Water temp on 1978 Vette
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Well I believe your stock T-stat should be a 185 so that would be the operating temp according to stock equipment.
What temp does it operate at now? Any changes made to the cooling system, radiator, core support, gauges, or sender?
Drifting
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,480
Likes: 2
From: Circleville Ohio
Vader Vette
Not on purpose but when my motor mount went it bent my fan blades, I switched to A flex fan best thing I ever did by mistake the car is way cooler to drive and the water temp does not seem to go over 180.I have an L-48 so Im sure Im not going to over -power it. It fit like a glove with the 3 inch spacer.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Not to bash Lon in any way...cause he's a great guy, but I would never suggest the Flex fans to anyone. Sure there are a lot of them out there working great with no problems but myself and many others have personally seen the damage they can cause when their blades break off. Spinning at high RPMs I have seen the fan blades go through steel hoods, fiberglass fenders, and vital fluid lines like fuel and coolant lines.
I just would not trust them. Lon, the reason the flex fan worked so great for you could have been because the fan clutch you had was bad and the stock fan was not moving enough air. Lots of guys with stock fans and good clutches have no cooling problems.
I replacement fan clutch is not expensive and is a bolt on.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
I think the first think I might do is replace the thermostat. Can anyone tell me, is a temp of 200 running too hot, or is that about normal for a stock 1978 350 vette. This is my first vette, so I am learning a lot. Thanks everyone for the help and input.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,482
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 81
Likes: 1
From: South Carolina
On very hot and humid days - like today here on the Southeastern Coast - my car's temp runs between 180 and 200. My guage has never gone over 200. BTW, this is my first vette, too--I've had her since mid-April, and I'm learning something new every day. The best fun I've had in years!!
Last edited by mitch123; Jul 28, 2008 at 10:42 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 7,106
Likes: 38
From: Newark DE
my '78 L82 is 100% stock, only 12,000 original miles.
Factory t-stat is a 195º unit as all C3's were since the emissions equipment started getting added onto the cars.
car runs normally 200º-210º without the AC on and on a hot day with AC on it runs 210º-225º.
These are the normal operating temps the car was designed to run with.
There is no need to be concerned with operating temps in the 200-225º range as i just mentioned but if you are looking to lower the operating temps you will need to remove all the emissions equipment, than replace the t-stat with a 180º unit, and reset the timing away from the factory distributor curve and settings as the factory timing settings were rather retarded deliberately, they did this as one method of increasing operating temps.
keep in mind that the operating temps were DESIGNED to be in the 200-225º range for emissions reasons, the higher temps in conjunction with the emissions equipment helped lower HC levels.
also, I agree with DB, I would NOT, under any circumstances, replace the stock fan and fan clutch with a flex fan. You couldn't pay me enough to put a flex fan on my cars!
Factory t-stat is a 195º unit as all C3's were since the emissions equipment started getting added onto the cars.
car runs normally 200º-210º without the AC on and on a hot day with AC on it runs 210º-225º.
These are the normal operating temps the car was designed to run with.
There is no need to be concerned with operating temps in the 200-225º range as i just mentioned but if you are looking to lower the operating temps you will need to remove all the emissions equipment, than replace the t-stat with a 180º unit, and reset the timing away from the factory distributor curve and settings as the factory timing settings were rather retarded deliberately, they did this as one method of increasing operating temps.
keep in mind that the operating temps were DESIGNED to be in the 200-225º range for emissions reasons, the higher temps in conjunction with the emissions equipment helped lower HC levels.
also, I agree with DB, I would NOT, under any circumstances, replace the stock fan and fan clutch with a flex fan. You couldn't pay me enough to put a flex fan on my cars!
Drifting
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,480
Likes: 2
From: Circleville Ohio
Vader Vette
Thanks DB we need more of that come back on the forum (Friendly)so guys dont take stuff so personel anyway I bought mine at Auto Zone 2.5 inch spacer seems tight there was A thread about A month Ago where alot of forum members had run A flex fan on at least some car and never had any trouble mine should be ok to 10 k RPMs and Im sure my L-48 would come through the hood first.Some people like DB said have also one come up through the hood sounds like A Mod Opertunity.Man I cant spell any mora.It sure does keep the passenger area alot cooler.Jegs has a flex fan rated at 12KRPMs and Im sure Jeggie Would not sell bad parts hes a buddy, I took him his Tempurpedic In Columbus Talk About A basement .DamN the flex fan are not that much .Do you guys think my old cluth fan should have been keeping my car cooler maybe the clutch was bad. Anyway I have A 7 Blade fan that two blades are out of round. Off to my part wall.
