then as mike (chibi) said, it seems like the fan settings is the cause of your problem. You're saying this problem occurs around 40 mph. The coolant flows but the fan doesn't kick in to move the air. If possible take a ride on the highway and see what the temperature is.

 

Highway speeds will do about 205 constant, less than that it has gone up to about 212 coolant temp and the tranny has been as high as 225 in some cases. Can the stock pcm be programmed so the fans can come on sooner beyond those temps the pcm is already programmed for and can be adjusted for?

 

you can tune the pcm to kick the fans on sooner, aren't you tuned as it is with the big build? Someone with a tuner or whoever tuned it initially shouldn't have an issue just changing that a bit, I agree, that is running a little high.

 

I think you're running too cold. I think you even need to go up to a 195!!! I'll tell you why. I had a 180 in my Torino. Got a factory manual that calls for 190. That car cooled great going down teh road, but if you got stuck in traffic, it would heat up to about 205-210. I put a 180 in my Montecarlo and it would do nearly the exact same thing. So I put a 195 back in both cars. Neither car has been over 200 degrees since.

The problem is, you're not letting the coolant in the radiator actually cool off before re-entering the engine. The thermostat is getting stuck open, and you are just letting hot coolant get hotter as time goes by. I've heard people say just take the thermostat out. Yeah, you WILL overheat then! And 140, 160, 180, 195, whatever, if the car got up to 210, they will all be hung wide open anyway!!!


And 140 isn't even hot enough to re-heat a hot dog on the manifold!!!!!!

I know the philosophy behind cooler thermostats... and I don't buy a word of it. I've restored 4 Ford's, 1 Chevrolet, and worked on plenty of others. I used to believe in teh 180 thermostat. I gave that up. I believe in a hotter one.

As far as power... never really tested. I do know my Torino got .5 mile MORE per gallon on a 195 vs. a 180.

So the philosophy goes that cooler air is dense,r therefore more power. But that's the air going into the cylinder... once it's in there, the engine needs to be hot enough to burn the fuel!!!

I tried to find a chart that shows engine wear over temperature range. Cast iron has nearly no wear at 190-200 degrees. Before that, wear increases dramatically up to 100 degrees. Colder you keep that engine, the more it wears. Dont know what engine that was made with though.


Go ahead and go with the rest of these guys if you want.... they're probably going to eat me up for this, and considering how much I go through this section of the forum, I will probably never come back and defend myself. This is my argumen,t this is my beleif, take it or leave it.

Another thing... if you could gain all these great and wonderful benefits from a 180 thermostat, why didn't Chevrolet put them in from the factory? Someone going to pull an emissions argument on me or something?


Couple of other thoughts... Ford Small Block engines... know where they make maximum horsepower? 210 degrees.... some dragsters run them there. Another thing, NASCAR's tend to run 220-230. With all the air going over their grill, you know damn good and well as I do they could run cooler, but they don't.


Lastly, don't cheap out on your thermostat... buy a better brand. Don't know what the difference is, just know you can overheat easier and the thermostat goes out more often with the cheaper ones... they'll open late, open early, screwed up deals....

 

Agree with Cowboy i never put any thing lower than 185-195 in my vehicles