Overheating - critique my COA

[shampooefficient]

Been out in the van this weekend - 1990 non-turbo diesel, manual, high roof, no service history and MOT checker puts it between 100k and 250k miles depending on the year you look at (!).

We have been across the dales including some long climbs, and it's been hot weather. The temp gauge has slowly climbed up on a lot of these climbs, to the point of bringing the "oh dear" flashing light.

Being a dinosaur my reaction of turning the cabin heater to max has worked to bring the temp down until we got level or downhill to get some airflow.

The fan also doesn't always seem to kick in, which is irritating. Even though when it does it shakes the front of the van like a washing machine on spin cycle.

I'm not that surprised by the overheating but I do want to reduce it happening, so I'm thinking...

Pull the radiator out, and fan, and flush the full system front to back, back to front, etc. Including the rad while it's off. Then run a dishwasher tablet through it, get it hot a couple of times, and reflush.

Same at the engine end, remove the expansion tank, anything else I can get to, including caps and sensors, and give them a damn good clean out.

Then fit a new electric fan and shroud (if there's supposed to be one?). And add an override switch to the dash.

Is there anything obvious I'm missing from this? I can do it over the course of a few evenings, there's no rush, I just want it right. I'm fully aware that the flushing action might loosen some debris and cause an issue but that's a risk I'm willing to take rather than ending up at the side of the A68 doing our best impression of the Kettle Enthusiasts Club AGM.

Cheers in advance!

[ajsimmo]

I got stuck at COA.
Google wasn't that helpful...

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[ajsimmo]

I'd recommend new rad, new fan switch, no chicken switch (not needed if it's all working right), and new thermostat. Check flow through main F-R coolant pipes, as the plastic ones have metal inserts which can corrode badly and reduce the diameter.

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[silverbullet]

Assuming that its got a proper all-metal water pump, not one with a plastic impellor which fracture and disintegrate, leaving the engine to cool by thermosyphon....

[shampooefficient]

Fantastic, thank you gang!

[R0B]

But what does COA mean?

[shampooefficient]

But what does COA mean?

"Course of action" as per the colonel in the old videogame Metal Gear Solid.

Literally the only time I've ever heard it but it's stuck with me for nearly 30 years so...

[R0B]

Whats metal gear solid?

[ajsimmo]

Whats metal gear solid?

This could run to many levels

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[shampooefficient]

Whats metal gear solid?

This could run to many levels

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I've just edited my post to include "the old videogame". God, them were the days, before you had to spend two hours downloading system updates every time there's a day in the week...

[Smiffo]

I remember that game, with ‘Snake’ as main character ( I think )
I had it on a PSP.

Oddly enough, I think I still have it on PSP if I could dig it out of boxes of stuff I never use now 

E D I T: I still didn’t know what COA was either