Just a pick up on your last - you don't want to open the radiator cap unless it is cold. Even at normal temp there is still a lot of pressure waiting to be released!!<BR>Darryl

One more note on altitude and cooling systems, and a comment on power output and heat and torque curves. The radiator cap holds a rated pressure differential. Atmospheric pressure drops with altitude. Therefore the ratiator'c contained pressure, and thus the boiling point of the cooling water is lowered at altitude. The 14-15psi rated radiator cap raises the cooolant boiling point by maybe 20-25 degF at sea level. Powering thru sand requires high power outputs. Operating at the torque peak (your 2000rpm range) puts the engine at it's highest efficiency point, and the lowest rate of heat loss as waste to the water jacket. Operating in a lower gear ratio by downshifting or using low range decreases the required engine torque by substituting gear multiplication for engine output, and thus reduces load on the engine cooling system. Low speed vehicle operation decreases the airflow over the radiator, and when accompainied by low engine speed coupled with large throttle opening, the heat input can easily exceed the radiator's heat shedding ability. An electric radiator fan can help at low speeds. I understand that the 2800TDI intercooler is marginal, and is insufficient if the fan does not operate correctly.

A question to Fasteddy, I saw on your sign that you did a conversion to a Starion engine. Will this work on a 4 door. I want a 1st gen 4 door and want a turbo. What kind of mileage are you getting with that set up? Are you familiar with a vr4? Thanks in advance.

Hello DarrylH, according to my experience, when I lost the cap when it droped into the engine and I was not able to find it and gave it up. So I taped it with a cloth. Then I went very soft, trying not surpase the 2,500rpm and I found the open radiator keeping the same level of water in spite of the fact I have traveled around 15 kms and the gauge of temperature was horizontal. <P>About the comments of Fasteddy, I feel that my truck will need an electric fan but let me check first my next trip to desert on January. If it is necessary, I see no space to put an additional fan. The other way is to change the trigger level of temperature to be lower so that the fan starts to work whenever the gauge of the temperature raises 5 centigrades above to the horizontal. Any ideas on how to improve the fan power or starts to work when the car goes slow on desert. <P>Rodolfo [img]images/icons/shocked.gif" border="0[/img]

M..vr4, yes, it will fit in a 4dr if it has a 4cyl carb motor stock. 6cyl bellhousing is different, which leads to your thought about the VR4 motor (that's a 6G72 block, right?) as a turbo swap for the 4dr 6cyl. Might work if the driver side room is sufficient for turbo/exhaust and steering. Email me and we'll talk it through.<BR>Rodolpho, I have fitted a thin electric fan in front of the air conditioner condenser on the driver's side. 89+ a/c trucks had a stock factory fan there, but more centered. The aftermarket fan I installed had an adjustable thermostat and relay to turn the fan on and off, with an ignition sense circuit so that it only ran when the engine was running. The thermostat sensor was inserted in the radiator fins just below the water inlet. I also had to replace the fan thermo-clutch, which made a huge difference in radiator air flow. The clutch can have resistance and still be bad.

From my experience with the 2800, if the cooling system is good, you should not need an electric fan. Both in desert conditions and when towing a caravan weighing about 1500kgs in summer with my foot flat to the floor, I have never seen the neddle move a fraction. The only proviso is that I know that Australian delivered Pajeros have been engineered for our conditions. If yours was a private import from Japan it may? have a smaller radiator.<BR>Hear what you say about the radiator cap, but it is still holding down about 15psi when hot!<BR>Darryl

Hello Darry, My truck was marketed for Japan market and imported privately to Peru with the driver changed from right to left. The engine model is 4M40 and the radiator measures 61 cms high and 63 cms width and have 5 cms thick. The fan has 8 palets, each ones has around 11 cms long and the distance from the centre to the edge of palete is around 22 cms. How big is the fan and radiator is your truck which was marketed specially for Australian geographic? Maybe, they are different and I will look closer for a new dimension of fan or radiator better adapted for hotter weather than Japan.<P>Happy New Year 2002 full of adventures and joy!<P>Rodolfo [img]images/icons/grin.gif" border="0[/img]