so sick of this car...cooling problems!

[Ryan Stout]

Car had overheating issues. Got a radiator and ran it with no thermostat. Did great. Got tired of no heat, put a new 180* thermostat in, bled it. Top hose cold, bottom hot, steam pipe hot. Any ideas? It gets to 220 before I shut it off, I'm so sick of this thing, any ideas before I sell it to get a 03 cobra?

[Ryan Stout]

Well top hose is hot now, still wayyyy hot, can't hear the thermostat clicking when I squeeze and let go of hoses though, usually could on my older camaro. Slight white smoke thru exhaust though, doesn't smell or taste of coolant though. Never did it before so I don't think much of it. Damn an eaton on a dohc 4.6 sounds good....

[shbox]

Flush the heater core. (http://shbox.com/1/4th_gen_tech2.html#heaterflush)

[Fastbird]

Ryan, just to double check.....did you get the correct thermostat? Have you tried bleeding it a couple more times?

[RamAir95TA]

220 degrees is not even close to overheating. Stock fans don't even come on until ~227 degrees (235 for the high speed). Also, did you properly bleed the cooling system?

[popo8]

Flush the heater core. (\"http://shbox.com/1/4th_gen_tech2.html#heaterflush\")


Im with SHBOX... this is exactly what happened in BLUEBOTTLEZ's new 93....

[Ryan Stout]

Yeah I bled it, but will try again. Fan is on all the time, so airflow is not a problem (helps keep that metal basketball cool). Maybe letting it sit for a night will help? Idk, I'll check it out sometime.
Fastbird-yeah its the one that looks like a SBC Tstat, but has that little blockoff on the bottom. Wtf is that for anyways?

[Ryan Stout]

OK, so you bleed it cold, engine off? I always just let it run and bled it while hot/warm. This might be my issue. Any feedback?

[95ImpySS]

Fans on all the time wile driving WILL cause an overheating issue. They restrict the air flow at higher speeds. I see you have a 383, has this been an issue since you put the larger ci engine in? Do you have the air damn installed. Is the steam pipe connected correctly and not clogged? You don't want that 4.6. A shit ton more sensors and things to go wrong.

[IronOutlaw]

OK, so you bleed it cold, engine off? I always just let it run and bled it while hot/warm. This might be my issue. Any feedback?

Dont open the bleeder screw with the car running it will suck in more air. I usually will just fill it a little at a time, cold, and leave the radiator cap off. After letting it sit about 15-20 minutes Ill fill it up again (level will drop) and then crank the car for a few seconds and shut it off and repeat the whole process until it quits taking water. I will also open the bleeder valve some but have found that it will let more air in sometimes, but I dont know why. The last time I will leave it running until it starts pumping water out of the radiator and then put the cap on it. Also be sure to get the correct level inside of the resevoir. I dont think I bleed it the conventional way but it works for me. It takes a couple of hours to get ALL The air out but its worth it not to randomly run hot while sitting in traffic.

[Ryan Stout]

Yeah its been an issue since the new engine is put in. No air dam, can't fit one. front of the car has nothing stock and there is no way its not getting air though. Nose has been cut out, much larger radiator installed, etc. This is only an issue with a thermostat oddly enough, when I ran no Tstat it would get to 170ish on a cold night, but go to 160 and below on the highway so airflow at high speed isnt an issue (that I know of). Steam pipe shouldnt be clogged but I'll check, I thought I saw bubbles come from it while cap was off with engine running, is that ok? I might get a spill free funnel (since when its full it'll be higher than my Tstat and might help bleed it) and see if that helps. Thanks for all the ideas guys! I'm working 12s on nights so its hard to find time to play with it while on my work days, I'll see if I can get up early today to fiddle with it.

[95ImpySS]

I see. Does it overheat when your idling/driving or both? I have never had a bleeding issue but I do have a B body and the cooling system is a bit different. I have heard of people pulling the front of the car up on ramps and then bleeding the system. Helps bring the air to the highest point in the system. I noticed that when I had the factory T stat the car never ran hotter than normal under all conditions. But I now have a 160. If I idle for extended periods of time with the A/C on during a hot day My gauge will creep almost pegging the gauge and popping the relief cap. In my situation I think that the radiator cannot pull the heat out and the 160 t stat stays open not allowing the coolant to sit in the radiator long enough.

Have you tried another t stat? I have read alot about new t stats not opening.

You can test yours by putting in a glass jar with water, and heating it slowly on the stove. Watch it and wait till the t stat opens and measure the temp with a thermometer.

[Ryan Stout]

I see. Does it overheat when your idling/driving or both? I have never had a bleeding issue but I do have a B body and the cooling system is a bit different. I have heard of people pulling the front of the car up on ramps and then bleeding the system. Helps bring the air to the highest point in the system. I noticed that when I had the factory T stat the car never ran hotter than normal under all conditions. But I now have a 160. If I idle for extended periods of time with the A/C on during a hot day My gauge will creep almost pegging the gauge and popping the relief cap. In my situation I think that the radiator cannot pull the heat out and the 160 t stat stays open not allowing the coolant to sit in the radiator long enough.

Have you tried another t stat? I have read alot about new t stats not opening.

You can test yours by putting in a glass jar with water, and heating it slowly on the stove. Watch it and wait till the t stat opens and measure the temp with a thermometer.

Both idling and driving, takes about 2 minutes of either. I might try a new 160. And as dumb as it sounds, I never really thought of it being bad even though its new. I mean, its just a spring on a shaft that opens a plate, but I guess that could be it. Anybody hear of any brands being better than another? Right now its a Stant.

[Fastbird]

Both idling and driving, takes about 2 minutes of either. I might try a new 160. And as dumb as it sounds, I never really thought of it being bad even though its new. I mean, its just a spring on a shaft that opens a plate, but I guess that could be it. Anybody hear of any brands being better than another? Right now its a Stant.

Check it. Toss it in a pot of boiling watch, watch the temp of the water as opposed to when the thermostat starts to open.

FWIW, I've used the same Holley 160* t-stat in my car for YEARS now. Crazy? I dunno. But it hasn't shown any sign of being an issue. And I'm serious. This is the same Holley 160* t-stat that went into my black car back in 2002.

[RamAir95TA]

Check it. Toss it in a pot of boiling watch, watch the temp of the water as opposed to when the thermostat starts to open.

FWIW, I've used the same Holley 160* t-stat in my car for YEARS now. Crazy? I dunno. But it hasn't shown any sign of being an issue. And I'm serious. This is the same Holley 160* t-stat that went into my black car back in 2002.

Yeah, I've been running my "Hypertech" thermostat since 2000 - same one in my 383.

And OP, you still don't clarify how hot the car is getting. How hot EXACTLY?

[Ryan Stout]

Bled it cold, still gets hot (235), hoses warm, not hot, no heat. Still out of ideas. Will try n ew Tstat.

[Ryan Stout]

95ImpySS gets the prize! The new Stant Tstat doesn't open near as far as my old Motorad, and that little plunger on the bottom doesn't move freely on the shaft like the motorad either! Put the old Tstat back in and its fine, a little higher than I hoped but MUCH better at 200*. Gonna get a 160* sometime (aftermarket, no Stant BS again!) to help out. I seriously can't believe that I can build this car fairly easily but can't think of the new thermostat being bad out of the box :doh:. Thanks guys!

[95ImpySS]

Glad to see you got it running right :) No more talk of buying a MushStang. ;)

[WarBird]

lol ,awsome

[Ryan Stout]

Glad to see you got it running right :) No more talk of buying a MushStang. ;)

Still want a 03-04 cobra, just not as bad now :jest: