[sleepyfish]

I have a T-Max winch installed on the front bumper which seems to interrup the airflow to the radiator. Has anybody had a similar problem and how did you go about 'fixing' it - apart from removing the winch? Some suggested upgrading the standard radiator, others installed an additional electric fan, etc. I have had the cooling system checked, the radiator 'flushed' but no apparent problems. Overheating starts after approximately 300-400 km of highway driving towing a 1500 lb. trailer - max towing speed 100 km/h. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[ColoradoCole]

try doing the 10 blade ford fan upgrade, i did and no problems yet, except for the load fan but im happy to know i will never overheat

 

[redo4x]

I'm not sure how much size difference there is in the t-max and a warn? I have a Warn 9000 and it covers a large portion of the grille. I have no problem at all with cooling on a stock radiator and fan. You could have a problem with your fan shroud.

 

[JPNinPA]

Yes a winch blocking the radiator can cause overheating when under load or high ambient heat. It could also highlight an issue you had but didn't know it.

Have you verified your clutch fan is engaging correctly?

 

[JBTJ]

try doing the 10 blade ford fan upgrade, i did and no problems yet, except for the load fan but im happy to know i will never overheat

I tried that and it didn't do a bit of good except put a strain on the engine and sounded like a 747 taking off. went back to stock and lovin it. Point is I guess not all JEEPS were created equal from the factory.

 

[1HouseMouse]

I hope this helps... This past summer I installed a 8274-50 when it was 110 out. I drove it up and down the interstate with the Winch Cover on and the Air Conditioner on also, doing about 70ish. I have read many threads on the Upright and Possible Cooling issues etc. Well, my winch and cover must block a good 60-70% of the direct air flow to the radiator. In summery this is what I have read and experienced: My engine temperature never raised above normal, and in the many (I do mean, many) threads they say Fix your cooling system, because it not the winch or the winch just manifested an underlying problem.

 

[PlaneJob]

Overheating starts after approximately 300-400 km of highway driving towing a 1500 lb. trailer - max towing speed 100 km/h.

Fix your cooling system, because it not the winch or the winch just manifested an underlying problem.

I agree. Check your equipment out, thermostat, hoses, fan clutch, etc.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

A winch doesn't block the air flow enough to cause a properly functioning TJ cooling system to overheat. The only time mine has overheated was last year when I had a problem in the cooling system but after fixing it, it stopped overheating. A winch might cause a problem on a marginal cooling system that has some sort of a problem making it marginal, but that's it. I'd find the problem and fix it. Clogged radiator core, sticking thermostat, etc.

And I don't care if it has been flushed, a flush isn't the fix for all possible cooling system problems.

 

[VnutZ]

My stock bumper with Warn plate and PowerPlant DID cause an overheat on my drive from Fort Meade to Fort Huachuca last summer. As long as the speed was below 60mph there were no issues. It completely covered the radiator and sat flush to the grill. I had to drive through west Texas with the heat on to keep the temps at 220.

Called Warn tech support up and they admitted their testing in Death Valley with that setup was NOT stock and included a different radiator and electric fans.

While at Huachuca, I bought a new bumper from Rock Hard the lowered the winch two inches and moved it forward nearly three inches. It's never overheated since.

At lower speeds, air could flow through the few "gaps" in the PowerPlant and cool the radiator. As speed increased, first the engine ran hotter but secondly, the airflow could no longer "wrap around" the winch which created a non-airflow pocket at the radiator quickly spiking me up to 250+.

Having the gap (even three inches was enough) between the winch and the grill solves that aerodynamic flow issue and it cools fine now (still a stock cooling system). If your winch is anything smaller than a PowerPlant, you shouldn't have to worry about this at all.

 

[Sundowner]

I agree...it's a cooling issue. I've actually blocked 75% of my radiator with a piece of sheet metal and it did not overheat. You need to do some troubleshooting because the winch isn't the issue. Air can - and does - move around a winch: think about swinging a baseball bat through the air...the air moves around it just fine. :thumbsup:

 

[hndswthtshdws]

I google imaged T-max winch and found a bunch of pictures of a solenoid box sticking straight up. If yours is like that try laying it down, moving it behind the winch, or moving it underhood. You may need to relocate the remote plug.

I agree...it's a cooling issue. I've actually blocked 75% of my radiator with a piece of sheet metal and it did not overheat. You need to do some troubleshooting because the winch isn't the issue. Air can - and does - move around a winch: think about swinging a baseball bat through the air...the air moves around it just fine. :thumbsup:

You need to read up on aerodynamics and pressure zones. The air behind the baseball bat has a stagnant area that tapers to a point, everything else flows around this teardrop shape.

 

[hoovail]

The winch may not be %100 of the cause, but it obviously has something to do with it! At least you know part of the cause! If my Jeep started overheating after a winch install, I would certainly do something about that issue, then move forward from there!

Not sure how big you wanna go , but you could do a custom bumper and lower the winch between the frame rails to help a bit.

Here is what I did!

 

[Sundowner]

You need to read up on aerodynamics and pressure zones. The air behind the baseball bat has a stagnant area that tapers to a point, everything else flows around this teardrop shape.

Actually, I'm pretty familiar with them...but I have to admit that I wasn't looking for someone to critique the example to a level that most people would not be interested in comprehending. I really hate it when threads derail like that. :thumbdown:

However, you are correct in stating how the air moves and I have to thank you for clarifying my point, which is this: an object like a winch - or a baseball bat, for that matter - does not occlude the radiator behind it. Does it create a disturbance in the air? Sure it does...ANY object moving through a fluid creates signs of passage. But - as you pointed out - the area of still air tapers to a point and other air moves around this "dead space"...a fact which perfectly illustrates the fact that air can and does move around the winch. Yes, it can create some loss of airflow (depending on how far the "dead space" extends) but not enough to interrupt or cripple the functioning of a well-maintained cooling system.

My apologies for the over-simplification. :cheers2:

 

[mcannon111]

i have an 8274, the biggest winch out there that blocks the MOST airflow. I've never had any cooling problems, knock on wood, so i think something in your cooling system is malfunctioning.

 

[sleepyfish]

Thanks for all the advice. I will recheck the cooling system from top to bottom.

 

[Tumbleweed01]

The other thing that leads me to believe it is not a winch/airflow issue is that you drive so far before it overheats. You would think it would overheat sooner.

 

[rbrad]

I was thinking also about towing the trailer may be some of the problem also. If you have an automatic and the transmission may be heating up and also causing the engine to heat up after driving for awhile. If you are going to tow a lot with the jeep and have an auto it may not be a bad idea to add an external trans cooler.

 

[Photog2000]

And I don't care if it has been flushed, a flush isn't the fix for all possible cooling system problems.

This is very true. If half of the radiator is plugged the coolant will just go around it when you "flush" the system. I have one of those fancy machine here at work and all it really does is replace the coolant. There isn't enough pressure or volume output by the machine to actually flush anything.

I was thinking also about towing the trailer may be some of the problem also. If you have an automatic and the transmission may be heating up and also causing the engine to heat up after driving for awhile. If you are going to tow a lot with the jeep and have an auto it may not be a bad idea to add an external trans cooler.

Check the profile. He has a manual. This could also be causing some issue if he is towing in overdrive and lugging the engine with 3.07 gears and over sized tires.