Im still running the stock radiator...i had to rodded out and chemically cleaned...If i let it idle for 15-20 minutes itll climb to 260 degrees...when i flip the switch for my fans it only takes about 30 seconds for it to come back down to 195...when im driving aorund town (under 50) itll stay right at 195..wont get any cooler or hotter, so i dont need the fans while driving....now the problem is that when im at hiway speeds (70+) it runs very cool...like 160-170...so the stock thermostat of 195 doesnt open, so performance is hindered aswell as gas mileage suffers....it wont idle over 500 rpms untill it gets over 190 degress...when its hot itll be rock solid at 800...when i was on the hiway i turned the fans on becasue they work against the cooling effect at speeds over 45...that didnt make any difference it was still way to cold...


how do i make it run hotter?...installing a hotter thermostat wont do anything because if the coolant cant get hot enough to begin with, a higher temp stat wont help...

 

Is your thermostat even working? There should be little circulation through the rad with the termostat closed, so there should be no way you're overcooling.

 

On LT1's the waterpump has an internal bypass...so there is no circulation through the radiator untill its gets to operating temp..
i know the thermostat works because i can hear it open and i feel the coolant flowing through it

 

damn all these guys talking about making there motor run cooler and noone knows ho to make it run hotter

 

Well, circle track racers just tape off part of the radiator if they are running too cool, blocking airflow through there. It kind of a temporary solution, though.

 

i could drain the coolant but that would be a temporary fix to

comon guys...how do i make it run hotter

 

i have the same problem but dont know how to get it to get it hotter either i cant get passed the first notch ever i do have a water pump leak though so once its fixed i hope it goes back to the normal temp of around 170

 

Heh, I plan on running grill tape.

Have you checked for constant flow through the stat? Let the car completely cool. Turn on the engine and feel the upper hose.

 

ive done all the stuff that would be thought of right away...ya know all the "normal'' stuff....

 

If the stat is closed and it's still running too cool there is nothing you can do. There, I said it.

Something's not reading right somewhere. It's impossible for the engine to run too cool if there is no coolant being circulated through the radiator. Where is the heat of combustion going? It's gotta be going into the coolant. Temps will keep climbing until the stat opens and allows it to flow through the rad to cool it back down. That's it. Nothing more or less to it than that. I guarantee your stat is opening while you're driving on the highway, although your gague may be reading too cool for your liking. Believe me, if the stat was staying closed on the highway you're be overheated in about 3-4 minutes of driving.

 

the LT1's have a reverse poppet thermostat, in which it doesnt pop open when it gets to operating temp like traditional SBC's...an SBC thermostat will pop open fully and let the cold coolant rush into the motor and then close again when the colder coolant that hasnt gotton into the motor touches it, were as LT1 stat opens very slowy only letting a small amount of coolant flow through it untill ALL the coolant is at 195...this goes hand in hand with the internal bypass inside the waterpump...so the thermostat is opening yes, but the coolant doesnt get hot enough for it to open fully and for the coolant to stop going through the internal bypass.... the coolant does flow through the radiator while this is going on, but as i said with the reverse poppet thermo and the internal bypass the coolant doesnt get hot enough...It was designed like becasue on SBC's when the coolant in the motor got hot enough to open the stat that rush of cold coolant through the motor could cause bore distortion..were as the LT1 stat only opens a little bit and slowly untill all the coolant is hot...

my guage is accurate as i have an infrared thermo scanner and i shot it right at the temp guage in the head, aswell as the thermo neck....the guage showed 220 but the actuall temp was 225...this was after i let it idle for 15-20 mins

 

my guage is accurate as i have an infrared thermo scanner and i shot it right at the temp guage in the head, aswell as the thermo neck....the guage showed 220 but the actuall temp was 225...this was after i let it idle for 15-20 mins

that would be inacurate not accurate 5 deg diffrence.....guages could also be unlinear seem em good at 0 -25 and start going out to lunch from there....... but any way...what are you running for coolant? is it a 50/50 mix.

i would put a piece of plastic or wood or cardboard in front of the radiator. cut it to size to get the temp you need or want. no one will see it from the outside of the car.

 

seeing as im running about 30 degress to cold i dont consider 5 degress that big of an issue for a 14 year old guage ...yes its a 50/50 mix....i guess ill just have to do that...