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How are you cooling your Monte in hot weather?

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  #1  
Old 08-20-2011, 06:37 PM
rlj4214's Avatar
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Default How are you cooling your Monte in hot weather?

I'm hot I'm hot I'm on fire put me out put me out, me me me me me. whew.

I have a 4 tube radiator that was built from a different core that uses the stock coolant tanks and am still having trouble with heat.

Of coarse it being 117 degrees according to the temp in the car and being turbocharged doesn't help any.

Transmission temp gets to the point where it's not shifting into overdrive.

Engine temp is tolerable but not good at 220 degrees. With the stock radiator i couldn't even drive it.

Don't have an additional trans or oil cooler but don't know where I would mount them with the intercooler in place anyway.

Water methanol injection comes to mind but that is sorta a pain if you're driving the car all the time and I don't see it helping that much anyway overall.

Do you know of anybody that makes honker (huge) radiators and tranny / oil coolers that we can fit as a combination and still use the AC?

AC is a must. Tiny be too old fat and tired not to have AC and good tunes in the ride.

Hope all you folks are doing well.

Take Care.

[I would put like a cheers or toast or something here but they seem to be missing along with stuff i used in my signature. ]
 
  #2  
Old 08-21-2011, 09:36 AM
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if youre running a brass copper radiator you can switch to an aluminum. theyre lighter, and dissipate heat faster. also you may want to check youre fans and insure theyre running.
 
  #3  
Old 08-21-2011, 09:58 AM
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Are you still using a stock water pump or electric?
 
  #4  
Old 08-22-2011, 10:02 AM
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What t-stat do you have in there? You could probably run a 160 degree with a turbo
 
  #5  
Old 08-22-2011, 10:21 AM
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Did you have to remove, or did you block the lower air dam?

I know once that is obstructed your air flow become crap, as that deflects a lot of air to the engine for cooling.
 
  #6  
Old 08-22-2011, 10:31 AM
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i had a body shop rework the radiator shrowd and the back side of the bumper for the hangers to have the trans and oil cooler on it. the work they done they said i could have a medium size intercooler if i had custom turbo hooked up to it. but i wont go to that option due to it will be to expensive. have you checked if you can put a slim style of fan to put infront of the intercooler to help push more air threw the radiator. dont mind me i am throwing around ideas or what can help or what can do. i would see if you can find a small thin style fan and put it infront of every thing and see if it will fit. there will be some custom molding will be done but after it is done it will benifit with a little more air. have you looked into the ram air hood and see if you can bring in more air to the engine. the way it looks if you have a intercooler it looks like it is a good set up for heat to excape when idel and more air to come in when moving.
 
  #7  
Old 08-22-2011, 11:02 AM
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are you JUST using straight water in your cooling system?
 
  #8  
Old 08-22-2011, 12:30 PM
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Wow. leave for a day or two and I missed a lot.

Sorry for the delay. Lets try to address all the stuff above.

Using straight coolant, not water.

Radiator shroud is stock. It looked like it was going to be a real pain to get a trans cooler installed anywhere reasonable. Thinking of a good finned aluminum tranny pan like maybe
Your Covers: Transmission Pan For GM 4T60E, 4T65E Low Profile, 6MM Bolts, As-Cast

I was gonna try to stay away from an aftermarket hood although the thought did occur.

Made sure that the lower air dam is as intact as possible. It is still in place and functional but the lower intercooler pipe has taken a bit of a notch out if the top of it for clearance. It is full width and should be working adequately.

Thermostat is a 160 degree.

Went to an electric water pump. switched back. probably going to put it back on soon. In traffic it may have helped a little but it seems like the stock pump works as well or better at cruising speed. I'll check it closer when I can.

It is a 4 tube core aluminum radiator that I had a shop put together for me. Quite a bit thicker than stock. Using the stock tanks.

The fans appear to be working well. I was considering putting 2 smaller fans in front of the intercooler but did a sanity check and decided against it. Sanity check consisted of sitting for a while in bumper to bumper traffic and noting the coolant temp. It made it up to about 225. The AC was cutting in and out and the engine rpms would vary greatly, like a very heavy draw from the compressor. Literally almost died a couple of times. Back up to speed at 70 or so, temp came down to about 220 and finally after a couple miles down to 215. AC worked fairly well at cruse but not like I wish it would.

The engine coolant temperature is holding pretty well at about 215 to 220 even with it being hot as hell here. The rest of the car is just plain hot. AC compressor keeps cutting in and out in protest.

I think the record hot summer and drought we are having here is the main culprit. Seems to get to at least 104 or higher every day.

At night when it cools to around 95 or so the car seems pretty happy. Coolant under or right at 200. AC is happy to.

Drove the car this weekend and developed a dead miss in one of the cylinders. Haven't pulled plugs to look yet but i bet it's melted.

Thank you all very much for your input and replies.

Take care
 
  #9  
Old 08-22-2011, 12:40 PM
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On your tune, do you have the fans turn-on speed changed from the stock setting of 212?

You could easily have those fans come on at 175-180 if you are running a 160 thermostat.
 
  #10  
Old 08-22-2011, 12:51 PM
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X2 ^^^ you could also thermowrap your manifolds/turbo piping.
 


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