okay, so i think im having either a cooling problem or a thermostat problem in my 83 cutlass w/ a SBC. i was cruising on the highway, and at 1 point the water temp started to slowly rise to about 210+. i had to slow down and move over into the slow lane to let it cool down a bit, which is slowly did back to under 180. i figured since it was slow movement, that the thermostat didnt open up and let water in. also when i push the motor the temp rises pretty high and i slow to let it cool down. now, can i remove the thermostat so this wont happen? are there better or special thermostats out there? i have a pretty much stock fan, should i consider upgrading to an electric fan, or dual electric fans?? ive seen them pretty cheap.
thermostat problem?
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check coolant and make sure it has some. i know this sounds stupid but do it.
check radiator for blockages. i have no idea how old your radiator is but if you have plenty of coolant, at highway speeds you should have enough air flow to keep the engine cool.
also check fan clutch and consider changing the thermostat.
i guess you should also check the condenser in front of the radiator and see if anything like a plastic bag is blocking airflow.
ive never liked the fans these cars came with, the clutch goes bad over time and the fan itself puts a constant drag on the engine. i like electric fans as they take the drag off the engine and come on at the same temp consistently over time. IMO it makes for a better cooling system especially with a newer style radiator without all that brass and copper.
check radiator for blockages. i have no idea how old your radiator is but if you have plenty of coolant, at highway speeds you should have enough air flow to keep the engine cool.
also check fan clutch and consider changing the thermostat.
i guess you should also check the condenser in front of the radiator and see if anything like a plastic bag is blocking airflow.
ive never liked the fans these cars came with, the clutch goes bad over time and the fan itself puts a constant drag on the engine. i like electric fans as they take the drag off the engine and come on at the same temp consistently over time. IMO it makes for a better cooling system especially with a newer style radiator without all that brass and copper.
210* isn't that hot... it's about normal if you ask me.
Just because a thermostat 'opens' at 180*, doesn't mean it will keep the motor at that temp all the time. That is simply when it opens.
Just because a thermostat 'opens' at 180*, doesn't mean it will keep the motor at that temp all the time. That is simply when it opens.
ditto on checking the radiator. I'd try backflushing it first with one of those hose kits, and if that doesn't cure it, either get the thing tanked/cleaned out or replace it. I had the same problem a while back with the GP, would slowly get hot at highway speeds if the outside temp was over 80F, slow back down and itd cool off. Plunked a new radiator in and it was cured (backflush didn't help me!)
I went through everything else first, thermostat, sender, fan clutch, etc before sucking it up on the radiator :/
I went through everything else first, thermostat, sender, fan clutch, etc before sucking it up on the radiator :/
i think im just going to upgrade to electric fans. i know 210 isnt that hot, but i want to be absolutely sure that this motor doesnt overheat, considering i just spent 6 straight months of my life building it and restoring the car. i doubt that i could be the thermostat, because its brand new, theres nothing restricting airflow, when i rebuilt the motor i had the radiator sent out to get cleaned and painted, so its like new. is it okay to remove the thermostat for now though?
If the engine is a brand new rebuilt then it's tight and needs to get broken in which may cause the engine to run hot..but like it was pointed out 210 isn't that hot so I don't see what the problem is. Remember If the engine is running too cool that'll destroy the engine as well
Never remove the thermostat! That is a big no-no! Some people think that the motor will run cooler,,but that's not true. It will actually run hotter because with no thermostat to open and close. the water will never get a chance to cool down in the radiator because it is constantly flowing. The 3 things that i did to drop engine temps was
1. put in 160 degree high flow thermostat, not 180
2. installed electric fan with switch to turn on when needed.
3. install a transmission cooler and bypass transmission cooler lines to radiator. This will take the extra heat generated from the transmission lines to the radiator and limit it to the transmission cooler only, thus taking the extra heat from the radiator.
1. put in 160 degree high flow thermostat, not 180
2. installed electric fan with switch to turn on when needed.
3. install a transmission cooler and bypass transmission cooler lines to radiator. This will take the extra heat generated from the transmission lines to the radiator and limit it to the transmission cooler only, thus taking the extra heat from the radiator.
yup, today we put in a 160 degree high performance thermostat. maybe some electric fans in the future.
84GP455 said:
That's a common error, the system is a closed loop so the longer you keep the coolant in the rad to cool the longer your keeping the coolant in the engine to heat up more....by your theory a 195 thermostat should keep the engine cooler since that would hold back the coolant in the rad for a longer period of time...
the thermostat's purpose is to keep the engine at it's proper operating temperature....not to cool it down
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