Guys need some help here......

Have a brand new 383 i just built and it overheating durring acceleration. If I idle the temp will go down but as soon as I get on it for a little it will just keep climbing until I overheat or come close.

I had a 383, with the stock radiator in it before but it never ran hot. Have both fans on at all times, and have a 160 thermistat. I did change a couple things....larger cam(really big), Holley Stealth ram, 36lbs injectors, new ecm program, and the hawks third gen ram air intake (thats getting removed tomorrow) I also took out the hoses for the heater core and the coolent bypass on the throttle body.

Any Ideas????

 

do you have the air dam on the car?

hows your tune, you could be running really lean

 

First thing that comes to mind is your coolant hose may be collapsing during throttle, I'm sure you already checked though?

 

I didnt check the hose yet, but it brand new. Does that matter? I just backed the timing down to 12 degrees adv, it was higher, changed the t-stat. still more of the same. And I am running rich durring decel, and perfect at idle and acel.

Next thing is the hawks ram air scoop by the fog lights is coming off tonight or tomorrow. And I dont have an raditator air dam. so maybe without the restriction by the fog lights it will flow alot more air through the radiator.

Would the jump in HP from 380 to 500hp make a huge dif in cooling?

 

Brand new hoses commonly come without the spring inside, is there a spring there??? If not, put one in. It keeps the hose from collapsing.

 

I cant remember, does the spring run thoughout the hose or in which end? I replaced both my upper and lower hoses, where springs in both? can I get them at autozone or a reg parts store?

 

I would get the air dam back on the car.

 

Lower hose should have an anti collapse spring inside, remove it from your old one. You can also use a reinforced hose (ribbed for her pleasure LOL) no need for a spring on those ones but they are commonly simple straight hoses, not curved. (nascar hose, yellow line)

 

Went to a large 3core radiator, put the spring in the lower hose.....same result. Once I start to idle themp comes down really fast. I did put monitor it with my laptop using tunerpro rt, durng light acel my blm goes really lean (155-160), at idle its 132-134, and during hard acell its 128. Could it be a tuning or timing prob?

 

do you have the right water pump?

 

I run a 500hp 385, you need a larger radiator and an air dam.

 

I have a brandnew high flow Alum water pump from edlebrook, and a large 3core alum radiator from champion......got an air dam havent put it on yet.

With 500hp 385, what type of prob/fixes did you to do to get it right?

Thanks for all the help

 

IrocEspo28---
Did you " burp " air out of the cooling system?
Are you using 1 serpentine belt, v-belts, or a combo of the 2?

I'm not familiar with the water pump, so is it spinning in the correct direction for the belt system you are using?

When I finally got a dam, I did notice the fan didn't come on like it used to.

 

Stock fans, airdam, 180* thermostat and 3 core radiator, was all it took....

 

Ok finally fixed the problem after.....taking out the thremo, changing the the water pump pulley, changing the water pump, new 3 core radiator,retimming, and adjusting the fuel pressure, ....but it wasn't any of that.....I during the installation of the new engine I put the ram air ducts going from the foglights to the lid.....by doing so I cut off fresh air flow to the radiator.....$100 spent to increase marginal hp, cause months of disappointment and confusion...AWSOME

but one step closer

Thanks for all the help

 

Good to hear you solved it.

Still, the airdam would have solved the issue by deflecting cool air towards the radiator, even with the front used for the ram-air.

I mean, firebird GFX do not even have the gaps in the front spoiler. They rely almost completely on the airdam.