Hey guys i have a 84 Camaro with the engine listed in my sig and i usally run at about 190 degrees but on really hot days with some stop and go driving in traffic it gets really hot over 200 and yesterday it got to 230. When it gets that hot i always shut it down and let it cool. my fluid is fine and all that im wondering if maybe the stock radiator cant keep up with my engine? What do you guys with stock radiators run at?

 

230 would be pushing it but not exactily out of line either. make sure radiator is clean, fan working, air dam in place

 

I have an 1989 GTA with the 350, 700R4 and underdrive pulley. It runs around 180 degrees here in Southern California. I changed the thermostat about 15 years ago and I don't remember which one I put in but it was lower than the stock one. Allen

 

When should you really start to worry my Auto meter gauge only goes up to 240 and im sure after i shut the car off and let it sit it heated up close to 240. My dad just bought some Water Wetter so ill try that and see if it helps a little.

 

heres a few ideas:

When you shut off the car you should let the fan run. Turn the key on without starting. Let the coolant in the radiator cool down then start the car so that the cooler coolant can circulate through the engine. If you just let it sit there the motor does get hotter. Check for any small coolant leaks. If you lose pressure in the radiator it could cause the car to run hot. If your timing is off enough it will run hot. Bad thermostat, water pump goin out. Check to see if the coolant is circulating in the radiator after the car has cooled down. Water wetter is only a temporary fix if it works at all. You can swap your fan sensor for one that comes on sooner than the stock one. Have your radiator tested and flushed. Hope these help.

 

Nj, at what temp does the fan turn on?

 

Sounds fine to me.

The factory fan switch in an electric fan car (L69) turns on at about 234°. That means that as far as the factory was concerned, the engine did not need cooling until it reached 234°. Therefore, 230° IS NOT overheating. My car has the stock fan switch in it; I can let it sit and idle all day long, until it runs out of gas; its temp will go up to 230° on the gauge, the fan will come on, the temp will go down to about 210° on the gauge, the fan will shut off, the temp will climb again, the fan will come on, etc. etc. etc. If it's at almost high enough temp to make the fan come on and I start driving it at 40 mph, I can practically watch the temp gauge moving down. Within 15 or 20 seconds it will be back to thermostat temp (I think I have a 195° in it, I forget).

Now we all might feel differently about what temp we'd "like" our cars to run at; but the fact remains, your car is not overheating. It sounds like it's doing exactly what it's supposed to do.

If your car has a clutch fan, you may want to simply replace the clutch; or put an electric setup on it. If you replace the clutch, get a "thermostatic" one (relatively expensive), not a (super cheap junk) "centrifugal" one.

If you have an electric fan, you can make it come on at a lower temp, by using the stock fan switch for a Buick GN. That one comes on at about 210°.

Run a 70/30 ratio, water to AF; make sure you have a good rad cap installed; use a good water pump; make sure your lower air dam is in good shape.

That mix of water & AF has a boiling point of nearly 240° at room pressure, and about 260-265° at 17 psi. In other words, the coolant will remain liquid if pressure is maintained (leak-free systsm, proper cap) at up to that temp.

 

Thanks for all the info guys good to know my car isnt over heating it had me a bit worried

 

On my car the sensor that tells the gauge what temp my motor is, is in between two of the header tubes which means it is reading about 20 degrees hotter on the gauge than it actually is. Header temp near the gauge is about 560 degrees. Heat guns come in handy...

 

mine runs consistant at about 170-180 but if i drive it for long periods of time 1-2hours it runs 210-220.

 

mine used to run a bit on the hot side too. now i run a 180 thermo, chip turns the fans on at 200, then i wired both fans together. it's perfect now. i could sit in traffic all day and never get hot. plus it added a few horses. i also did a throttle body coolant bypass and the i/a temp dropped over 40 degrees. noticeable improvement all around.