bwolfZ28

iTrader: (40)

I just got my turbo 408 running and I'm running into some cooling issues. I have the griffin vertical radiator and a single 16" zirgo pusher fan on the front with a 160 t stat. My radiator hoses are -16an and I have my heater caps plugged for the time being. I have AN fittings on everything on the stock waterpump. The car will start up and run fine and over time sitting it will get up to 225 degrees. Last night I was driving around and it stays around 205 in town...keep in mind it was 35 degrees yesterday evening when I was driving around. I decided to get on the highway and it would start to cool down but only go down to around 199-201. I just don't understand why it wouldn't go down to closer to 180 when cruising at 75-80 for 10 miles. Also at any point I go about 25% throttle it heats up fairly quickly.

A couple of other notes about my cooling system. the top port on my radiator I moved down about 2" to allow for clearance for my turbo air filter and my steam tube for my heads is tapped into the the top of the water pump. I'm getting really frustrated and I'm not sure if there is still some air pockets in the system or what. Any help or ideas would help.

I plan up going with dual derale 12" fans and what not but this setup should keep the car cool given that its pretty cool here still. Thanks

I can move the bung back up to the top of the radiator and just run a slightly shorter filter if need be.

Old Geezer

iTrader: (3)

-16 = 1" hose. Stock is 1.25 on the top and 1.5 on the lower.
Sounds like you have some volume issues.
The top port moved down, puts the flow below the water level in the tank...Could impede movement.
If the car has a ft mt, and that pusher fan is pushing thru both the i/c and the rad, there's likely not enough air being moved.
Is that an u/d pulley?
The tune may also be contributing to the issue.

bwolfZ28

iTrader: (40)

The car has a front mount but the fan is directly mounted to the radiator; so the fan is only pushing through the radiator. yes it is an underdrive pulley.

I highly doubt the tune is affecting the temps. My fuel trims are 1-3% off only since I have just started tuning it and the timing is pretty conservative across the whole table, idling at 22 degrees.

stevieturbo

What diameter is the actual smallest part of the -16 fitting ? looks even smaller than 1" in the photo ?

What size is the smallest part of the fitting that screws into it ?

What provisions are in place to prevent air getting trapped in the top section of the radiator and creating air locks...and un-used radiator capacity


Although a simple lack of water flow could be most of the problem. Flow is good...LOTS of it.

BlwnLs1GTO

iTrader: (12)

I think you're going to need to get more air thru that radiator. I just can't see one pusher fan keeping temps in check, especially when it gets warmer here.
I had the same issue with my GTO prior to finding a fan shroud that would fit.

stevieturbo

He's still hot when driving along. Fan is irrelevant at that point.

bwolfZ28

iTrader: (40)

exactly when I was cruising last night the fan isn't doing anything. So its obviously that the system has a deficiency somewhere. Being air in the system or that I moved the top hose down a few inches and my loss in volume is causing it to heat up.

RonSSNova

iTrader: (3)

How did you fill? Through the top hose? Did you fill until you got coolant out the steam vent hose?
Personally, I think the steam hose needs to go to the rad like the factory. Above the water level.

I have similar griffin, UD pulley, blocked heater outlets and it runs at fan temp.

Ron

bad6as

iTrader: (17)

what thermostat i saw you said 160 but its it a ls1 style that blocks off the internal bypass? also do you have some sort of air dam to help channel the air under the car up to the radiator

mike13

iTrader: (27)

what bad6as said make sure you have the air dam, also make sure all the air is out of the system, it's not always easy to get the air out.

Waterlines don't look large enough. Also just curious where did you mount the waste gate? Didn't see it in the picture.

Forcefed86

iTrader: (4)

I think it’s a combination of many poor choices, not one problem. Inlets and outlet sizes are limiting you. Radiator probably isn’t sized optimally. Water pump isn’t spinning fast enough, no shroud, low output fan etc….

