New Upgrades and cooling issues

pavlos413

Member
Jul 26, 2021
22
14
13
Kansas
So I just did a major job on the car...I did the Edelbrock high flow water pump, timing chain, harmonic balancer, underdrive pulleys, radiator, hoses, painted the fan shroud and water pump/power steering bracket, thermostat housing. I changed the engine temp sensor and the engine coolant sensor too. No coolant is leaking anywhere that I can see. Now the car is running too hot and I'm wondering if it's the pulleys, engine is basically stock, timing bumped up to 12 degrees. I tried to Burp it once, I'm going to try and burp it again to see if this helps. I was hoping not to have this issue after such major work.
 

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Jack up the front end as high as you can and squeeze the lower hose several times, start it up and continue to squeeze the hose.
Always worked for me.
Oh, and red will be hotter anyway, more so with under drive pulleys :jester: Get one of these
 
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I'm a fan of underdrive pullies but only when you've already converted to electric fan. On the mechanical clutch fan it may be slowing it down enough to effect your cooling honestly.
 
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Use the Lisle funnel kit to try and burp your radiator.

Underdrives can work fine on stock cars if the cooling system is robust. I ran them for 20 years with an E-fan and the car never went about 190*. However, if your radiator is full of crud, it will suffer performance and the pullies will show that.

I ended up removing my pullies when I modified the engine.
 
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Is your lower rad hose collapsing because of the high flow water pump?

Are you really overheating or just a bad gauge?
I don't think the lower hose is collapsing...I swapped out the coolant temperature sensor so I thought that would fix the problem of it getting hot before I did this job. I'm also going to add some Royal Purple additive to see if that will help drop the temperature at all.
 
Use the Lisle funnel kit to try and burp your radiator.

Underdrives can work fine on stock cars if the cooling system is robust. I ran them for 20 years with an E-fan and the car never went about 190*. However, if your radiator is full of crud, it will suffer performance and the pullies will show that.

I ended up removing my pullies when I modified the engine.
The radiator is brand new SVE, that's why I'm so puzzled on why it's getting hot. I've changed just about all the cooling components, so I figured I'd be getting lower temps or at least stay mid point but it goes above that...Is there any danger to running it too hot? It doesn't fully overheat but the temp on the gauge climbs up there, above mid point.
 
'Danger to running it too hot?'
You have to ask this?
Ok, let's get some clarification: you did the hi flo water pump and some other stuff because the stock gauge reads on the high side?
Oh, btw, the engine compartment works, like eye candy.
I think stuff like 'water wetter' and Royal Purple additives are crutches to proper maintenance and/or repair, now if your going for a land speed record or endurance race/test then they prolly would help,
Install an aftermarket gauge then use a hand held infrared temp sensor to tell you temp readings at hoses and top or bottom of the radiator.
 
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'Danger to running it too hot?'
You have to ask this?
Ok, let's get some clarification: you did the hi flo water pump and some other stuff because the stock gauge reads on the high side?
Oh, btw, the engine compartment works, like eye candy.
I think stuff like 'water wetter' and Royal Purple additives are crutches to proper maintenance and/or repair, now if your going for a land speed record or endurance race/test then they prolly would help,
Install an aftermarket gauge then use a hand held infrared temp sensor to tell you temp readings at hoses and top or bottom of the radiator.
I mean if it's too hot I know the dangers, blown gaskets, fried pistons etc...but i mean it's not over heating but it is above normal...that's what I meant and I think I will do a temp sensor to read the temps manually and not rely on the old gauge.
 
You've got air in it, get the Lisle funnel as mentioned. I've never had one issue with UD pullies. You would've been fine with a parts store water pump.
Yea, I just figured I should do a high flow water pump since I was doing the Underdrive pulleys....plus I got it for a lot cheaper since it was open box with just light scratches. I'm also going to try and properly burp it again.
 
The stock Guage is not that accurate.

Keep in mind, 205-210 degrees is typical operating temp for pretty much any modern EFI engine. Most Foxbody guys tend to get nervous when they see that temp guage creeping past 190.
 
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FYI, I just ran my engine.

Edelbrock high flow pump, stock pullies, 20 year old 3-core brass radiator , motorcraft 192 tstat, fresh coolant.

Runs about 195-198 degrees. Stock guage shows about the R on normal.

Before I ran a 180 tstat and the stock gauge would show down around the A. It ran about 185-188 degrees on my autometer gauge.

I’m using this to verify my actual temp. So degree difference in engine temp resulting in a decent amount of needle sweep on the dash guage. I bet if I let it creep up to 205-210 it would be right near the top. I’m happy with it around 200ish. Also, like I said the stock guage just isn’t accurate at all.

E369C524-7AA9-48D9-91B0-EF82E2E935BB.jpeg
 
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Use the Lisle funnel kit to try and burp your radiator.

Underdrives can work fine on stock cars if the cooling system is robust. I ran them for 20 years with an E-fan and the car never went about 190*. However, if your radiator is full of crud, it will suffer performance and the pullies will show that.

I ended up removing my pullies when I modified the engine.
I’ve had underdrive pullies on my ‘86 since it was new, never a problem. With a recent HCI upgrade, I replaced the stock radiator with a SVE aluminum radiator and replaced the fan clutch. Absolutely no cooling issues.
 
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..I swapped out the coolant temperature sensor so I thought that would fix the problem of it getting hot before I did this job.
A couple years ago I swapped my coolant temp sensor and my normal operating point on the gauge went from pointing level with old sensor to one line up with the new. Nothing else in the system changed. My fans come on at 205*F and I run a 180 T-stat
but i mean it's not over heating but it is above normal...
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See the range of normal. If you are within that, you are okay. If you can check temps on rad tank and all is good, don't sweat it.
 
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