Temp after aluminum rad?

[HISSIN50]

Thanks a lot man, hopefully this will work. Do you think the problem with the car spitting coolant out of the housing-to-intake mating surface has anything to do with the fact that theres air in the system? I'm going to remount the housing today, let it sit overnight and let the gasket maker fully set, then burp it tomorrow morning. If you have any other info that might help me, that would be awesome, thanks!

Well Michael, as Grady just informed us , no gasket maker is even needed (I've never not used it, so I wasn't sure what the odds of a leak were if it's not used).

As he brought up, do you have a chrome water neck? Some have sanded the chrome down in all the right spots to make them not leak (I think Andy - Rio5.0 had some luck with this). If this applies, dont use power tools to sand it (or if you do, be real careful - chrome embeds in your skin real nice when you sand or grind it off).

Air in the system cannot cause leaks like that.

I cant think of anything else that it could be.

Good luck man!

 

[HISSIN50]

Well I ended up trying again today with a new gasket, a smaller amount of the gasket maker, and we took it for a ride and it was dry as a bone so that made me happy. The only thing I'm now pissed about is that it never ran below 210*...Now I've got this honkin rad, and a 180* stat, I was hoping it would run even just a smidge under 200*....WTF!

Michael, you have a balanced stat in there now?

If the fan is on earlier now (say at 185-188*F), then I'd ensure the air dam is present, the fan is actually coming on and staying on, and that all the air is out of the system (this can take a couple days to occur).

Ensure there's no debris in front of the condensor as well.

(Sorry if this was a rehash - I admit to not having re-read the old posts).

Good luck.

 

[final5-0]

Hey Folks

Since we have talked about air in the system

I've got a thought about a good solution for that but just have never gotten around to putting it in place

If any of you have done away with the dual metal coolant tube that runs down
the length of the valve cover as I have, you could install one of those
garden hose t fittings.

The fitting would certainly be located at the highest point of the system for an
easy way to purge all air

Grady

 

[HISSIN50]

Grady's idea is a wise one.

Grady, you ever work on old Euro stuff with bleed valves at the coolant union on top of the engine? For the younger folks, with that fitting being the high point, you'd crack the fitting and let coolant squirt out till it was streaming (all the air was out). Grady's idea is right along those same lines. I always had good luck with such a thing (and it was necessary on mid engine cars where the radiator was the *low* point in the cooling system.

 

[stprorolla49]

Michael, you have a balanced stat in there now?

If the fan is on earlier now (say at 185-188*F), then I'd ensure the air dam is present, the fan is actually coming on and staying on, and that all the air is out of the system (this can take a couple days to occur).

Ensure there's no debris in front of the condensor as well.

(Sorry if this was a rehash - I admit to not having re-read the old posts).

Good luck.

No, I do not have a balanced stat in there now. I have reason to believe that there was air in the system because I took it out for another ride and temps kept varying from 190ish to 225ish. When I came home I popped the hood, and let it sit while we ate dinner. I came out after dinner and the water lever was a few inches lower than it was before, and the coolant that I poured in the overflow tank to the "COLD" level was way down low, therefore confirming air in the system...correct?

I do not have A/C anymore, so there is no condenser. I plan to purchase and air damn within the next few days and get that installed. I've got an 800 mile trip from NJ to Georgia to get down to school next Wednesday, so I'm trying to get the car all tuned up and ready to rock. Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it!

 

[HISSIN50]

No, I do not have a balanced stat in there now. I have reason to believe that there was air in the system because I took it out for another ride and temps kept varying from 190ish to 225ish. When I came home I popped the hood, and let it sit while we ate dinner. I came out after dinner and the water lever was a few inches lower than it was before, and the coolant that I poured in the overflow tank to the "COLD" level was way down low, therefore confirming air in the system...correct?

Yep. The air that is purged is displaced by coolant - as air comes out, coolant has to take its spot.

