argo magnum

[curtisbyrne]

all magnum owners please answer this forum!
my air cooled magnum overheats alot. i was hoping to find a cheap and easy way to troubleshoot this before the spring when i unleash the beast.!

[ARGOJIM]

Does you machine have this black duct in it?

[curtisbyrne]

yes it does why?

[ARGOJIM]

It greatly helps with cool air into engine, are you running with the windshield down?

[curtisbyrne]

most of the times no. so not alot

[rapidroy]

Curtis, do a compression test. A blown head gasket causes the engine to work harder, besides diminished power. RR

[curtisbyrne]

i can tell its not a blown gasket. and besides im 15 years old and do all my own work on my dads argo which i pretty much own. so i would not really know how to tell but im pretty sure i have a good idea its not. thats why i ask alot of questions on the forum becuase i need as much help as possible even tho i am pretty handy with argos and know alot about them!

[ARGOJIM]

What makes you think it is overheating?

[curtisbyrne]

well i dont know if it is overheating but the engine gets really hot and same with the oil temp. is it bad or ?

[rapidroy]

Okay Curtis, now we are getting somewhere. I am glad you are such a good mechanic cause these things require a lot of TLC. One advantage you have is you are young and wirey and can probably twist and bend and reach places in the argo us older less flexible duffers can.
That being said, asking a lot of questions is good, gathering information and analyzing the results will save time and money in the long run and give good results. Trouble shooting is where you look at a problem and eliminate the possibilities by testing, diagnosing and correcting deficiencies. The members here on this site have a very extensive collection of experience by trial and testing and experimenting and a lot of years of argo ownership.
Working with your hands is very rewarding and the results are a reliable machine that will take you out there and back, sometimes with a minor delay and a little wrenching and maybe you will even learn a few new words, but patience and preparation is what will win the battle.
So good luck and test before you cut, change or modify. // RR
P.S. magnums always run very hot, try removing the hood and run it after it gets hot to see if it cools down.

[curtisbyrne]

thanks rapidroy! that was a great speech and thanks for the tip!

[Supermag]

Helo Curtis, I owned a magnum for 10 years. they are great machines. As for your overheating issue, RapidRoy is spot on. Process of elimination is the key. One thing you could check is the color of your spark plugs to see if the fuel mixture is lean. a lean mixture will cause more heat in the combustion chamber. your spark plugs electrode should be a chocolate color. if the electrode is whitish, this could indicate a lean mixture. next is to ensure that all the shrouds/ducts in the engine compartment are secure and in place. this prevents the cooling fan from drawing in hot air from the engine compartment. Gaps in the exhaust shrouds could cause hot air to be pushed into the engine compartment. One easy thing to check is the screen on the cooling fan intake. This is located at the bottom of the black duct on the right hand side of the engine compartment. this screen can get plugged with twigs, and other junk. My 90 magnum had allot of oily dirt built up in the cooling fins of the motor. This could also be a possibility. Hope this helps and good luck

Dave