shiky

I have a 283 in my corvette with a single electric puller fan,Today was the first day I took it out for about a 20 mile ride and noticed I was running just over 200 degrees with fan constantly on. any of you guys have any suggestions.i just don't feel comfortable driving the car at this temperature

Nowhere Man

have you verified that temp with a I.R. gun? these gauges are known to be off.

leif.anderson93

have you verified that temp with a I.R. gun? these gauges are known to be off.
And, after you have done this if your temp verifies at 200 degrees, you're just fine. Depending on ambient temp and humidity, 200 degrees is actually running cool.

59BlueSilver

200 deg. Is not a problem but I know it's unnerving to see the needle way to the right. Mine did the same, removed the electric fan, fixed gaps in my shroud, installed a 7 blade clutch fan, now it doesn't get over 185.

C2 Hot Cam Guy

What temp gauge do you have?

59BlueSilver

That's another thing. After my original gauges were restored, the newer sending units read 200+ deg. Bought an original off EBay (expensive), but it did the trick.

Frankie the Fink

Amazon has the I/R temp guns for chump change -- get two:

Yellow6t7

Did you check the coolant level?
Be sure to check with a cool engine.

stratplus

In addition to what everyone else said.

What has been the operating temp in the past?

You might want to try a different sending unit. The TU5 is a very good unit. I am surprised with the price, they use to be 5-6 bucks.

http://www.autozone.com/cooling-heat...149_8456_5673/

c1j1c2

I have the same problem of it going into the 200 range and it still freaks me out. Thinking of adding an electric fan onto the radiator.

59BlueSilver

TU5's seem to work well on C2's, but not on C1's. I tried a box full. Finally bought an original and it stays right on at 180-185.

Yellow6t7

What gives?
Where did Shiky go???
Asked question and then nothing but crickets?

shiky

I am still here just getting used to this forum and where to reply.i think my problem is electrical for when I put electrical fan on the guage jumps up 5 degrees and voltage guage goes down

Nowhere Man

huh????

why does the gauge need a fan? did you verify the temps with a IR gun or run the engine with no radiator cap and stick a thermometer in there

DUB

He did not use proper punctuation. I corrected it.

OK...I have to assume that you do not have a VOLTMETER...but rather a AMMETER. So...it is NOT the voltage going down...but rather the AMPS are going down....which is normal ( to a point) as long as you ammeter is still on the (+) side showing charging...and NOT on the (-) side....WHEN THE ENGINE IS RUNNING.

Also...I do not blink an eye if the coolant temps get to 200 degrees. And IF the gauge shows MORE than that...then you have to understand that if you are paranoid about it...you need to check it....becasue it can simply be a sending unit sending an ohm value to the gauge and it only responding to that ohm value...BUT due to many of these temperature sending units being crap...when you get higher coolant temps....they can begin to send a bogus signal...thus your gauge reacts to what it is receiving...and may not be correct.

I use my own temperature racing gauge and check a car if the gauge seems to not be reading correct. That way I know it is fine even though the factory gauge and or sending unit is bogus.

AND...DO NOT use Teflon tape on the sending unit threads because it CAN effect how the sending unit is grounded to the cylinder head...and thus....the gauge MAY NOT read correctly. IF you do use Teflon tape...you need to verify that the sending unit is grounded fully.

DUB

Randy G.

GM obviuosly doesn't have a problem with it. Our new C7 has what looks to be a 255 degree red line.

tuxnharley

Well, yeah - but that's a little different than an old 283! Different design, different system, different working pressure, different coolant, etc...........

DUB

I have to politely disagree.

And for whatever this is worth to those who read this.

Regardless if the engine is all cast iron or all aluminum. The dynamics of a cooling system has not changed. The cooling system of a 1953 does the exact same thing as that of a 2017. YES...GM reversed the flow of water on some models and they type of coolant changed...but the principles of a cooling system has not changed in what it does.

The type of DEX-COOL coolant is not better or worse than the green coolant. The only down side to the DEX-COOL is if it left neglected for along time and it turns to a muddy sludgy crap. I have cleaned and swapped out the DEX-COOL coolant and replaced it with the green coolant and NO CHANGE in the cooling properties of the engine changed. The only thing that changed was the coolant.

What seems to NEVER change is people perception of what they feel it too hot. Many people freak out when the coolant temps get to a point where they fear something is going to go really bad...really fast. And often times that temperature is no where near the point of major concern. And that is assuming that they are using a GOOD temperature gauge to verify coolant temps.

And actually a cast iron engine can take a bit more heat than an aluminum one. Because when the state of North Carolina had the highway patrol cars that were the Impalas with the LT-1's in them...they had cast iron heads...even thought the LT-1's in a Corvette were aluminum heads.

SO...when I tell people that the COOLING FANS on a 1985 Corvette (cast iron head and block like a 283CID) will not turn on until 226-228 degrees Fahrenheit....they think I am crazy until I show them what it in the GM service manual and that they are freaking out for nothing.

So...people can think as they choose...and do as they wish I prefer to see the coolant temps being close to 200 to 210 if at all possible so I at least know that the engine is getting hot enough so the moisture that is in the engine oil is being able to be 'boiled out' so-to-speak. If the coolant temps area at 190 degrees...it is not like I spend time trying to get them up to 200 degrees. And if they are at 200 degrees I am not going to waste time trying to get them down 10 degrees.

When it has been confirmed that the coolant temps are at 230 degree's...THAT is when I take serious notice...and if they get to 256 degrees... I am REALLY CONCERNED.....becasue that is the temp that the auxiliary cooling fan for a 1985 comes comes on.

Once again...run your Corvette at whatever coolant temp you like. Its your car.

DUB

tuxnharley

My point was that the systems are run at a higher pressure today then they were back in the days of the 283, and that the 255 degree limit suggested for a C7 is a recipie for disaster in an older car.

DUB

I agree and that is due to a lower pressure cap and the vertical flow of the radiator.

DUB