The car runs cool for a long time and always cool on the freeway or when it doesn't have to stop a lot. After the car has been running for a while and I sit at a light it will climb above 220* About 3 of the little lines above 220 which it has never done before. Any suggestions?

 

Is the fan running OK?

 

Yeah, do you have one or 2 fans?

 

I've got one fan, and it's going on when it's supposed to but it still climbs a bit anyway. Water pump and t-stat are both working and the radiator is clean and air dam is in place. Could it be restricted somewhere? The radiator is the original.

 

Check to make sure the hoses, especially the lower, are not collapsing.

 

I just got delivery of an original 83 Camaro workshop manual - a proper one with actual information in it.
Guess what. It says (some interpretation coming here) if some one comes into your shop complaining the car is overheating a bit in traffic after a freeway drive tell them that is normal and they should either turn off the A/C or select neutral to unload the engine and not make so much heat driving the torque converter.

 

hmm... I do just the opposite. When my car starts heating up in traffic, I turn ON the A/C to kick the fan on, rather than wait until 220 or 230 deg. for the fan switch to work. Cools it down every time!

 

Hi Maybe I didn't write it right.

Turning on the A/C automatically turns on the fan before the coolant temperature is high enough to trigger the fan. So turning on the A/C when the weather is not especially hot will do as you say and cool the engine.
The manual is talking about driving the highway with the A/C already on then coming into traffic and seeing the engine overheat. In those circunstancies it says turn off the A/C or move into neutral or park. The fan will be on because of the high temperature, but it is saying the system can in some circumstances still overheat.

 

what kinda coolant mixture are you running?

hows the rad. cap?

 

Check between the radiator and the A/C condenser for trash that has collected there. I had an 85 SC that I was replacing the water pump on and found alot of trash there.

 

Only problem is it will heat up like that if you start it and let it sit. I don't have AC since I find it pointless most of the time because I have t-tops. Lower hose seems to be alright and I'm running a 60/40 mixture.