i just got this 89 camaro rs, 305 tbi. i did some coolent system work on it recently, and i've been having problems with it since. when i bought i drove it home a warm day, mosty highway travel and the temp stayed at about 210. today on a rainy cool day, i took it for a little spin and saw the temp go up to the 3/4 mark, around 240 maybe? now i hear these things run hot.....but i have trouble believeing thats normal. any comments?

 

That is a bit higher than normal. During regular highway driving your car should sit around 190 or so.

What was done to the system?

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89 iroc-z 305 tbi
k&n filtercharger, open element air filter. nuffin' else

 

It may have some air trapped in the system...

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350 with stealth intake, holley carb, 470 lift cam. 700r4 with .5 boost valve, vette servo, tci lock-up kit, B&M megashifter. Richmond 3.73 gears, powertrax locker, timkin bearings, synthetic lube. Custom 3 inch single into 2 2.5 pipes. 1 1/2 drop springs, 1 5/16 solid front sway bar, 1 inch rear bar, custom subframe connectors, custom LCA relocation brackets. Kobel ground FX, currant red metallic paint. Lots of other stuff...
82camaro

 

yes, mine likes to run hot too but i can't really tell what the temp is b/c the gauge is not reliable, I will install an aftermarket gauge to suppliment to stock one. Now my camaro has to T-Stat in it b/c it jambed befroe and i have yet to relplace it. How hot should the engine feel it is too hot, i an only hold my fingers on teh valve cover for a second or so and it starts to burn you finger. Also i am just running H2o b/c of the recent motor swap and all, and the H20 was....not boiling but kind of fizzleing over into the coolent catch can. Now seen H20 boils at 212 and by adding "Coolent" it raises the boiling point, it really don't know, i need a gauge.

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1987 Black 305 TPI 5spd IROC, seems to be fully loaded, but can't find RPO codes.

AIM: IROC 5spd
http://www.geocities.com/chevy5spdiroc/87Roc.htm

 

These stock engines were designed to run a little warm for emissions purposes around 220*. I wouldn't drive the car though with it getting that warm. You might want to also check the basics like have you replaced the radiator cap and such things.

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"Rice burners are like tampons...Every pu$$y has to have one"
'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
3" Hooker CatBack w/Aero Chamber muffler
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat, just switched to 180* b/c of winter coming and going to college in the mts.
3:73 Posi
Rebuilt 700R4
B&M Megashifter, 5" Autometer Tach w/shift lite

 

my friend at school... she drives a red 91 Z28... hers runs hot all the time too... today when i pulled up beside her... i looked over and she got outta her car and her hood was steaming. steam just kept coming out i was like WHAT HAPPENED?!? she goes oh it overheated again... anyone have any idea what it is?? it's not even hot outside down here... like 60 degrees in the morning...

 

I don't understand why people just assume that our cars run hot, and it's somewhat normal for them to be overheating. Yeah, they run hot. But they're not supposed to overheat. If your car is overheating, there's a reason, and it needs to be fixed. Anyway, when I'm in hot weather stop and go traffic, I'm holding between 220-244* range. But once I get moving, the temp. drops to between 184* and 196*. As for the reason you're running too hot, could be a lot of things. First I would drain the system, and then refill it with a 50/50 mix of H2O and antifreeze. In my old VW, I had too much water in my system and not enough antifreeze, and it would overheat really easily. If that doesn't fix the problem, make sure the fans are working right, then check the thermostat, and then the fan switch.

[This message has been edited by SillyWabbit (edited October 24, 2001).]

 

No one is saying our cars are supposed to overheat, just stock they tend to run a little warm. There are several things that can cause a car to overheat. Check to make sure the lower radiator hose isn't collapsing, by reving the engine while looking at it. Try replacing the radiator cap, which is cheap. I'm not positive, but I thought you were supposed to have more antifreeze than water in the cooling system. Try these at first and look at other things like air in the system or perhaps a dying water pump. Make sure the fans are coming on as well.

