So I broke down and bought a new a/c compressor so I can withstand the heat here. Too bad I cant use it because my engine gets too hot 240 ish with it on, and highway drving wont cool it off any. With no a/c it still runs 220+. I'm concerned because in the past it would harldy ever get a hair past 220. Now its creeping up and not coming down very quickly.

This is what I have: new stock rad replaced last summer, edelbrock water pump installed about 50k mi ago, dual fans wired to manual switch inside (always on), new 160* stat, and just drained all the old murky fluid out and refilled.


I think I either have a blockage somewhere or maybe the pump is bad. How can you tell if the pump is up to snuff? I guess I'll go for a flush and fill and see if that cures it.

Any other thoughts?

 

Turn your cooling fans off on the highway. Normally they shut off around 40+ mph. Having them off should allow the air to flow through them better.

Air dam is on the car and in good shape?

 

Check upper and lower air baffles, check Summit or other vendor for "water wetter", I`ve heard mix reviews about it, I have used it in 2 cars and it has helped a little in both. Check Summit part # BRA-3500-01 for $5.95. This part attaches to the impeller on your stock pump and is supposed to increase coolant flow 60%. Even if it only does half that, it may help. Make sure your hoses are not collapsing, rig a spring in the lower and maybe the upper. There`s a bunch of things that are on old posts about everything. Very helpful. Check between radiator and condenser for debris blocking air flow. Try a high flow stat that has bypass holes. If your stat is stock type, pull it and drill 4 - 1/4" bypass holes around the center of the flange, be careful where you drill, check the other side of the stat.

 

buy a big *ss radiator and put a 195 stat back in, this will give the coolant longer in the radiator to cool...and make sure that lower air dam is in place, these cars are bottom breathers and without that dam it is impossible to cool them.

 

You sure you got the right pump?

You have the "reverse rotation" version; if you put the 86-back version on your belt drive system, it basically won't move any water. Sounds ALOT like what's going on.

 

Boards finally back up. Couldnt re-post till today.

*Well, the pump is the same one thats been on there for 50k miles. It should be the reverse-style, if I recall, but I/they could have made a mistake at time of order. I figured I'd be getting in the red on the temp guage if that was the case. But its never cooled very well anyway.

*The idea that letting the coolant sit in the rad longer isnt really true. If you think about it, its actually sitting in the engine longer also.

*Air dam is in "decent" condition. Its intact and held firmly. Certainly not brand new looking.

*I am scared to turn my fans off on the highway. Afraid that if I do, the temp guage will shoot up and I'll never get it back down.

*I bought a mr gasket 160* stat and I think I may have installed it incorrectly. I just have a weird feeling about it. Just got it flushed and filled. That didnt make a difference. So, I am going to start with pulling my stat tonight, checking it out. If it looks like something is wrong, ill replace it. If it looks ok, ill slap a new water pump on (last thing I wanted to do!).

 

Check for coolant leaks, even if you have the slightest pinhole leak, the thermostat will not open up due to lack of pressure. You can also remove the thermostat and see if the engine runs cooler.

 

I'll double check the seal at the housing.

Also noticed that the water pump has a bolt on top. Not sure what it is for, but I could have sworn that on my old stocker, that bolt was on the bottom.

 

My trans am acted like this after a standard rotation pump was put on it. always ran around 230'ish and the electric fan wouldn't shut off ..... right pump and 3 row brass radiator with single fan, never gets over about 195'ish while moving in hot weather. fan switch cycles fan on at 228 off at 205

 

Have you checked to make sure your timing isn't retarded? I had lots of trouble cooling my car when the timing was retarded a bit. Also, I went with a Ford Taurus fan from an early 90's one. Get one from a 6 cylinder. It has 2speeds high and low. Now no matter the outside temp it stays cool. Do a search under my user name and you'll find a pic of it installed.

 

Here is the link to my post.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/cool...put-3-8-a.html

 

You may be my saviour.

I changed to water pump. Got better flow. Seems like it takes a little longer to get hot, but once it does, still 220+ without a/c and 220++ with a/c.

I will check the timing tonight (been thinking about that).

I thought about pulling the stat (its an $8 Mr gasket 160*). Good quality. Dont imagine that it would be bad.

Wow, though. That fan looks like it pulls massive cfm. So, idling in traffic with your taurus fan, where is your temp guage needle? I am intrigued.

 

It stays at the first mark on the gauge. 1/4 the way up. I have a 160 degree stat. I also just use the low setting now instead of putting on high. During the installation I used some double sided foam around the edges and I got it from the hardware store. My car doesn't have a/c anymore but it does have a healthy shot of N2O and that really heats it up through the run. When I get back to the pits I turn it on and the needle immediately drops. In town driving in stop and go traffic it stays steady at the first mark as mentioned before. It was the best single part that I have ever put on to make it more driveable. Do a search on these boards and I think you'll find similar results as mine.
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I also just thought of something else I have done. Really don't know if this helped but did it anyway. I drilled two 1/8th inch holes through the stat to bleed air out of the system when I put on the pump.

 

Here is an article from Ford muscle.

http://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/2...cfan/index.php

 

thats normal operation for our cars.. when my car was bone stock it did the same thing.. 240 with a/c on in nj heat.. never went over even sitting.. now that its not stock i cant keep it cool.. the last water pump crapped out.. was a new one, never got over 195.. now with this pump i cant keep it below 220 to save my life..