well ive been having overheating problems ever since i moved to san francisco. (hilly terrain) actually it started at the end of the 9 hour drive when i moved up here a month ago. so far i have flushed the radiator, changed the thermostat, changed coolant several times...due to a heater hose blowing...changed that. heat is coming out of the heater. it is pumping water into the block and all i know that but it could still be the water pump right?? maybe its pumping water but not enough. someone said i need a new radiator even though i flushed it. how could that be if it worked perfect before. The car WILL NOT over heat on the freeway or streets if going steady paced (40mph). stop and go or hilly?? overheats or gets really hot. what should i do or check. thanks
rick

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Rick
90 Camaro RS 305 TBI
350 on the way!!

 

How old is your radiator? Even though you've flushed it, there can still be lots of sediments in the bottom, which can block off the bottom rows very easily, rendering a good portion of your radiator useless. Also, the stock plastic/aluminum radiators on our cars have really small fins which can and do clog up very easily. If you're looking for a permanent solution, adding a TPI dual electric fan setup and getting a new plastic/aluminum radiator ($100) should do the trick. Good luck.

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-Jason M. 1991 Camaro Z28
"Its Blue."

 

BTT

 

Have you done anything with your fan? IE wire it to run full time or at least put in a fan switch to turn it on at lower temps? If not, there is your problem right there, guarunteed.

EDIT: Here is a thread detailing how...if you havn't.
http://www.discussion-board.com/FTB/...ML/000002.html

[This message has been edited by Jester (edited October 08, 2000).]

 

yes...that was one of the original problems...i forgot to mention that...the fan motor must have died somewhere in the process. so i got a new fan motor. and it runs full time...i guess the relay must have broke a while back and the previous owner just had it rigged to run full time. so thats not the problem. before i changed the fan motor it overheated within a few minutes of street driving. but now it takes about 30 minutes. unfortunately this is what i drive everyday. so it gets this hot everyday and i lose gas mileage and performance and its wear and tear.

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Rick
90 Camaro RS 305 TBI
350 on the way!!

 

Could it be that you need a tranny cooler too? If it is hilly, then a 700R4 will put out more heat and need the extra cooling.

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1984 z28 w/ a 357 cu in. monster engine which is looking like the posterchild for Edelbrock... all the suspension stuff... 9-bolt posi disk is in... K&N filter... 93 octane...

-=ICON Motorsports=-

 

ooh thats the first time i got that one...didnt think about that. and yes i do have a 700r4. soooo what do i do about getting a tranny cooler....oh and would a hot tranny cause the engine to overheat??????? thanks...rick

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Rick
90 Camaro RS 305 TBI
350 on the way!!

 

This may sound stupid, and I'm not insulting you in any way, but you may want to replace the radiator cap and make sure it's the correct one. Definitely check the coolant overflow tank for a rise and see if that cap is opening or not, otherwise the pressure gets too high in the system. I had the same problem on an old '86 Blazer and for some reason that cured it! If it's not that, it could very well be the water pump.

 

a little more help please??
an overheating tranny can cause the engine to overheat?? can u recommend a good tranny cooler??
thanks again

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Rick
90 Camaro RS 305 TBI
350 on the way!!

 

Any tranny cooler is better then none IMO. Get a med or bigger one (I think they come in 3 sizes and are rated in GVM or something like that). They usually mount in front of the radiator with ties and splice into the lower tranny line with no problem. I got one at an autoparts store and put it on in a few hours.

Yes, your tranny is bloted to your engine and puts out a lot of heat... especially up hills. It also has a radiator of its own that mounts in front of the water radiator. Heat is the #1 killer of the 700R4 especially with a high stall convertor.

My radiator cap is 16lbs. Something like 1lb = 15C so 16lbs will be good until 220C before it squirts water into the overflow can... check the tube that goes to it, sometimes it gets bent and can affect things. The amount of coolent also plays a role in the cooling effeciency of your system. Glycerol doesn't absorb heat as well as water, so too much will lower the amount of water your system will exchange. Too little will cause steam pockets and rust to form or will freeze and blow you radiator in the winter. 50/50 mix is good for winter, 40/60 is good for summer.

EDIT: That should read Glycol... not Glycerol.

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1984 z28 w/ a 357 cu in. monster engine which is looking like the posterchild for Edelbrock... all the suspension stuff... 9-bolt posi disk is in... K&N filter... 93 octane...

-=ICON Motorsports=-

[This message has been edited by Biochem (edited October 10, 2000).]

 

Check your tranny...is the fluid discolored (brown) or does it have a funny smell? If not then I seriously doubt it's overheating enough to overheat your engine. At any rate, you could also look into one of those cast aluminum deep transmission pans from B&M or TCI, rather than plumbing in a transmission cooler. They are both constructed of a material with higher thermal conductivity (aluminum) than your stock stamped steel pan, and they also have fins cast in to maximize the available surface area for heat transfer. Furthermore, they add a couple quarts of fluid capacity to your tranny which acts as an additional heat sink. I think you can get either one from Summit or Jeg's at under $150, but I don't have my catalogs in front of me right now! Biochem...I'm glad your coolant is able to reach 428F in your system! Of course, your engine may not be so happy with that. Maybe you should seek employment at NASA. LOL! Just bustin' your *****, man!