Hi im kevin im new to this site im 19 and currently own a Camaro 1987 iroc-z28 5.0L and it really is the love of my life. but needs some work done I just replaced the oil with valvoline hoping that it would help my idle temps just a little and it did, but not enough for me to be comftorble with it, anyway i flushed the whole coolant systems and put 50/50 prestone into it and then again it helped, i just replaced the thermostat a year ago and all the belts where replaced about the same time im not shure if its the water pump thats going? but now i think i have a new problem. i went to the local gas station (about a 5 minuinte drive at a constant 40MPH) and as i was coming into my driveway i noticed a sweet antifreezish smell so i poped the hood and i looked at my (upper) anntifreeze hose going into my carb the damn thing was pretty tight (expanded) to the point where i couldent completly squeeze it inwards im not shure if this is a problem but i just had my lines tested for leaks and with a new radiator i didint expect any, but anyone have any cooling tips i need it to stay below the 220 mark i also read that things like watter wetter help but im not shure about putting any uneeded gunk in my lines. i also read that factory gauages suck and im starting to belive that a bit (i have all stock gauges) would it be a good investment to get some water temp guages? if so what brand? Thanks for any help or tips you can give me Kevin

sounds like bad thermostat sometimes they go bad quick?? if your hose is not reliving pressure then thats what i would check first.

well i do a thermostat test to see if thats a problem
thanks though its a good place to start
im damn sick of this thing going past the 220 mark

The ECM won't turn on the primary fan until 220 (unless the a/c is on), and the aux fan doesn't come on until 238 (by the factory switch). It wouldn't hurt to change to a lower temp aux fan switch.

This one will turn on the aux fan at 215 rather than the stock 238.
http://www.oehq.com/acdelco-parts_D1...e%20Sensor.htm

I put it in my GTA and it works great, now when my car gets to 220 both fans will come on instead of just one.

make sure your lower valence is still in place they are know for falling off and creating heating problems and it is over looked very often. Also if you wanted to get a pump with more flow any autoparts store should have a heavy duty pump that you can get for about 50 bucks

Overheating usually is caused by cooling system problems such as old/bad/leaky/squishy hoses, sticking thermostats, leaky radiators(air and fluid) and caps, CLOGGED heater cores DONT allow coolant to pass through them making engine cooling difficult, fan switches and relays, BAD water pumps, leaky intake and head gaskets, air dam spoiler under the front bumper missing or damaged. Overly rich or lean air/fuel mixtures can also cause heat issues. Check all items except intake/head gaskets and air/fuel mixture yourself. Save some money if you can but when you cant,......see below.

If you cant find the problem within a few days, pay the $100 for a professional mechanic that you trust`s diagnostic or opinion.

EDIT-I posted this in the main cooling sticky the same night so its just a repost I thought applicable from owning 4 Birds over the past 13 years. GL

Sorry about my late replys ive had two car shows to go to this week and between work and everything else its hard to get online,
But im looking at everything youve all suggested. thanks for your help!

If you can smell antifreeze while driving the car you might have a leaking heater core, but that won't cause the temperature gauge to read high.
Does "i just had my lines tested for leaks", mean that you had your cooling system pressure tested?
If so, you would know if your heater core leaked.
By "anntifreeze hose going into my carb", do you mean your upper radiator hose, going into the intake?
With the given information, it sounds like you might just need a new water pump.