Stock cooling system
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On The Tree
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 116
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From: Houston
Stock cooling system I have an 01 SS that ive been racing more and more lately, mainly autocross but I plan on attending some club racing events in the near future. Im going to install a baffle system in the oil pan rather than invest in a high dollar oil pan or accusump, but the next area im concerned with is the stock radiator system. Has anyone experience first hand or have heard horror stories while attempting to make hard, consecutive laps with the stock radiator and cooling system? I have a 180 thermostat right now and that is my only protection at the moment. The car has a mild 383 but has stayed cool on the street and at the auto-x events so far.
Seal up air passage and make sure the air deflector is in good shape. Should be OK.
More info ...
http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/index.php?showtopic=14165
More info ...
http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/index.php?showtopic=14165
Last edited by mitchntx; May 6, 2010 at 11:32 AM.
No horror stories. I've done a bunch of HPDEs with the stock LS1 in an '01 SS, and several of these have been in 95-98F weather. The idiot gauge would occasionally begin climbing above its setpoint after brake ducts were installed, so I'd drop a gear for a lap to bring it down. Typical sessions are 25-30 minutes but some have been 40-45.
I finally got a real gauge on it last year and saw peaks of 235F in humid weather around 90F. That makes me a little nervous so I've added a manual fan switch, taped up the gaps around the radiator, and will put a 180 thermostat in, plus dilute the antifreeze to around 30% or so and add some water wetter. I also blew out the radiator and condenser from the back with compressed air and used a tooth pick to dislodge crap from the fins I could reach with the lid off. Talk about tedious.
Anyway, I'm hoping it's all worth at least 5 degrees. We'll see in July.
BobP
I finally got a real gauge on it last year and saw peaks of 235F in humid weather around 90F. That makes me a little nervous so I've added a manual fan switch, taped up the gaps around the radiator, and will put a 180 thermostat in, plus dilute the antifreeze to around 30% or so and add some water wetter. I also blew out the radiator and condenser from the back with compressed air and used a tooth pick to dislodge crap from the fins I could reach with the lid off. Talk about tedious.
Anyway, I'm hoping it's all worth at least 5 degrees. We'll see in July.
BobP
I'm not certain all of that is necessary though. The PCM calls for the low speed fan at 226 and the high at 234, so the designers apparently weren't too worried about that temp range. You hear these engines "like to run hot", but I suspect that is an emissions concession.
Could just be the tinkerers' curse
.
Could just be the tinkerers' curse
. 
Launching!
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 278
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From: Bay Area CA
I've had a bunch of problems with overheating but that was mostly due to the fact I had an RK Sport front lip on the front of my car blocking half the air dam. I put an extension on the dam with some cove base and that helped a bit but it still got hot. For my last event I just removed the lip and the car did quite well. It still got up to about 240-250 on the gauge but it was also after 20 minutes running full bore in 100* heat. I back off a bit and it settled back down to a little over the 210 mark.
I have a 160* stat with RMI 25 but I confess I haven't changed it in over 2 years and it's pretty cruddy looking. With a full flush I probably wouldn't have had a problem.
I have a 160* stat with RMI 25 but I confess I haven't changed it in over 2 years and it's pretty cruddy looking. With a full flush I probably wouldn't have had a problem.
