LS-coupe cooling saga continues :(

[dville_gt]

This weekend I installed a giant double pass radiator, a new thermostat, new hoses, etc. Put it all back togther and still have the same problem (albeit slightly better, but still no dice). Car warms up to thermostat temp (189*), stays there for a few minutes, then slowly creeps up and eventually hangs around 230*.

The problem occurs at idle or at speed. I am starting to think the problem is the LX front bumper does not have much of an opening for air to get through it. The opening where it says Ford is a joke, nothing is really getting through there and the opening at the bottom just leads air straight into the core support.

I have two electric fans going full tilt but my thought is maybe since it cant get access to fresh air through the front bumper it is just pulling air from the engine bay back through the radiator.

Any tips, someone at the cruise mentioned cutting the front bumper to open up the bottom hole for more airflow. Any ideas?

Here is the radiator I am running.

[KBScobravert]

What kind of a gauge are you using? I would get a laser temp reader and take some extra measurements. I usually measure the HOSE at the thermostat and again at the water pump inlet. That should give you a true reading of how much heat the radiator/fans are pulling out of the coolant.

What is your water/antifreeze mixture?

I don't know if I would start cutting into the face of the bumper but maybe pulling some material off the top of the opening at the bottom may direct more air upwards into the radiator.

[Grape]

You have an air pocket, your upper hose is higher than your water fill neck.

[Mysticcobrakilla]

Are you still running the stock air deflector under the bumper?
I know they made a big difference on cooling fox GT's down. I can't say it Would help on an lx since they have some sort of opening unlike a gt bumper cover.

[redrocket5.0]

Look at the white Gt in background. Not too bad looking, dont know how a lx bumper would look cut. A little drastic, but an idea.

[71chevellejohn]

You may want to look into adding some panels to direct the air from the bottom scoop of the LX bumper cover up to the radiator. And maybe beside the radiator too. To block the engine heat from coming back around.

Edit - something like these on the side:http://www.latemodelrestoration.com/...Air-Deflectors

[UserX]

You have an air pocket, your upper hose is higher than your water fill neck.

This!

[dville_gt]

You have an air pocket, your upper hose is higher than your water fill neck.

Then what do I do, I've tried jacking the car up so that the water neck is the highest point and running it/leaving it. Tried filling it, running it, letting it cool, etc. I'd like to think this is the problem but if it is I don't know what to do to get the trapped air out.

[Blackpony]

Try making some sort of deflector on the bottom of the core support that catches air and make it go up towards the radiator. Also add some deflectors along the side of the radiator that doesnt allow hot air to circulate back to the front and keeps the cooler air running across the core..

[KBScobravert]

Then what do I do, I've tried jacking the car up so that the water neck is the highest point and running it/leaving it. Tried filling it, running it, letting it cool, etc. I'd like to think this is the problem but if it is I don't know what to do to get the trapped air out.

If your hose is too high I would cut the hose at the highest point. Insert a tube sleeve with a 1/8" pipe plug female fitting and a plug. When you fill the coolant pull the plug. Water will push the air out.

Another method is to tap into a upper coolant jacket to release air. I am not familiar enough with LSx but do they have coolant passages in the rear of the intake?

I installed a rear coolant cross over in my SBF Super Victor to feed my heater core and also give me a fitting to crack to blead air from.

Look at how the 4v motors are set up with expansion tanks to fill instead of radiators. The Cobra R expansion tank used to be offered by FRPP for just this purpose. Cobra kit cars have been battling this problem since they started making them. Their radiators are slanted and lower than the motor which causes them to get air also.

[2165 Turbo Rail]

did you ever do like I suggested and remove the upper hose from that Radiator and poor the coolant in the hose (so it will go into the top of the motor)

that's what I had to do

[2165 Turbo Rail]

on a side note... it LOOKS WAY better haha.. .now just have to get it to cool better too

[dville_gt]

on a side note... it LOOKS WAY better haha.. .now just have to get it to cool better too

ya, filled through the upper into the motor.

thanks, now i just gotta keep it cool

[shumpertdavid]

Couple things, first an air deflector will not help your cooling issues at Idle. Second with a stock temp thermostat it will likely run in the 215-220 temp range on normal days. Hell, my regal has a 160 thermostat, 3 core brass radiator, and a tauras fan setup with a fan controller that I set to come on at 180. It has consistantly run 180-185 for how ever many years it's been setup this way. I did @ a 20 mile highway drive thursday in the heat of the day with the ac on and it was running in the 205-210 range. It's just that hot out. Try running it in the early morning or late night when it's cooler to see what it does.

[Blackpony]

Couple things, first an air deflector will not help your cooling issues at Idle. Second with a stock temp thermostat it will likely run in the 215-220 temp range on normal days. Hell, my regal has a 160 thermostat, 3 core brass radiator, and a tauras fan setup with a fan controller that I set to come on at 180. It has consistantly run 180-185 for how ever many years it's been setup this way. I did @ a 20 mile highway drive thursday in the heat of the day with the ac on and it was running in the 205-210 range. It's just that hot out. Try running it in the early morning or late night when it's cooler to see what it does.

Actually is can if there is 300 degree air from the engine/headers being circulated back in front of the radiator because there arent any deflectors to block it.. You want to create a tunnel like in front of the radiator only allowing air from the front of the car to get to the radiator... A quick google search will net tons of info and results of this particular to the fox mustang.. they are horrible at cooling..