and crappy, and that was a mild annoyance to me

 

[GAmes]

A week ago it was single digits here, now it's in the 60s. As far as I'm concerned winter is over. BTW, I'll be heading that direction on Wed. Fishing on Choke Canyon for 5 days.

 

[jimduchek]

I'm in Mathis right now, not too far from there just off Lake Corpus Christi. Looks pretty. Headed north in a few days, cause you're right, winter is over and it's gonna start getting hot I'll wave as I go by. It only got into the low 20s on SPI, but we did lose power, water, and cell service for a few days. I can deal without shore power and water (plenty of solar, 4 kW genny, 100 gal fresh tank), but losing my internet kinda sucked.

 

[24hrsparkey]

Thermostat open or closed ,, in closed operation there is still warm water flow via the 2 metal pipes that go to the heater core .
Just something ive noticed.

Also the engine oil gets pretty warm far before the coolant , but thats a whole nuther subject ..

Heater cores .

Despite the fact aluminum conducts heat faster than brass .. the fact is brass n copper heater cores work better . Thats from personal exp.