I realize this question has been asked many, many times. However, I have searched and looked in tech tips and I am still trying to decide what to do as it relates to a cooling “upgrade” for my 96 GMC K3500 6.5 with 201K miles. It is a manual and a dually with a Utility bed that has about 600lbs of tools and soon a welder and compressor will be mounted adding more weight.
I use the truck for my part time job repairing boats on-site and doing other mechanic jobs etc. I don’t have a need for the 4X4 that often, but it is good to know it is there. I live in AL and we have HOT summers and mild winters. I tow a boat and about three times a year we fill the bed up with gravel for our driveway.
So I have the truck in my garage and I am beginning to tear it down for the 200K maintenance (injectors, glow plugs, new battery/starter/ground cables, new cooling system, hoses, belt, ac repair etc.…). That has led me to the search for which cooling mod I should go with. I have narrowed it down to:
- Kennedy Diesel dual thermostat 190 degree thermostats with his clutch ad either the 20” steel fan or the 21” plastic fan he sells
- Heath Diesel’s single thermostat cooling mod with water pump and new stat with fan/clutch combo
- SS Diesel Supply dual thermostat mod with “heavy duty” fan and clutch
I have budgeted around $600 - $700 for the cooling system. I will be pulling the radiator and getting it dipped and cleaned etc. I have also wondered if I can do this all myself by sourcing the parts through either the above vendors (say the water pump from Kennedy) and then get the fan and clutch from _______ (fill in the blank).
The truck has its OEM single stat and has never run “hot” on me yet. I have not owned it with the AC working though – so I don’t know how much that will affect the cooling capacity.
Any thoughts or options is appreciated.
Thank you,

~GOD BLESS~

john

 

Hi I have run two off these engines for 15 yrs marine wise and dual thermal tats a good mode if your rebuilding paint the inside off the block with heat paint it made 10 ° difference to the engine temp bore rear cylinders half a thou bigger that will help and use mahale pistons ceramic coated with oil squirters on pistons