So my 1986 Camaro IROC Z with the single fan is giving me fan troubles again. Everytime I replace something it seems to work for a while then quits on me and stops coming on. I've replaced the fan motor, every pigtail, installed a fan controller, etc. Nothing works. It's the weird 86 Single fan without the fan switch.
I finally just said screw it and took it to a good friend of the families shop. Now on the highway thanks to my thermostate my car stayed at a cool 180* the entire time.

For the next 20 minutes I drove in mild bumper to bumper traffic (mostly 45 mph but with frequent and long lights but a few times crawling at 20 mph). Slowly be surely my temperature crept up from 180* to 220* and just before I got to my destination 240*.

As I was pulling in, I saw smoking from under the hood. I quickly popped the hood. Smoke was coming from the radiator. The overflow tank was fairly full but not boiling over or anything. But there was a ton of smoke from the radiator. No fan on (This fan is the death of me).

I killed the car and it quickly cooled. He will take a look at it.

I've never had it smoke like that before at 240*. Is this something to be concerned about? I replaced my upper and lower radiator hoses as well as the cap about 2 years ago. Cap still looked shinning (I know that doesn't always mean anything). No leaks or overflowing. I'm not sure how old the radiator is though. Could be the original from 1986. Maybe it's just not cooling as well or it doesn't hold pressure?

 

I would say yes, that is concerning because it's supposed to be a sealed system. Where was the smoke coming from? If it was the radiator cap, then it's not sealing hard enough and needs to be replaced. If it's a hose, then it's a loose connection / bad hose. If it's somewhere else... sounds like a pinhole leak that would necessitate repair or replacement of the radiator.

Also, you absolutely need that fan operational. Why isn't it running this time? What is supposed to be triggering its activation? Are you making sure to activate it via relay?

 

What's coming out of the tailpipe?...

 

It looked like the smoke was coming out of the cap and the radiator (facing the engine) itself.

No one seems to know why the fan won't work. I've tried a dozen relays, replaced the fan motor, replaced the pigtails, etc. It works for a bit then stops coming on. I tried a fan controller and same problem. The fan controller worked for a bit and it stopped working.

It's the 85-86 single fan set up which has no fan switch. Even the service manual doesn't really show how it works or what actually makes it come on (I believe the CTPS which has also been replaced). I've asked before on how the single fan works and no one seems to have an answer. So it's why I gave up and let a shop look at it.

 

As far as I can tell. Nothing. When I looked at my exhaust pipes, before I killed the car no smoke. It seemed fine.

 

Its possible that your radiator overflow tube is not tight enough. Its a tricky little hose, needs to be just tight enough, but not too tight or you'll break the radiator. In any regard, 240 is too hot, and something should be boiling/steaming.

 

Anything over 220 is too damn hot...

 

You know what that over flow tube/tank might be original. I'll have the shop get the fan working than inspect that tube. Might be worth just replacing the tube.

 

I agree. I want the fan to keep it at 220 and nothing higher.

 

IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING IS GETTIGN WAY TOO HOT AND VENTING PRESSURE...BETTING ITS THE RAD CAP

AHHH caps lock

Hopefully you didn;t crack or split the radiator.

Check the relay connector.....mine was all janky and frayed at the bottom and caused a short that didn;t let the relay activate....


Why not just install a separate fan circuit with a relay, 12 gauge and a GM fan switch? You can make it so you can manually turn it on as well i ncase of emergencies.

 

That's suspicious enough to warrant radiator cap replacement, imo. They're only like $10 new, or you can gamble at the junkyard for $2. Somehow I end up replacing the caps on everything I own, mine was definitely leaking under pressure.

 

What he said...plus if the steam was leaking around from the seal im sure the seal got damaged from the excessive heat.

 

I would prefer more like 195 to 205, but that's often unrealistic in thidgens..

 

I'm hoping the radiators fine. It was only hot for maybe 2 minutes until I killed the car. I was there for a good 30 minutes. We checked for coolant links and didn't see anything leaking.
He was thinking of adding a toggle switch inside, so that's a great idea.

 

I'll just buy a new Delco cap from the Auto Parts store. That's what's on there currently.

 

Id go fully auto and make the toggle switch a back up. You might not notice / see your tenps creep up on you etc.

sonce you’re having so many issues with the stock system consider bypassing the stock stuff and make a stand alone fan system?

thats what I did for my auxillary fan. No regrets!

 

Just an FYI, on the dual fan setups, the 2nd fan comes on at something like 238*.

 

I think that's what I am going to do for now. Just have it run as soon as I turn the key. In the future I want to swap to dual fans just not in the budget atm.

 

This is not ideal; it will prolong warmups which will contribute to engine (and trans, if auto) wear over time. It would be better to wire in an aftermarket solution that has you install a probe in the rad if you don't want to swap out the switch in the block.

 

That's what I have currently. I got one of those fan controllers. It worked for a few weeks than stopped coming on. There is no switch in the block on an 86.

 

Do you have a threaded hole in the block between #6 and #8, or perhaps elsewhere?

 

I'll look again. I know it's confusing because the 85-86 TPI cars did not come factory with a fan switch and they are only single fan. A lot of people on this site didn't even know that. In past threads I've had people argue with me that I should have dual fans for a TPI car and all TPI cars are dual fans or there should be a fan switch. I've owned this car for 8 years. First 6 had no major fan issues. Last 2 it seems every few months the fan stops working for some reason.
It's at the shop right now since I got frustrated. I'll see what he says first.