hey guys, I'm totally out of ideas on my running hot issues, I have a '86 TA with a NEW 305 in it. here is what I have done so far and it hasn't helped.

new water pump (correct rotation)
new 160* thermostat
new hoses (with coil in lower hose)
reman'd radiator
new 16 lb radiator cap
new 50/50 mix (maybe 49/51) but close
pulled radiator and checked for leaves and debris between condensor and rad.
checked for bent fins on both units
air dam intack and recently new
took out elect. fan and installed mechanical race fan w/o clutch
belts new and tight.
timming verified and re-verified

the car will gradually get hotter and hotter until it starts boiling from the resevoir, I have checked for coolant flow in radiator when hot and there is plenty of flow, I know better than to go by the dash gauge, I am basing this on the coolant boiling from the resevoir.

I'm totally out of ideas as to the problem, can anyone help???

 

it sure seems like you are having some awfully frustrating problems,

just too let you know i am not nearly as knowledgeable as you are when it comes to cars, but i thought i would at least try and help

i have a question as to how your coolant is boiling in the reservoir, i know that my reservoir is plastic and if it were boiling you would think that the reservoir would becom maliable and change shape. i recently replace my water pump and once i restarted the engine there was alot of air bubbling up into the reservoir, are you sure that's not what's happening? is there an air leak of somekind? i'm pretty sure you said there wasn't but just trying to help

i suggest that you also just put an actual thermometer in your reservoir and determine the temperature of the coolant, you did say that your guage was fine? but you were worried about this "boiling" reservoir

one last thought, you have put alot of performance parts into your engine have you not? are you sure that your engine is just simply running to hot for your cooling system? now i'm pretty sure this a long shot cause you have upgraded pretty much everything, but i thought i would just toss it out there

anyways let me know how you do, hope you figure things out

-mark-

 

Yeah, you've got air in your cooling system. If i remember correctly, start the car, unplug radiator cap, and turn the heater on high (and the heater fan speed on high too). You'll lose a little bit of coolant too.

-Akshay

 

usually when the coolant boils over in the overfil you fan is not coming on! i know you said you checked the fins but i would watch you fans to see when they come on and off

def might be air in system

 

Where did this new 305 come from?

 

Probably air in the water jackets, especially if it wasn't bled when the motor was installed. Run it w/o the cap and heater on high.

EDIT: how far away from the rad is your mech fan? Do you have a shroud? If it's more than 1" away, you need a shroud otherwise you might as well have no fan.