Can't keep this SOB cool :(

[UserX]

No thermo doesn't do much good, water passes through the radiator too quickly to be effectively cooled. I'm curious to see what difference the 160 makes, I hope it's the ticket. Good luck!

[dville_gt]

No thermo doesn't do much good, water passes through the radiator too quickly to be effectively cooled. I'm curious to see what difference the 160 makes, I hope it's the ticket. Good luck!

i've heard mixed reviews on that. a lot of racers seem to say they've never had a motor that didn't run cooler without a thermo. i'd think it'd be especially true when you have a giant double pass radiator since it can't really just sail through the radiator since it has to cross from one tank to the other, then back to the first tank to exit.

i really don't want to start throwing parts at it, but i've gotta figure something out. at this point if the thermo doesn't do the trick i'll probably throw an oil cooler on it for shits. its just money, right?

[dville_gt]

Just pulled the cap off after letting it cool from today's drive and the level is low. While this isn't a "good" thing, it at least gives me some hope it might be an actual "fixable" issue. Put my giant funnel on it and filled it up, going to check and see if I lose any coolant overnight. Thinking it is either pushing fluid into the overflow and not pulling it back (not likely since the level in the overflow doesn't seem to change), or I've got some crazy leak that doesn't leave any evidence, maybe a waterpump seal or something and the fluid never makes it to the ground.

[Magnimike1]

Check oil

[Doug Hatton]

Or a headgasket....

Just pulled the cap off after letting it cool from today's drive and the level is low. While this isn't a "good" thing, it at least gives me some hope it might be an actual "fixable" issue. Put my giant funnel on it and filled it up, going to check and see if I lose any coolant overnight. Thinking it is either pushing fluid into the overflow and not pulling it back (not likely since the level in the overflow doesn't seem to change), or I've got some crazy leak that doesn't leave any evidence, maybe a waterpump seal or something and the fluid never makes it to the ground.

[Dan03mach]

Or a headgasket....

shouldn't be he just put the motor together and put it in the car.

[2165 Turbo Rail]

All this shit and you didn't start with checking the coolant level?

[Sleeper]

By the time he is done it'll have a nitrous spray bar on the radiator.

[dville_gt]

Check oil

oil is good

Or a headgasket....

pressure tested the system. found a very slight leak on the lower radiator hose. tightened the clamp and that is fixed now. held 18psi for and hour warm with the plugs out. all the plugs look good, oil looks good, coolant looks good.

shouldn't be he just put the motor together and put it in the car.

yup

All this shit and you didn't start with checking the coolant level?

this was the first i noticed the coolant was down. left my radiator funnel on it overnight and it didn't loose a drop. pressure tested my radiator cap and it only held ~10psi (18psi cap). i am assuming it pushed water out but didn't suck it back in. put a new cap on it but of course, didn't fix it.

By the time he is done it'll have a nitrous spray bar on the radiator.

ha.


i put the 160* thermo in it tonight. it is a LOT cooler out side, but with the 160 it danced around 160 a few times (thermo opening/closing), then it marched up to 180, held there for a while (a/c off), turned the a/c on and it slowly crept up to ~205 and eventually up to around 215 after idling for a while.

i knew the 160 thermo wasn't going to fix it, but it's another thing to check off my list. i also flushed the radiator today (even though it is only about a year old), and cleaned the intercooler/condenser/radiator out with water and compressed air.

back to the drawing board.

[Sleeper]

you still testing with the hood off?

[whitetrash]

215 in a chevy motor aint bad. every one ive had ran warmer at idle

[Blackpony]

Did you ever check your a/c pressures? how about temps of the condenser itself?

Have you tried a std replacement 3 core aluminum fox radiator? not a dual pass, just a regular replacement? I have a couple small spal fans for the front of an intercooler if you want to put them on a try to see if that helps any. Doubt it will.

Is the radiator cap the highest point in your cooling system?

reason I ask is in my 95, there were times when I would randomly get air bubbles in my cooling system and the car would get hot on me, i would burp the system and it would be fine. The radiator cap was not the highest point in my system. I plan to eliminate the cap on the radiator, and add an external expansion tank that will tie into the lower rad hose with a small vent hose going from the top of the radiator to the tank also. it will be positioned to where it will be the highest point with the hopes of that eliminating my problem this time around.. just some food for thought..

[dville_gt]

Did you ever check your a/c pressures? how about temps of the condenser itself?

Have you tried a std replacement 3 core aluminum fox radiator? not a dual pass, just a regular replacement? I have a couple small spal fans for the front of an intercooler if you want to put them on a try to see if that helps any. Doubt it will.

Is the radiator cap the highest point in your cooling system?

reason I ask is in my 95, there were times when I would randomly get air bubbles in my cooling system and the car would get hot on me, i would burp the system and it would be fine. The radiator cap was not the highest point in my system. I plan to eliminate the cap on the radiator, and add an external expansion tank that will tie into the lower rad hose with a small vent hose going from the top of the radiator to the tank also. it will be positioned to where it will be the highest point with the hopes of that eliminating my problem this time around.. just some food for thought..

didn't get a chance to check the a/c pressures. put a gauge on the low side and it looked good. (i know that doesn't really mean shit, but it's all i had handy).

haven't tried any other radiators. i was running a f-body radiator before this one and this was def. an improvement.

the radiator cap is not the highest point in the system. when i fill the system i jack the front of the car up high in the air (where it is the highest point), and i have a radiator funnel that connects to the radiator that i fill up with water, then i run the motor for a few minutes to burp out any air. i guess there could be air in there, but i've done everything i can think of to prevent that.

[dville_gt]

you still testing with the hood off?

no, been running the test today with the hood on.

215 in a chevy motor aint bad. every one ive had ran warmer at idle

if i believed it would run 215 in 100 degree heat with the a/c on i'd be content. but it's 80 degree's outside right now and running that hot.

[Blackpony]

didn't get a chance to check the a/c pressures. put a gauge on the low side and it looked good. (i know that doesn't really mean shit, but it's all i had handy).

haven't tried any other radiators. i was running a f-body radiator before this one and this was def. an improvement.

the radiator cap is not the highest point in the system. when i fill the system i jack the front of the car up high in the air (where it is the highest point), and i have a radiator funnel that connects to the radiator that i fill up with water, then i run the motor for a few minutes to burp out any air. i guess there could be air in there, but i've done everything i can think of to prevent that.

Have you monitored your a/f with the a/c on? if for some reason it were getting a little lean it could cause it to get hot.. just an idea seems you have done everything else.. Might try to put an expansion tank on, worth a shot.. Your radiator cap needs to be the highest point in your cooling system.