Ed Maher

Anyone done this w/ their thridgen. If so, how much of the radiator did you cover. I was thinking ~ 1/3 - 1/2 the area blocked in such a way as to allow both fans to still have a reasonable amount of draw through.
The reason i want to do this is my vert runs too cold in sub 40' weather. I've got a 180 stat w/ 3 bypass holes (1/8" maye, i forget what i used) and it runs (diacom verifed) in the mid 160s on the highway (BTW as testament to the accuracy/non-linearity of our temp guages, 165 is the point where the needle JUST starts coming off teh first tick on the guage). In normal weather it was fine, but now it just overcools itself to death.
And i'm not swapping thermostats w/ the seasons. Not that i'm lazy, it's a gravy operation, i've just fixed too many threads in AL manifold water necks over the years, and the ones on this car were ugly the first time i had it off.

Patrick007

Wish I had an overcooling problem.. we'd all be better off.

Patrick DeGrosse Jr.

AlkyIROC

Me too. The only way I could get an overcooling problem would be to switch to alcohol. I don't even run a thermostat but do have a flow restrictor in it's place.

Check to make sure your fans aren't on all the time. With the colder weather the fans shouldn't come on much at all.

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Follow my racing progress on Stephen's racing page
and check out the race car

87 IROC-Z SuperPro ET Bracket Race Car
461 naturally aspirated Big Block (times are for the current engine)

Best ET on a time slip: 11.447 altitude corrected to 10.99
Best MPH on a time slip: 119.42 altitude corrected to 124.86
Altitude corrected rear wheel HP: 493
Best 60 foot: 1.586

Racing at 3500 feet elevation with a typical race day over 5000 feet density altitude!
Member of the Calgary Drag Racing Association

87 IROC bracket car, 91 454SS daily driver, 95 Homebuilt Harley

[This message has been edited by Stephen 87 IROC (edited November 13, 2001).]

Russ-So Cal

Are your fans on all of the time? If they are, why not wire a switch into the ground to turn one or both off when it doesn't warm enough?

Tremo

I found that the 3 cooling holes was too much if it is cold outside. The engine would overcool on cold nights, never fully come up to temp. I changed the tstat with a new one in which I drilled only 2 bypass holes, and it helped quite a bit.

I recommend 2 holes only if you're in a cold climate. And it will still overcool on a long downhill.

Ed Maher

bump

85SportCoupeto89RS

I'd just experment with the 1/3,1/2,2/3,3/4 coverings.The fan will pull some air from the radiator.Id just try.

1991WS6

A little bit after I bought my Formula, which tended to run in the 220 range, the stock radiator started leaking out of the plastic/metal seam.

I replaced it with an $89 modine radiator from Advance Auto, and found that if anything, I am overcooled. My fans are set to full manual control, yet I find I almost never have to turn them on, unless I am sitting in bumper to bumper traffic for 20+ minutes.

Cruising down the highway on a 90* day has the temp sitting right at 190*, right where the thermostat opens at.

So, for all those having cooling problems, I would consider how old you radiator is, and see if it is clogged.

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1991 Firebird Formula 350
12.92@108 -At 5800 Feet!

smnitWS6TA

I wouldn't worry to much about an overcooling problem. My car used to run on 200 degrees, then I put in a new 160 stat and flushed and cleaned the radiator. Now the car runs on 140 on the open road and about 180 in town. I would watch the fans tho. I found that in town my car was still running cold because one of my fans was running almost constantly, I made the fan manully controlled and don't have anymore problems.

99Hawk120

Ed,

Join the club. I had an overcooling problem with my car as well in the winter (160 thermostat, dual electric fans). The temperature would dip below 160 for a short period of time (long enought to shut the primary fan off), and then warm up to 175, and then the fan would turn on, and repeat. Made for a couple of miserable days. I changed the thermostat to 180 with NO cooling holes, and it stayed more or less at 180 the whole rest of the winter, even with the primary fan on full blast (I never changed the on-off points).

I'm thinking you have too many cooling holes.

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"Beware he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart, he dreams himself your master"

'84 Black Camaro Sport Coupe ZZ4 350 M6 -- '84 Olds Cutlass Supreme 231 A3
'91 Medium Blue Metallic Z28 400 A4 -- '99 Navy Blue Metallic Firehawk #120 346 M6

Ed Maher

Well the cooling holes were put in on purpose. My water pump shows signs that it weeped before in it's life and i've just been waiting for it to die so i can put anice AL stewart stage 2 on it (not that i need it, just looks cool, the stage 2 needs the holes cuz it has no bypass) The thing is, the damn thing is still kicking so i never bothered. I know the easy solution is to swap the T-stat out, i'm not stupid. I guess everyone is missing eth part about the funked up threads in teh manifold. I do not feel like heli-coiling yet another water outlet.
I'm looking for the 'easy' way out, i know. Damn it's hard to get a straight answer in this joint anymore these days. Seriously, do you all think i'm so stupid as to not know that the stat is my real problem but i would rather leave it in and band-aid it in the winter, than swap seasonally. I ask a specific question and get a bunch of me-toos that completely do not read the post/question.

rezinn

Have you thought about doing something with the air dam instead?

On the radiator, I say you just drop a piece of cardboard half its size infront of it to obstruct the air flow. If that works or doesn't, go from there. You've thought about that I know, but there doesn't seem to be much else your gonna hear 'round this joint.

Reno

My old man takes a piece of cardboard, and just puts its over the radiator. No BS. Like 80% covered, at least. This was on our old carbeurated chavy van, still a 350 though. It would warm up real fast, but then never overheated.

-Reno

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"We are the middle children of history. Our Great War is a spiritual war, our Great Depression is our lives" - T.D.

breathment

ya ed, u might have to be a pioneer, go with the cardboard or sheet metal approach..

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- David
88' GTA 5.7L TPI MODS---> air foil, K&N, Shift Kit, 180* therm, TB bypass, Gutted CAT, Flowmaster 80 Series Muffler added to Unkown CatBack, Ported Intake

http://www.geocities.com/david_angel_16

DM91RS

The big rigs don't run those radiator covers for looks. Just exp. with coverage as apparently they have to as well since I've seen quite a few with well folded seams and built-in snaps for adjustment.

Darn those nasty holes!

82resto

Yeah, seriously.. when winter comes in the great white north here in Wisconsin, you see plenty of the big trucks/older cars just running around with a big cardboard slab in front of the radiator. For winter, what I'm going to do is just take the air dam off, if I find myself driving it. That ought to keep it a little warmer.

Jon

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89 GTA
Beautiful Gunmetal gray, LB9 305 and T5 tranny. Only 60,000 miles!
Dual cats, 3"flomaster
Accel 300+ Ignition, wires, cap, coil, etc
Airfoil
KN Airfilter
Removed Screens on MAF
SLP 1 3/4 headers
No Smog/AIR system
14.7@93 (I know i should be running faster...)

91 Ford Thunderbird. My wonderful winter beater.