I have a 1992 Camaro RS. 305 engine, stock. I have two questions.
- First has anyone ever relocated the heater control valve on my car or any 3rd Gen with my engine setup. I know it is stock but I think astetetically and also crazy how it just is zip tied and sits on top of my intake/valve covers? I would like to shorten the hoses and vacuum line and place it near the oil dipstick.
- Second. Like I said all stock engine. I am running a 180 thermostat. Now when i am cruising the engine stays and runs steady around that. Now if I let her sit or even at a red light (sometimes, this is what is weird) it will get to around the 230/240 (almost in the red) and sometimes it goes up and down up and down between 200 and 230/240? Anyone seen this before? I have checked the coolant, lines,radiator, water pump, everything I can think of. Only found a slight seep and I mean slight, coming from the bottom weep hole on my water pump. Level in my radiator and overflow remain the same. Coolant is clean? Engine seems to be running great but when I pop the hood and touch the hoses or anything I would believe it is running hot because the hoses are abnormally hot. Now i understand they should be hot but like i said seem to be abnormally hot so I would tend to think the temp gauge is good. Thought it might be my temp sensor but then like I said when i am driving it holds perfect? Any help with all the above would be much appreciated.

 

That's EXACTLY what it's supposed to do. Right down to the very degree it's doing it at.

The fan switch operates at 230-some-odd degrees, and turns the fan on. The fan cools the motor down. The fan switch releases at about 210°. The fan turns off. THe temp begins to climb again. The cycle repeats.

The car should be able to just sit there and do EXACTLY that until it runs out of gas. If it does, it's working PERFECTLY.

No reason you can't relocate the HCV. I'm sure the reason it's where it is, has EVERYTHING to do with how they asssemble the car, and ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WHATSOEVER with "aesthetics". But just because you "can", doesn't automatically make it "A Good Idea". Frankly I'd leave it alone.

Replace the water pump. It's toast. Unlike say the human body, it doesn't "heal" over time. A "slight" leak right there means that the inner seal has failed, and water is now getting into the bearings. And bearings don't last long after the hot water flushes out all the grease. Replace it now, on your own schedule, while it's easy, before it decides that you WILL replace it RIGHT NOW while you're sitting beside some deserted road far from help with a PO'ed female passenger and a car that just spewed all its coolant out and can't run any more.

Not sure how the hoses would be "abnormally" hot, when the casting temp is correct; or how anybody could tell that by "touching" them. They should be around 200-odd degrees, which would be hot enough to cause serious injury if you stuck your hand into water that temp.

Except for the leak, sounds like there's nothing really wrong with your cooling system; repair what's wrong with it, don't hack on it because of "looks", and enjoy a correctly working car - with a closed hood so nobody ever sees anything in there so "looks" don't matter, because it never has to be opened except to check the oil - instead.

 

Well said Sofa, well said.