I have an 86 iroc with a 406. The car has a be-cool rad., new water pump,hoses and 160 therm. Also be-cool dual electric fans. When at idle in park the car will got 190 even 200. The hose arent colapsing nor is it leaking fluid. The heads also have the steem holes for the 400 block. If i hit the gas it seems to cool off qicker and then rise alittle ( i gues from the rev), but will slowly go down to 190. The stock pulleys are on the car. Maybe the pump is defective? Stays hot also when driving. The air damn is on the car but a little bent from the years. Any suggestions would be apprciated, THANKS.

 

Sounds like you have a clogged coolant passage. You are going to have to pull the engine, strip it down, cut the block in half, fix the passage, and then glue the engine back together with Elmers glue.

Just kidding. It sounds like you have a perfectly functional cooling system. It isn't unordinary for the temps to be a bit higher when the car is not moving. As air is not passing through the radiator like it does while you are moving. Go for a drive, when air is actually getting forced through the radiator, and see what the temps are. Then see if you have a problem.

 

Thanks for the reply!! It almost seems like i have to rip the thing apart. Ill take for a spin and see what happens. Probably is like a clog somwhere.

 

I don't really see a problem, but what are you running for a coolant mix? Using watter wetter? Why so low of a t-stat? Carb,TBI,TPI setup?

 

Is your sensor for your temp gauge near the headers? That could mean a 20 degree increase in the gauge because of the header heat. The gauge could be out of calibration. Is there pressure in the hoses? Try squeezing them to get any air bubbles out or open the cap when cold and let the car warm up to allow air to escape thru the cap. Your temps are normal. If you have a heat gun you can check the intake temp etc. to see what it is actually doing. My gauge is 20* off because of header heat. But I kknow my temp is 170 because I checked it with a heat gun even tho the gauge reads 200-220 sometimes. I have a griffin with a high flow pump.

 

Red devil, im using a 50-50 mix without water wetter. Never tried, any additives. Do they really help? its a carb set-up and im using a 160 because the temps get even hotter when driving. The sensor is on the intake, and there is pressure in the hoses. But i will try yor reccomendations and see what happens. The heat gun situation sounds interesting though.
Thanks again for all the help!!

 

Go back to a 180º thermostat, go to a 60/40 DISTILLED water/coolant mix and toss in a bottle of Red Line Water Wetter.

 

Well, finally got a chance to work on car. Since the car is driven only in the summer and never use the heat, I disconnected all lines and pluged them goin to heater core, as well as the intake and rad. The hoses to core were filthy inside. Anyway flush out system, put 180* therm., 50-50 mix witha bottler of water wetter.(figured it couldnt hurt) and also replaced temp gauge because the other auto meter gauge was cracked @ the intake and startes leaking. Finally started, as it got 180* it started puking fluid and temp jumped to 210. Shut her off top it off again started it. Temp then stayed @190 without the fans on. Funny thing though the upper rad hose didn't have any pressure nor the bottom hose. Could the therm not be opening, but then it should have gotten much hotter. Thanks again for all the help and sugestions