I do not have A/C anymore, so there is no condenser. I plan to purchase and air damn within the next few days and get that installed. I've got an 800 mile trip from NJ to Georgia to get down to school next Wednesday, so I'm trying to get the car all tuned up and ready to rock. Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it!

Good call on the air dam. It may or may not help (I feel they are not critical for most folks till it's around 100* outside) but it wont hurt and they're cheap (I paid 15 bucks at the dealership for one a couple years ago).


Good luck bud.

 

[94-302-vert]

My car is running a bit cooler after putting the new radiator in... Now I need a 90' day to see if I can actually get away with usung my A/C... I do know that on a 85' day I can use it.

 

[Pops Fun]

Hi
Has anyone on here put a 2 core radiator on a S/C car? Got mine today and plan on working on it tonight, but it doesn't look like enough room

 

[94-302-vert]

I don't think it will fit. I remember looking at how close the vortech belt is on my bud's car... all I can say is good luck.

Maybe if you change the stock fan from a puller to a pusher it will work?

 

[Pops Fun]

Hi
I didn't think it would fit (Fluidyne) but with some changes it is in there. Will pick it up tomorrow, it is at my sons, he is a mechanic and good at this stuff. The only thing that bothered me was taking the cover off the stock fan motor... Looked like a dust cover to me so we left it off. It was pretty close to the crank/Vortech pulley will post pictures tomorrow when I get it home. The other thing was what I think is the ABS controls ?? that were stuck between the bracket and the overflow container had to move, only had a 1/4" or so clearance so we moved it to the fender well. now we have clearance. Took about 3.5 hours.

Tomorrow afternoon I will drive it. Got up to 220 degrees this afternoon taking it over to my sons house, no air, put the heater on to bring it down some.. It was in the upper 90's. Hope it stays cooler tomorrow afternoon, supposed to be 96 tomorrow.
Leaving Friday for NMRA in Columbus, Stangbangerz's are hosting the car show.

Steve

 

[stprorolla49]

Pops, good top hear you got yours worked out!

UPDATE: For the freakin life of me, I can't figure this one out! Last ngiht my dad and I drove out for a car show about 20 minutes from my house. He drove my car, and I drove the Chevelle because he wanted to see his car rolling. Anyway, hes giving me a thumbs up the whole way, which iI knew had something to do with the fact that we had conquered my problem with my cooling system. We get there, and he tells me it ran at 195* the whole way there. Awesome, ok...well when we leave, I get in my car, and drive home and the car starts at 195* for about 10 minutes, then it climbed to about 210*, and even went up to 220* for a few seconds. Well I was so pissed, I let it sit overnight, came out this morning and decided to try burping the car JT's way. Well that didn't last more than 30 seconds because the coolant level was so high in the rad, that it started to slowly overflow. I took that as a sign the car was burped...correct? So i take it for a ride, and it does the same thing it did last night....I don't understand.

 

[Pops Fun]

Hi
Picked up my car from my sons this morning and it ran around 200 degrees for the whole way home 30 min., all city streets not a lot of traffic, it even went down a little at stop lights, I thought oh yea!!
Around 1:30pm went for a ride on the highway, stayed down around 204 or so the for several miles then I turned the a/c on and it went to 210, then traffic got heavier then it went close to 230 and I turned the air off and down it came to 210 and stayed there the rest of the trip So not really fixed but getting better.

Steve

 

[Rock777]

When I was burping mine yesterday, the coolant would raise up once in a while, spew over, then go back down. I just figured it was air working it's way to the top and pushing out some coolant while doing so. I let mine puke a couple times last night, then filled it up again. I took it for a drive and let it set overnight.

I am getting ready to burp it one last time with the front jacked way up and I am going to squeeze the upper radiator hose to try to get any air that still might be in there. Did you drill a hole in your thermostat? I forgot to do this, wish I would have.

 

[HISSIN50]

Michael, FWIW, you should not have had any coolant come flying out of the radiator neck when the engine was cold. The level in the radiator should be kinda low till the stat opens, and then the level starts to rise (it flows from the passenger to driver side).

