I have a '98 880 vortec block, 906 heads, TPI, 383 cubes, full treatment. Runs ok, but pings. Turns out one head runs hotter than the other. Engine temp runs on the high side, and will approach 240 on a hot day in traffic. This is with a T56, a/c off, 180 stat, and tuning. Both fans work and the entire cooling system is new minus the radiator which will also be upgraded soon. It does have the airdam. It idles at 650 and will still run 230 in the shade, idling, a/c off. This is 30 degrees above fan on temperature.

Previous 350 did not run near this hot. I'm going to install an external bypass from the sdpc base to the pump.

Question is, one of my three coolant hoses from the hot water valve already runs to the intake base. Before reconfiguring my coolant routing I wanted to see if anyone with an '880 casting vortec block and TPI was out there and how they configured their bypass with a hot water valve and what their results were?