2001 Adventurer P32 8.1L MH - Whats Normal?

[bjsweeney]

Hi All,
I have the above described per owned MH. After reading the posts on the 8.1L failure posts (scared me!) I purchased a scangauge and now am all about the numbers! I'm having problems getting results for the oil pressure and trans temps to show , but if they are available, I'll figure it out. Now, the questions...

1) What is the normal coolant temp? I pulled a 200 on the scangauge today on a 4 mile grade at 65mph. Outside air temp was in the 70's and it wasn't a climb of more than 500 feet in altitude over the 4 miles. As soon as i toped the hills, temps settled back to 195. Thoughts?

2) I'm planning a trip from southern California to Washington state in June. What mods / maint should I do to prepare? The engine has 36k on it, I have done the oil change / filters the engine sounds fine, has no leaks. I just worry about altitude, long haul, 8.1 stories.... Some have installed extra fans, changed plug wires... What would best prepare the rig for the trip?

3) As I'm on the drive, what should I be scanning? What should the numbers be ? This is an old rig and I plan to not hit the grades too hard nor go over 65 on the flats. What tips do you offer?

Thanks for your time and input!

[Mr JP]

The temps you posted are fine that is very close to what mine runs at. You may want to look into flushing your coolant the dex-cool coolant is only a 5 year product. You may look into the ultra power upgrade. Good Luck JP

[max49]

I monitor tran, Eng, temps and of course oil pressure on the IP
My SG doesn't show oil pressure. You may see 220* or higher climbing mtns. but there's not much u can do about it. If you've ever burnt /melt SP wires u might want to get some ventilation to them.
The 8.1 doesn't give any warning before it's ready to give up the ghost so I just try to go as easy as I can on and hope for the best. When crossing the Rockies with the engine at 4000+ RPM, and 220+ degrees do a Tebow on your way up, it may help.

[mgscott4]

Don,t worry. There thousands of 8.1L running fine all over the country. I have 71K with no problems. Just enjoy the ride. At 69K I changed plugs and wires and belt (They were original).

The water temp will engage the fan at 207 degrees, so when you hear a roar coming from the engine it is normal for about 20 seconds watch the temp drop to 198-200.

Don,t do any Mods. If it ain't broke don;t fix it. I try to keep my RPMs between 2800-3200 when pulling a hill. You will find the sweet spot on your vehicle depending on weight and grade of hill climb. I never go over 4K rpms.

If you want increase your fuel mileage, on your scan gauge, watch insantaneous gas mpg and TPS throttle position. Get a feel for the engine pulling the MH then back off the throttle and sometimes you won't feel a change in engine pulling or speed but an incease in MPG . I find myself backing off the throttle quit a bit with no loss in speed. I am averaging 7.93mpg over the last 10k miles. I am now averaging 8.13 MPG over the last 2K mile with new plugs and wires and belt.

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgscott4 Don't do any Mods. If it ain't broke don't fix it. I try to keep my RPMs between 2800-3200 when pulling a hill. You will find the sweet spot on your vehicle depending on weight and grade of hill climb. I never go over 4K rpms.

It isn't too hard to see that you are a poster child as am in installing aftermarket mods:

"Steersafe, Koni Shocks, DIY Trac Bar, Tri-Metric 2025RV Battery Monitor, Scan Gauge 2, Crossfires"

and I agree with all of the Mods that you applied to your rig because they specifically address certain segments of the motorhome hardware that improve ownership. In taking your approach to the next level if one can follow your example, I would see noting out of character if by means of careful consideration or a need, that one should not out of hand dismiss applying Mods if they achieve a clear objective.

Quote:

If you want increase your fuel mileage, on your scan gauge, watch instantaneous gas mpg and TPS throttle position. Get a feel for the engine pulling the MH then back off the throttle and sometimes you won't feel a change in engine pulling or speed but an increase in MPG.

This has been my most recent observation. Reducing cruising RPM by as little as 50 RPM from 2200 to 2150 netted improved gas mileage. Although I do have a Scan Gauge X-Gauge, I don't attribute the improvement to the gauge. One should cross reference all electronic data with paper and pencil calculations because it remains the most reliable means of proving performance with directly impacts the money coming out of our wallets.

Quote:

I find myself backing off the throttle quit a bit with no loss in speed. I am averaging 7.93mpg over the last 10k miles. I am now averaging 8.13 MPG over the last 2K mile with new plugs and wires and belt.

I find myself backing off on the throttle however a reduction in throttle pressure in my experience will yield less speed.

[WeatherTodd]

you can change the thermostat to a 180 degree one to run a tad cooler. Your fuel mileage may suffer since the ecu uses coolant temp as a parameter for injector cycle.
Ive noticed with a ducted cool air intake tube and the "tuba" removed the rig will get over 75mph without any drama. I usually drive ~65ish.

[mgscott4]

[QUOTE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DriVer It isn't too hard to see that you are a poster child as am in installing aftermarket mods: "Steersafe, Koni Shocks, DIY Trac Bar, Tri-Metric 2025RV Battery Monitor, Scan Gauge 2, Crossfires" and I agree with all of the Mods that you applied to your rig because they specifically address certain segments of the motorhome hardware that improve ownership. In taking your approach to the next level if one can follow your example, I would see noting out of character if by means of careful consideration or a need, that one should not out of hand dismiss applying Mods if they achieve a clear objective.

I stand corrected. What I as trying to suggest was for BJSWEENY to drive the RV for a while to get a feel for it before doing any mods. Don't just do mods because others did it.

[mgscott4]

Quote:

I purchased a scangauge and now am all about the numbers! I'm having problems getting results for the oil pressure and trans temps to show

For Engine oil pressure try this.

Engine Oil Pressure
TXD: 6C10F122115C01
RXF: 04620511065C
RXD: 3008
MTH: 007300FF0000
NAM: EOP


If you have a 480LE transmision, Scangauge will not read transmission temperature. It only works on Allison 5 speed transmission. I think.

[max49]

Dale programed my SG so I get GM tranny temp but I don't get engine oil pressure. It'd be good to be able to compare it to the IP reading.

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgscott4 I stand corrected. What I as trying to suggest was for BJSWEENY to drive the RV for a while to get a feel for it before doing any mods. Don't just do mods because others did it.

mgscott4, I agree 100% with your assessment. An RV owner should operate their vehicle as is for at minimum 6 months or more before identifying reliably that a problem exists that they would like to correct. I advise that RV owners don't throw money at perceived problems but wait and make sure that a problem exists.

[Fred and Bonnie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by max49 Dale programed my SG so I get GM tranny temp but I don't get engine oil pressure. It'd be good to be able to compare it to the IP reading.

The only problem with getting additional information, and the readings differ, whick one are you going to believe??

fred

[max49]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fred and Bonnie The only problem with getting additional information, and the readings differ, whick one are you going to believe?? fred

I don't know, I do know not to trust the IP temperature gauge since it stays glued in the middle from 180* to about 220* any way.

[bjsweeney]

Thanks all for your input and thoughts!

[DriVer]

Quote:

.... glued in the middle from 180° to about 220° any way.

Glued in the middle would suggest "Normal" which in the case of the 8.1L engine ranges from 195° to 224°. The needle begins to move upward at 225°. The boiling point using a 50/50 mix of coolant and water is approximately 262°F.