302 cooling issue

[BAD BOB]

its a aluminum headed 302 stock water pump (turning the right way) 2.5inch thick aluminum radiator and a electric cooling fan running all the time and i have tried with 160, 185 thermostat, no thermostat and a restrictor plate without a thermostat and it does fine like on the interstate or moving at a decent speed but when i drive then stop with starts running warmer than i would like(200) and wont cool down from there. And it will idle all day and not get warm. I do have a trans cooler mounted to the front and a little torque converter in it. Would that cause enought heat to not alow the radiator not to cool back down? Is it just a POS and i should throw it away or anyone got some ideas????? THANKS

[LXtasy]

200 is what it runs in stop and go traffic? If so, I wouldn't worry about it.

But if you are worrying too much try making a fan shroud that covers the entire radiator EXCEPT where the fan is. That will help cool it down alittle as well. Are you running water wetter by any chance?

How many cfms is your fan?

[BAD BOB]

it will sometimes go up to 210 of a tad higher. Yes i have water weter in there and the fan is about 1800cfm i think. I may just try a fan with more cfm and space the trans cooler out a little from the radiator so the heat wont transfer throught to the radiator

[WWhittle]

what hood is on the car? Harwood by chance?

[BAD BOB]

it is a fiberglass cowl hood but dont know what brand

[Mustangscotty]

What's the trans temp when it's running hot? 200 degree's is ok for the engine temp but when the hotter summer temps hit, you could end up with trouble.

Does your trans fluid have any trash in it? Black spec's or does it smell burn't? No slippage when accelerating right?

Does the car roll ok with the engine shut off and trans in neutral? (Make sure your brakes are not partially engaged, e-brake included and bearings are good to go).

How much pressure is in the cooling system? Is the coolant circulating well?
Fan belt slipping at all? Coolant clean?

Whats your A/F look like? EGT's? Is there a loss of power when driving through the rpm's? What's the idle set at? Timing ok? Vac leaks from hoses or intake leaks?

Is the electric fan turning at full rpm? Using a relay and temp sensor? Do you use an expansion tank hooked up to the radiator and is it clean (inside)?

Correct range of spark plug installed? Air trapped in the engine?

Good luck, overheating sucks..

[BigdaddyDupree]

yeah theres so many different things it would be but my guess would be that your fan is not pulling enough CFM and you need to add a fan or either get one larger one. and also get a radiator shroud.

[BAD BOB]

What's the trans temp when it's running hot? 200 degree's is ok for the engine temp but when the hotter summer temps hit, you could end up with trouble.

Does your trans fluid have any trash in it? Black spec's or does it smell burn't? No slippage when accelerating right?

Does the car roll ok with the engine shut off and trans in neutral? (Make sure your brakes are not partially engaged, e-brake included and bearings are good to go).

How much pressure is in the cooling system? Is the coolant circulating well?
Fan belt slipping at all? Coolant clean?

Whats your A/F look like? EGT's? Is there a loss of power when driving through the rpm's? What's the idle set at? Timing ok? Vac leaks from hoses or intake leaks?

Is the electric fan turning at full rpm? Using a relay and temp sensor? Do you use an expansion tank hooked up to the radiator and is it clean (inside)?

Correct range of spark plug installed? Air trapped in the engine?

Good luck, overheating sucks..

no trans temp gauge but the fluid looks good and dont smell bad, a/f is bout were it should be, electric fan is basically straight wired with no relays, rad is clean inside, and correct plugs.

[Mustangscotty]

What size is your fan? Most fans come with a shroud molded into the housing. Oil pressure good? Maybe try running a range cooler on the plug?

[WWhittle]

it is a fiberglass cowl hood but dont know what brand

if it is sealed off in the back (like a harwood) i will bet that is your problem. i know several people with aftermarket cowl hoods (mostly harwood) that had high temps after installing the hood. The thought was that it was trapping the heat since it is sealed in the back. All of them cut the back of the hood out and problem solved.

other suggestion- blown head gasket. is the system pressurized or is the water bubbling when you take the cap off the radiator?

[BAD BOB]

if it is sealed off in the back (like a harwood) i will bet that is your problem. i know several people with aftermarket cowl hoods (mostly harwood) that had high temps after installing the hood. The thought was that it was trapping the heat since it is sealed in the back. All of them cut the back of the hood out and problem solved.

other suggestion- blown head gasket. is the system pressurized or is the water bubbling when you take the cap off the radiator?

no its not sealed in the rear it has vents, and im sure the head gaskets are good it feels like it is building the rught amount of pressure and its not blowing the water out like they usually do

[slowgreen99]

Sell that turd.
Darryl B. should have the perfect solution to this.....the blue notch doesnt get hot...whats the setup in that car Darryl/Jeff???

