Turbo car overheating
Turbo car overheating Hey guys I am wondering what you turbo guys are doing to cool engine down? I am currently running setup in sig with stock radiator and a Flexlite blackmagic extreme which flows 3300cfm of air. When I set in traffic for a while it starts getting about 220 to 230 according to my factory guage. My turbo is in front of crank pulley with headers turned forward. I also have AC but not currently using it need to charge it. I have all the hot parts coated in Jethot 2000. I have drained antifreeze some of antifreeze out and put just water and some of Royal Purples ice. It helped some but still not enough. I have a 160 thermostat in it but I have a new one I just haven't put in it yet to see if that's it. After setting in traffic the engine bay just gets heat soaked I guess. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks guys
Several suggestions. A LT-1 radiator is about 1/3 bigger. They can be picked up pretty cheap and are a direct fit. You might need to seal off a extra outlet. Pushing air through the AC condenser is difficult because it is so dense. You might want to space it out to fit fans between it and the radiator, or add more fans. Good Luck
Im having close to the same issue. I have an STS kit t67, I am in Nevada and its hot but never have I seem the temp on my car hit 230. The other day while driving on interstate temp would get up to 225-230 on the dummy gauge. The weirdest part of the whole thing is the vehicle cools down when I come to a stop or at a light. Doesnt do it all the time either. I have a 160 thermo, dont know whats going on plenty of coolant no leaks. Think Im getting blow by?
In the 100+ temps here in vegas my car runs 230ish with the a/c on (so does a stock car). I turn off the a/c if it goes over 235. With no a/c on in summer the temps don't go over 205. I know the LT1 radiator would help my cooling issues.
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Staging Lane
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 81
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You could make sure you have an oversized radiator; one thing that worked well for me was not to wait until the temp. got to 165 or 180 to turn the fans on especially in the summer. I have aswith that can turn the radiator fans on when I start the car. Keeps the water cooler longer. Also make sure your radiator can breathe air from the front of the car when you are driving. If you a have a turbo; a airconditioning cooler; and a tranny cooler obstructing your radiator from fresh air moving through it you will heat up in a hurry as well. LOL
TECH Resident
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 832
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From: Castro Valley, CA
vipvegas, you're having a problem cooling at speed, which makes me wonder if you've done anything to the front air dam. The fact that the car cools normally with your existing thermo in traffic and when stopped means that your radiator/coolant/thermo are all capable of cooling when there's sufficient airflow. Your problem is the reverse of what most of us have, where the temps start to climb when the car is in slow traffic. But you've got an STS, which shouldn't be as difficult to keep cool when compared to front mount turbos. Do you use a FMIC or something else that might be disturbing your airflow at speed?
02ssle, trying to push air through the AC condenser to the radiator is tough to do. I ended up ditching my AC and putting pushers right on the rad. Others have managed to keep the AC, but I was just getting too hot in stop and go traffic.
02ssle, trying to push air through the AC condenser to the radiator is tough to do. I ended up ditching my AC and putting pushers right on the rad. Others have managed to keep the AC, but I was just getting too hot in stop and go traffic.
Originally Posted by RW99
vipvegas, you're having a problem cooling at speed, which makes me wonder if you've done anything to the front air dam. The fact that the car cools normally with your existing thermo in traffic and when stopped means that your radiator/coolant/thermo are all capable of cooling when there's sufficient airflow. Your problem is the reverse of what most of us have, where the temps start to climb when the car is in slow traffic. But you've got an STS, which shouldn't be as difficult to keep cool when compared to front mount turbos. Do you use a FMIC or something else that might be disturbing your airflow at speed?
02ssle, trying to push air through the AC condenser to the radiator is tough to do. I ended up ditching my AC and putting pushers right on the rad. Others have managed to keep the AC, but I was just getting too hot in stop and go traffic.
02ssle, trying to push air through the AC condenser to the radiator is tough to do. I ended up ditching my AC and putting pushers right on the rad. Others have managed to keep the AC, but I was just getting too hot in stop and go traffic.
does it over heat
if not what have you done to it to help
We tried a ton of fan/radiator combos before figuring out that it was something in the tune that was making it run a lot hotter than it should. Wish I would have tried that first but Don Bailey came to the rescue and I was out cruising around all night with no overheating problems after having problems just a week before with no other changes but the tune.
so do you guys think I should cut upper radiator support and stand a new radiator up and leave my puller fan on it? Someone has to have had this problem before.
