1980 Overheating.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 27
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From: coral springs fl
1980 Overheating.
My 1980 L48 Vette Starts Out Cool And Remains At 205-215 While Driving. Its When I Come To An Idle After Driving My Temp Steadily Rises Upwards Of 240-250. If I Start To Drive The Temp Comes Back Down To 205-215. I Do Have A Small Squeking/rubbing Noise From Around The Water Pump. The Fan Spins Well And Has Consistant Resistance When Engine Is Cold. This All Happens With The A/c Off. Any Ideas Out There?
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 10,628
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From: Duvall, WA
Check to make sure your fan shroud is properly sealed so that the fan is pulling all of the air through, and not around, the radiator. The insulation can fall off which could cause this. Check your timing. If it's too retarded that can cause overheating. Other than that, I would suspect the fan clutch, but it sounds like you've already looked at that.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,645
Likes: 11
From: Schaumburg IL
Overheating
When was the last time the radiator was flushed out? If not recently or never, might want to pull it out and take it to a shop to be boiled out. Your problem is air flow or put another way pulled air throught the radiator. Also, clean off the condensor coils with a hose. Run on a cold engine the hose from both sides of the radiator and see what kind of gunk has collected.
Run a 180 T-stat and in the summer run distilled water with about 1/2 gallon of antifreeze for lub propterties and a bottle of water wetter. It will lower the temps as water cools better than 50/50 antifreeze.
Other areas to look at are a high flow water pump. At idle you have the lowest pressures.
Run a 180 T-stat and in the summer run distilled water with about 1/2 gallon of antifreeze for lub propterties and a bottle of water wetter. It will lower the temps as water cools better than 50/50 antifreeze.
Other areas to look at are a high flow water pump. At idle you have the lowest pressures.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 27
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From: coral springs fl
Originally Posted by bigvette1
When was the last time the radiator was flushed out? If not recently or never, might want to pull it out and take it to a shop to be boiled out. Your problem is air flow or put another way pulled air throught the radiator. Also, clean off the condensor coils with a hose. Run on a cold engine the hose from both sides of the radiator and see what kind of gunk has collected.
Run a 180 T-stat and in the summer run distilled water with about 1/2 gallon of antifreeze for lub propterties and a bottle of water wetter. It will lower the temps as water cools better than 50/50 antifreeze.
Other areas to look at are a high flow water pump. At idle you have the lowest pressures.
Run a 180 T-stat and in the summer run distilled water with about 1/2 gallon of antifreeze for lub propterties and a bottle of water wetter. It will lower the temps as water cools better than 50/50 antifreeze.
Other areas to look at are a high flow water pump. At idle you have the lowest pressures.
Last edited by schi74; Jul 8, 2005 at 10:06 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Kansas City, MO ...I'd like to go fishing and catch a fishstick. That'd be convenient. - Mitch Hedberg
I have a similar issue. Although as it turns out, not a cooling issue. No one makes the correct temp sending units for 1980 Corvettes. They all read 40 degrees high.
I'm using a cheap mechanical unit as a secondary temp guage. When that one runs high, then I'll know I have a problem.
Here is the thread where I learned my problem: Link Maybe this can help you.
I'm using a cheap mechanical unit as a secondary temp guage. When that one runs high, then I'll know I have a problem.
Here is the thread where I learned my problem: Link Maybe this can help you.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,033
Likes: 1
From: Prescott Arizona
Originally Posted by Ak. Mal
No one makes the correct temp sending units for 1980 Corvettes. They all read 40 degrees high.