[gearmesh, inc.]

Is your ride carbureted? I remember when Jeff D's car was first put together with a 650 double pumper and the underhood temps were hot enough that when you upped the hood, you could feel the heat hit you in the face. It didn't matter how much they fattened the jets up, they still had the heat. That 650 had piss poor driveability, too.

One call to AED and they said to put one of their 950's on the little small block!!!! Huh? Well, it just so happened that Darryl had one on hand and they put it on, and whadaya know? Underhood temps were much cooler and driveability was on par with a fuel injected car! The heat problem was solved.

Like others have said, there are a ton of things that cause a hot ride, but that carburetor issue on Jeff D's car was the last thing I would have thought of.

[slowgreen99]

Is your ride carbureted? I remember when Jeff D's car was first put together with a 650 double pumper and the underhood temps were hot enough that when you upped the hood, you could feel the heat hit you in the face. It didn't matter how much they fattened the jets up, they still had the heat. That 650 had piss poor driveability, too.

One call to AED and they said to put one of their 950's on the little small block!!!! Huh? Well, it just so happened that Darryl had one on hand and they put it on, and whadaya know? Underhood temps were much cooler and driveability was on par with a fuel injected car! The heat problem was solved.

Like others have said, there are a ton of things that cause a hot ride, but that carburetor issue on Jeff D's car was the last thing I would have thought of.

yes its carbed...it has a street avenger carb on it. I dont know if its a 600 or what. And yea, thats a big carb for the blue car, but damn it works.

[Mustangscotty]

What do your plugs look like?

[BAD BOB]

What do your plugs look like?

have not checked the plugs yet but i will and see what they look like

[clubracergt1]

I would assume they look something like this: :hysterical:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31GU3wOhNGL._SL500_AA280_.jpg

[Darryl Buckner]

My blue notch has a bullshit electric fan off of some kind of car, aerospace electric water pump, afco radiator, remote trans cooler, and no thermostat. 11 to 1 compression motor runs 140 to 150 degrees all day long. My question is, did it run hot prior to being carberated? If not bring it by the house and I will take the carb off of mine and see what it does. Like Gerald said, the blue car ran about 210 or so with no thermostat, when you opened the hood it was like opening an over, the heat just ran out in you face, changed the carb and it was perfect. Just let me know..:bigthumb:

[BAD BOB]

My blue notch has a bullshit electric fan off of some kind of car, aerospace electric water pump, afco radiator, remote trans cooler, and no thermostat. 11 to 1 compression motor runs 140 to 150 degrees all day long. My question is, did it run hot prior to being carberated? If not bring it by the house and I will take the carb off of mine and see what it does. Like Gerald said, the blue car ran about 210 or so with no thermostat, when you opened the hood it was like opening an over, the heat just ran out in you face, changed the carb and it was perfect. Just let me know..:bigthumb:

no it cooled fine before i carbed it. the only other things that are different from when it cooled fine and now it the heads. Same radiator, and fan. It has a holley 750 on it now and i didnt think that would have caused the issue. I have been wanting to get a different one for it.

[Mustangscotty]

no it cooled fine before i carbed it. the only other things that are different from when it cooled fine and now it the heads. Same radiator, and fan. It has a holley 750 on it now and i didnt think that would have caused the issue. I have been wanting to get a different one for it.

So you didn't have a Holley 750 on it before? Is it possible the head gaskets were installed up-side-down?

[BAD BOB]

So you didn't have a Holley 750 on it before? Is it possible the head gaskets were installed up-side-down?

yes i relize i worded that wrong. It was fi before but i changed to carb and the alum heads. and i know i put the head gaskets the correct way, the word front went to the front

[Mustangscotty]

yes i relize i worded that wrong. It was fi before but i changed to carb and the alum heads. and i know i put the head gaskets the correct way, the word front went to the front

:bigthumb:WORD

[BAD BOB]

i kind of clueless but i going to get a new fan and make a shroud for it and see what it does. and i think i going to get a new gauge bc today just normal driving i looked at it and seen it jump 8 deg within a second and stay there. wack!! thanks for all the help you guys:bigthumb:

[seeya]

Did you solve the issue?

[BAD BOB]

i believe so. it wasnt a real colling issue i put a new gauge on it and is seems to run cooler so i guess a bad gauge

[seeya]

Cool (no pun intended), I was going to suggest the Taurus V6 single fan that flows ~3300 CFM and is only $26 at LKQ. There are a couple of other things but sounds like you found the issue.