I attached a good chart that I use to size the radiator core. I’d spec out what you need core wise and order up a Howe custom radiator. Thay aren’t crazy expensive and flow MUCH better than the griffin cores I’ve worked with. You have the inlets and outlets placed where you need them. Never seen one not get the job done, even with poor fan setups. What are your radiator core dimensions HxWxD? You'd need roughly 1060ci of core with your setup IMO.

A good fan and a shroud will make all the difference in the world. One pusher 16 (CFM rating?) mounted directly to the rad will do a very poor job of cooling. Your not hitting the whole core with air. I use an undersized half radiator on my 5.3 turbo setup. (14x14 core) It will get hot even when cruising without the fan. (It’s not ducted well to force air through and the IC covers it entirely) But I have a monster 2 speed fan (3600cfm on high) with a nice air tight shroud. Was sitting at 175* yesterday in traffic. I run no thermostat with a freeze plug in the bypass. No under drive. As said above, If you are running a thermo, make sure it the correct one that blocks the bypass.

Lastly you may try jacking the front of the car up so the fill point on the rad is the highest point in the system. Then make sure to purge all the air out. They make a radiator purging funnel for this purpose, works great. Vents need to be at the highest point in the system. May need a surge tank to do this.

Cam72aro

iTrader: (28)

Like forefed said its probably a combination of many things. The radiators that everyone runs are tiny as compared to others cars. They don't have the capacity and surface area to effectively shed the heat produced. I did the griffin radiator stod up and with two bad boy derales pushers temps would still climb. On the freeway where plenty of airflow is going through the radiator my temps would climb about a degree a mile, pull overs and temps would come down. This is a result of too small of a radiator. I have since installed a ridicously large nascar radiator and hope to test it this weekend. A thread will be up soon. Stay tuned.

bwolfZ28

iTrader: (40)

I ran dual 44 wastegates. In that photo I didn't have them fabbed yet. I know I need to step up the game on the cooling system. I filled it through the radiator with the car jacked up. I need to pull the steam hose off and make sure the system is properly bled. This setup kept my turbo 5.3 moderately cool so something is up. although I wasn't running the AN lines with the 5.3 so I need to go back the the drawing board and get something that will work.

bwolfZ28

iTrader: (40)

I do not have the long thermostat in that blocks the bypass. Looks like that has to come out.

tonypaul

iTrader: (2)

How tuned is it? It could still be in the tune....
Personally I dont think its due to your fittings or diameter of hoses. I run a standard waterpump and a inline electric water pumper with 2 small seperate radiators (its in a Lambo kit car). My electric waterpump is between the 2 rads on a temp switch that kicks on at 200 degrees. It rarely turns on and unless its running its a real major coolant blockage. My car car with a LS mid mounted never gets hot in the 100+ degree Texas summers..


You may be getting too much flow of your coolant. The coolant needs to go thru the rad not too fast and not too slow. Since you put those A/N fittings on yhis test my be a little hard to do- but you can get a 1 foot piece of clear tubing from Home Depo and just hose clamp it between your fitting on your rad and to the end of your hose so you can watch the flow after the thermostat opens. That will tell you alot, if you got alot of air in your line, your coolant is moving too slow or fast, ect...

stevieturbo

There's no hope of too much flow through those tiny fittings.

And yes you want flow, and lots of it.

Old Geezer

iTrader: (3)

Here we go again... The "too much flow" argument.

Forcefed86

iTrader: (4)

The more flow the better, been proven time and again. The "necessary restriction" and or "giving the coolant time to cool in the radiator" myths were debunked a long time ago. The faster you can get the coolant through the system the better. No argument there, its a fact. Those small lines aren't helping out at all...

bwolfZ28

iTrader: (40)

What is the most effective way to properly bleed the system? Is removing the steam tube a good way and letting the car run until solid coolant is coming out of the hose and then reinstall it?

stevieturbo

Install bleed points where air might get trapped.

or fit a remote header tank and add bleed off's to ensure the system always expels air from where air should never be.