I still wonder if the gauge reading is suspect. It seems kinda flakey.

 

[stprorolla49]

Michael, FWIW, you should not have had any coolant come flying out of the radiator neck when the engine was cold. The level in the radiator should be kinda low till the stat opens, and then the level starts to rise (it flows from the passenger to driver side).

I still wonder if the gauge reading is suspect. It seems kinda flakey.

Yea I really don't know what to do. I suspect that the gauge is fine, I mean Autometer is a pretty respectable name, and its only about 2 years old. I drove it around today for about a half hour and it stayed around 210...

 

[Rock777]

I am attacking a similar situation.

I burped it via the same method as you today. I had rags wrapped around the neck. The coolant did slowly overflow within the first minute or two also, then it actually retreated a bit. It then stayed this way until the t-stat opened and I could see the little air bubbles coming out. Occasionally the coolant would push up also, but I attribute that to big air bubbles pushing it up. I was also bending and squeezing the upper radiator hose to get any air out of there. I kept topping it off and waited til there were almost no bubbles coming up anymore.

It is 100 outside today, so I figured it would be perfect for testing it out. I only have the dummy gauge right now, but it stayed about the M whether I was on the highway or city driving, Great. However, with the A/C on, it's a different story A-L.

Also, FWIW, I had the front end up as high as my jack could go. Hope this helps!

Well I was so pissed, I let it sit overnight, came out this morning and decided to try burping the car JT's way. Well that didn't last more than 30 seconds because the coolant level was so high in the rad, that it started to slowly overflow. I took that as a sign the car was burped...correct?:

 

[HISSIN50]

Michael, I agree that your AM gauge should be ok. Forget that I mentioned the gauge.

I wonder if this idea would help you guys: How about putting a tall funnel in the radiator neck. Ensure the small end of the funnel won't hit anything inside the radiator (or even cut it so it doesnt go inside the radiator too deep. Having it end just inside the neck is good). Push the funnel down so it seats around the ID of the rad neck.

Now let it idle. The small end of the funnel could keep spurts of coolant from flying out as fast, and it also artificially raises the water neck in essense, so coolant doesnt spill out as easily while burping. The same warnings about spewing coolant should still be heeded, but it might help with the process.

Of course, now this would be a garage funnel - dont go put it back in the kitchen.

No really, I see you taking it back into the kitchen right now. Don't do it.

 

[Rock777]

Great idea Hissin, I used that exact funnel you speak of to fill up the radiator, but the idea didn't even cross my mind to keep it in while burping. I might just burp it again just so I can use the funnel idea.

Seriously though, I will keep that in mind for next time.

Michael, I agree that your AM gauge should be ok. Forget that I mentioned the gauge.

I wonder if this idea would help you guys: How about putting a tall funnel in the radiator neck. Ensure the small end of the funnel won't hit anything inside the radiator (or even cut it so it doesnt go inside the radiator too deep. Having it end just inside the neck is good). Push the funnel down so it seats around the ID of the rad neck.

Now let it idle. The small end of the funnel could keep spurts of coolant from flying out as fast, and it also artificially raises the water neck in essense, so coolant doesnt spill out as easily while burping. The same warnings about spewing coolant should still be heeded, but it might help with the process.

Of course, now this would be a garage funnel - dont go put it back in the kitchen.

No really, I see you taking it back into the kitchen right now. Don't do it.

 

[stprorolla49]

Hmm, thats a great idea, but i think i got it all worked out. I drove it for about an hour last night on the highway, and it never climbed past 195*. Once i got off the highway and drove around town, it climbed just a tad over 195*..maybe a needles width to the right of the line. We shall see if this persists, meanwhile im gonna wire some manual fan switches and install an air damn and see if i cant get this bitch to run at 180*

 

[HISSIN50]

Not that anyone needs it, but here's a little blurb on doing the fan switches.

Wes added some fan temp thresholds above the tech part.