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"Rice burners are like tampons...Every pu$$y has to have one"
'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
3" Hooker CatBack w/Aero Chamber muffler
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat, just switched to 180* b/c of winter coming and going to college in the mts.
3:73 Posi
Rebuilt 700R4
B&M Megashifter, 5" Autometer Tach w/shift lite

 

mine is about 200 but the aftermarket gauge i put on goes right next to the headers so i figured alil heat form the headers. so i am guessin about 190-195 for me. but when i am in stop and go man it gets hot about 215 at sometimes.

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86 berlinetta
350cui w/.30 over
.526 hilift cam
hooker supercomps
3" duals
edelbrock streetmaster
holley 750 dp
bad asshauler

 

No, you don't want more antifreeze than water. I don't recommend using over 50% antifreeze. For those of you having overheating problems, try using just 30% antifreeze and drop in a bottle of Redline Water Wetter. If your still overheating, you definately have other issues. Try checking your timing, make sure you don't have a bunch of air in your system, check that your fans are working properly, check your fan switch, check your radiator cap, thermostat, water pump, do a cleaning flush, make sure you have the air dam, check the radiator for damaged fins, crimped hoses, and who knows what else.

Bugs


[This message has been edited by Bugsbunny (edited October 24, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Bugsbunny (edited October 24, 2001).]

 

How do you tell & what do you do if you have air in the system? I don't see the coolant flowing in the rad., the thermostat & pump are Ok.

 

Just take off the cap, and let your car run up to operating temp with the heater on high and all that like when you normally fill it up. While it's warming up, keep adding fluid up to the neck...it will be bubbling as air is coming out. Keep letting it bubble and wait until it stops..the water will begin flowing smoothly. It might start pouring over a little but once the bubbles are gone, then put the cap back on. Make sure you let it keep flowing until after the thermostat opens.

Bugs

 

I used to run hot myself, but I have put an edelbrock water pump in, a 160* stat and a bottle of wetter water in and I run 145* on the highway, and incase it starts to get a little warm I have a manual fan switch inside the car so I can turn the fan on at will.
(and no the car runs great at 145, better than 190 thats for sure.)

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1 5/8 Hooker Competetion Headers, custom y-pipe,no cat, modified Flowmaster,Edelbrock open filliment filter with K&N filter in it
160 stat, BF G-Force w-rated tires

 

92RS is on the ball with his method. I just heard about Water Wetter this weekend. I live in Southern Arizona, and my car gets HOT!!

There are a couple of brands that do pretty much the same thing as water wetter. Basically, from what I read, the way it works is like this:

Antifreeze tends to hold heat. When you get up to 220 or 240, it takes a lot to bring that temperature down.

Furthermore, antifreeze tends to really make a lot of "HOT SPOTS" in your heads. I guess that it will boil in a spot or two in your heads, and not cool down.

The water wetter and the other brands of the same thing remove and dissipate heat very quickly. I run about 10 to 20 degrees cooler in traffic now.

The boiling point is much higher than anti-freeze. The down fall is,,,it is NOT anti-freeze. It will not protect your system from freezing.

With that in mind, you can use it with an antifreeze water solution. In the summer time it is a slam dunk idea to run the water wetter with pure water. In the winter for most of you, you can run the water wetter with your antifreeze mix.

Most stores sell one brand or another of this stuff....just ask. Water Wetter is the most common brand.

 

I know why. Its because 3rdgen gauges ACTUALLY show what the real temp is. People see 210-220 and start to freak out. The fan doesn't come on till 227 degrees....so 220 is 100% normal.

This doesn't happen with other cars because they put in friendly gauges that read C----------H....no numbers to make people freak out.



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-Dan
-1990 3.1L RS
-Mods? no
-Slow? yes
-Currently collecting parts for T5 swap

 

I have an 88 IROC with 305 TPI. I put in a 180 degree tstat, and it normally runs between 180 and 190 on the freeway. If I get stopped in traffic, the temp will climb until the fans kick on, which is above 220. So, yeah, if you're driving real slow so that there is little or no ram air going through the radiator, expect it to run hot. If you're going above 45 or so, the cooling system should be able to hold it to the tstat temp or a bit above. If the lower air dam is damaged or missing, get it fixed, it's essential to highway cooling.