Resolved Got Too Hot!!!

[PonyGTrider]

Hi all,

Hope few of you are online,
I took my ‘90 GT for a spin and when I got home and shutdown the car my electric fan was coming ON and OFF constantly, until then I realized that my temp was about 223 degrees.

My car never reached that temperature before so I didn’t know how to approach this issues.

Details of my car are 306 twisted wedge 170 heads 19 lbs injectors stage 1 cam TFS upper/lower intakes. The cooling system is as followes: griffin aluminum radiator with Griffin rad cap, Taurus electric fan, an FK 45 Delta DC adjustable speed controller, a 180 degrees balanced Mr Gasket thermostat, and 33% Preston coolant concentration.

I let is cool down to about 190 degrees and then I started it up and look at the temp to rise. Right before 200 degrees the cooling fan started moving air but the temp kept rising (This never happened before) the fan is at full speed but the temp is going up… I went to the engine bay and everything seemed normal, so at one point I got to the upper radiator hose and then I struck the hose really hard close to the thermostat housing and I heard a “Click” sound, I went to the cab and noticed my temp dropped immediately to the typical reading (It usually stays between 195 and 200 degrees at any ambient temp) So what is your opinion on this incident???? A stuck closed thermostat??? I heard that these high performance thermostats don’t get stuck on the close position but not sure, I have never had any issues with my temperature before!

Thank you all for your insight, comments and suggestions on this issue.

 

[AeroCoupe]

Sounds like a thermostat issue to me.

 

[PonyGTrider]

Sounds like a thermostat issue to me

Yes that points to that being the issue, but still searching for more opinions. I checked the temperature probe and wasn’t disturbed at all and I wasn’t demanding much from the engine either. First time I see this problem.

Thank you

 

[PonyGTrider]

Well I solved the problem. I replaced the thermostat but it wasn’t the problem.
The problem was on my Delta Current Controller FK45. I contacted Brian Baskin on how to troubleshoot my problem and in about 20 minutes he replied to me with the solution. I fixed that yesterday and today I took my car from a test drive, it worked flawlessly!!!
Brian Baskin is a nice guy that stands up for his products, actually this was the third time he helped me with my FK45 an he has been very helpful all of those times and I really appreciate that effort.
So mi problem has been resolved and marked it as a closed case.
Thank you all!!!

 

[2000xp8]

It's customary when you ask for help on a forum to provide the solution and in this case the actual problem so other people can use it in the future.
Many people use that controller so telling us what was going on would help.

 

[PonyGTrider]

It's customary when you ask for help on a forum to provide the solution and in this case the actual problem so other people can use it in the future.
Many people use that controller so telling us what was going on would help.

Hi all
Troubleshooting my overheating problem I went to the basics. Thought it was the thermostat so I replaced it but the problem persisted, by the way I have a 180* MrGasket balanced thermostat.
At one point during a driving test my fan started coming on and off rapidly and the temp started rising up again so I pulled over to allow the temp to drop to get home. On my way back it run fine for a while and then started acting again, but finally got home.
I have an FK45 from Delta Current Controller and I thought the probe was failing, removed it and tested but it was all good. I then email Brian Baskin and he told me that the FETS on the unit were overheating triggering the unit’s overheating protection. Then he directed me to remove all the wires from the controller and re-torqued the three nuts holding the aluminum cover. This aluminum cover acts as heat sink and those nuts have to be tight to effectively transfer the heat from the Fets cooling them down.
In my case those three nut were slightly loose so I re-torqued them, attached all the wires back and took a test drive.
This time the FK45 worked flawlessly maintaining my temp between 190 and 200 degrees.
I want to thank Brian Baskin from Delta CC for his rapid response and great help. I contacted him two more times in the past and got quick responses in those occasions too, so thanks again Brian!!!
Hope this helps someone having the same issues with an FK45 electric fan controller. Feel free to contact me with any questions you might have.

 

[Noobz347]

Do you have an image of the controller and the cover that serves as a heat sink?

 

[PonyGTrider]

Yes, the first pic is the F45 controller . That plate underneath the whites is the cover or heat sink. The cover has small round insulators around the posts and a rubber insulator in between the the cover and the FETS. Contrary to the typical FETS instalation where the heat sink is ground in these units is positive that’s why the back of the FETS and the posts are insulated from the heat sink and that’s why FETS don’t have heat sink paste on the back so keep that in mind when you disassemble the units.
On the second pic it shows the two FETS under the cover. One of the FETS went bad on me so I replaced it under Brian Baskin suggestion and came out very good.