TECH Resident
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 832
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From: Castro Valley, CA
Hey, Darren...
Twin pushers mounted right on the radiator (after AC removal) keep the car reasonably cool even on 95+ degree days... I tested that out a couple of weeks ago. The car got up to about 220 max (aftermarket coolant temp gauge) on a really hot day in stop and go commute traffic. On normal temp days I'll see about 180 degrees whether at speed or in traffic. I use distilled water and water wetter with just a bit of antifreeze. Stock radiator. Oh, and I pulled off the weatherstripping from the underside of the hood (by the window) to allow air to escape there... and the nostrils on my WS6-type hood are cut open (behind the hex mesh).
02ssle, the stock pullers/shroud will move enough air if you can relocate the radiator far enough away from your turbo. What about relocating the AC condenser further forward, or angling it? I don't know how the front skeleton of an SS looks, sorry.
Twin pushers mounted right on the radiator (after AC removal) keep the car reasonably cool even on 95+ degree days... I tested that out a couple of weeks ago. The car got up to about 220 max (aftermarket coolant temp gauge) on a really hot day in stop and go commute traffic. On normal temp days I'll see about 180 degrees whether at speed or in traffic. I use distilled water and water wetter with just a bit of antifreeze. Stock radiator. Oh, and I pulled off the weatherstripping from the underside of the hood (by the window) to allow air to escape there... and the nostrils on my WS6-type hood are cut open (behind the hex mesh).
02ssle, the stock pullers/shroud will move enough air if you can relocate the radiator far enough away from your turbo. What about relocating the AC condenser further forward, or angling it? I don't know how the front skeleton of an SS looks, sorry.
your saying the airflow while your driving isn't the problem. Only when your sitting. So the problem if the fan is coming on, its not pulling enough air across. That black magic fan should be plenty, but you could keep that and add some pushers. What do you have the fans set to come on/go off at at? Doesn't ever hurt to throw in a new thermostat to.
Did dyno Steve tune your car again? If he did then I'm sure its not the tune.
Did dyno Steve tune your car again? If he did then I'm sure its not the tune.
Last edited by Subliminal Hit; Jun 24, 2007 at 06:07 PM.
Originally Posted by RW99
Hey, Darren...
Twin pushers mounted right on the radiator (after AC removal) keep the car reasonably cool even on 95+ degree days... I tested that out a couple of weeks ago. The car got up to about 220 max (aftermarket coolant temp gauge) on a really hot day in stop and go commute traffic. On normal temp days I'll see about 180 degrees whether at speed or in traffic. I use distilled water and water wetter with just a bit of antifreeze. Stock radiator. Oh, and I pulled off the weatherstripping from the underside of the hood (by the window) to allow air to escape there... and the nostrils on my WS6-type hood are cut open (behind the hex mesh).
02ssle, the stock pullers/shroud will move enough air if you can relocate the radiator far enough away from your turbo. What about relocating the AC condenser further forward, or angling it? I don't know how the front skeleton of an SS looks, sorry.
Twin pushers mounted right on the radiator (after AC removal) keep the car reasonably cool even on 95+ degree days... I tested that out a couple of weeks ago. The car got up to about 220 max (aftermarket coolant temp gauge) on a really hot day in stop and go commute traffic. On normal temp days I'll see about 180 degrees whether at speed or in traffic. I use distilled water and water wetter with just a bit of antifreeze. Stock radiator. Oh, and I pulled off the weatherstripping from the underside of the hood (by the window) to allow air to escape there... and the nostrils on my WS6-type hood are cut open (behind the hex mesh).
02ssle, the stock pullers/shroud will move enough air if you can relocate the radiator far enough away from your turbo. What about relocating the AC condenser further forward, or angling it? I don't know how the front skeleton of an SS looks, sorry.
Damn
I am going to re-route the tube from the intercooler to the T/B and put 1/2 of the stock fan back on and see if it will stay cool
it will have the 2 pushers + 1/2 of the stock peice