blocked radiator ?

[raferackstraw]

hi guys my kr engine seems to constantly run hot
ie the fan seems to be on almost constantly around town even on coldish days

the engine was rebuilt 5000 miles ago and it does not overheat, the temp of oil never goes above 110 but the temp guage needle is nearly always midway between the half and 3/4 marks once its been running 20mins or so and therefore fan runs for 3or4 mins stops for about 1mins then starts again

the water pump is working fine  and a new vw thermostat was fitted, header tank cap is new vw item as is radiator fan switch, fan and motor is new

on a run at 70mph the temp needle sits at halfway and oil is 100

coolant is a 50/50mix and there are no airlocks in system

im thinking that the radiator is maybe now past its best and could be partially blocked?

btw ive done a search and generally the cooling system seems fine apart from this issue
any ideas or suggestions? or am i being paranoid

[rubjonny]

if its fine on the move id say you dont have an issue. the fan will kick in when driving round town as you dont have much airflow thru the rad, the fact it is keepign the temp in check shows that all is well.

The fact it is kicking in shows you that coolant is flowing thru the radiator, since the switch is at the opposite end of the rad to the inlet and outlet pipes.

Maybe check it over as per the coolant FAQ, but from what you say I think everythign is fine.  Oh and you'll notice the 16v fan kicking in more than the 8v one as its only a sinlge speed unit, so always on full blast. the 8vs have a 2 speed fan which runs slower at 3/4 than the 16v one will, so you cant really hear it when the engine is running.

[raferackstraw]

thanx rj that has put my mind at rest