throttle body spacer and upper intake very hot

derrick gil

Member
Jun 18, 2007
67
5
9
Hey guys. Just dropped a new 331 stroker in my 89GT. The car is running a little hot, so I'm going to get an electric fan for it. I also have another problem. After I run the car and get it hot, the throttle body spacer and upper intake are burning hot. If you touch it for more than a split second, it will burn you. Can anyone tell me what might be going on here? All help is very much appreciated. This car is about to drive me crazy. By the way, it's a 70mm. holley throttle body, brand new holley systemax intake, brand new AFR 185 heads with 30# injectors and matching pro-m mass air meter.
 
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New engine? They will run hot until fully broken in. Give it a few more miles.

Even though you have a 160 thermo, 200 is not going to hurt anything.

What radiator? What fan?[/QUOTEits its got a big aluminum radiator, and i'm just using the stock fan. The throttle body spacer and upper intake should NEVER get this hot. Thats whats got me puzzled.
 
the TB and spacer is probably the high point where coolant can be in the engine.

there could be an air pocket trapped there like stated above. try jacking the front up and and try to get the rad cap up high and burp the system if you havent already.
 
Or better yet, disconnect one of the spacer's coolant lines, plug one side, and add coolant mixture until coolant comes out of the opened end........ use the open hose to direct the air out of the cooling system at the highest point.
 
Down at the heads where the lower intake sits. I take razor blades, take off the fat end and sandwich it down with a little bit of RTV and then lay the lower intake down.

The 160 thermostate might also be hurting you by not staying open long enough to cool. Run at least a 180 or a stock t-stat. If your temps are still running at 200 degrees a lower temp t-stat is just simply a band-aid.

Also, it's not really all that unusual for the intake to get hot to the touch. I have a Cobra intake with a phenolic spacer and after an hour or so or driving i can't hold my hand on my intake because its so hot. My car runs consist 188* with a 180 t-stat