solid radiator and all cooling fins attached, BB will run all day long at whatever thermostat you put in

 

Anti-rattle

 

Heat in the cabin isn't a problem for me, either. I don't have A/C and I can drive the car barefoot w/o a single concern. The tunnel and shifter handle are cool, too.

Dynamat Xtreme everywhere, Reflectix in footwells, and bellhousing collar. There is NO exterior insulation of any kind (other than the collar). Having sidepipes helps, though...

 

My 78 4 speed has one too..just in a different position...

 

...My 70 454 runs 180-190

 

If you need that, it is a good and simple idea - I just installed one similar just in case for the racing weekends - easy 2-3 hour job on my backyard...

 

that we can't agree??? huh

The stock C3 cooling system is a monster! Biggest one ever installed in any year Corvette to date. If it doesn't work, something is wrong.

In the event you do need more cooling, adding an engine oil cooler isn't the way to do it. You might lower the oil temps a few degrees but that's not going to lower the coolant at all

 

I had always thought it was an anti-rattle solution.

 

If anything mine runs too cool at 170degrees on the freeway, 210 at the most in a traffic jam.

 

I don't know Tom, mine seems to work pretty well. Always did, with two exceptions, when clutch fan went south, but new one rectified the situation, and when 2" of lower cooling fins were corroded, but new core fixed that problem.

Now, no worries of overheating, even in 90+ temps, this with the front plate installed.

 

I'm wondering how many of these folks that never had cooling problems have manual transmissions and/or no A/C?

 

George,

I was saying the stock system was fine, no need to change it. It works very well the way GM made it. We agree.

 

sxr6.....................I've been running an oil cooler for 3 years and to make a long story short --- DON'T DO IT !!! At least don't mount the thing in front of your radiator !

My big block has always run hot, been trying everything to cool her down -- nothing worked. My flex-a-lites pulled 2500 cfm and kept melting the fuse block (6 times) -- I figure something is wrong with one of the fans. This past winter I replaced the fans with 3 Zirgo fans with a total of 5680 cfm (more than double the cfm's !)------------ Guess what......... IT RAN HOTTER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Talking to a friend a couple of weeks ago (while ranting) -- he mentioned that his '89 oil temp is 260 degrees on the highway ! I had always wondered if the oil cooler in front of the radiator would block some air coming thru the a/c condenser ... and the radiator ------ Didn't hit me till then that all I've been doing is pulling HOT air into the radiator ! Putting higher cfm fans in just pulled more hot air thru !!!!

Pulled the oil cooler out this past weekend.............. guess what --- It ran cooler ! Temp dropped over 20 degrees. On a hot day it ran at 200 degrees and up to 210 with the a/c on for 20 minutes while idleing in the sun --- much better. I've got a griffin universal in there now, but I found a triple pass radiator on ebay and it's on it's way ! It should make her run cooler still.

My advice ----- Don't go for the overkill........ I did and it took me 3 years to figure out ! If you decide to add it --------- DON'T PUT IT IN FRONT OF YOUR RADIATOR !!!!!!! (don't make me repeat it again !) Rick

 

For a reply answer to this question, go back and look at thread #12. Only two of the five cars have 4 speeds, and two of the three with turbos have AC. Then check what the HP of the engines are as another misconception is that all high HP engines overheat. Not so! All of the five listed pieces contain completely factory stock cooling systems without fancy fans and no oil coolers either or any other trick fixes except for the auto transmissions as they contain special high stall converters to handle the load and prevent thans problems.

 

My Chevelle's 396 ran at 180*F. In heavy traffic during a 90*F day, I may get close to 200*F, but has never hit it. You may want to look at your cooling system first.

Dan

 

I think if you did a check on posts of C3 vettes overheating, more seem to be smallblocks!

454Can-Am - Ive heard putting fans infront and behind radiator is not good. Ive not tried it so cant say for sure, I found two behind in a shroud from a wreckers was plenty good for my 454 with stock radiator. Also run high flow edelbrock pump and thermstat.

 

Ironcross - I'm refering only to BB Corvettes here.

With all the questions regarding the cooling system on these cars, clearly it must be difficult getting the stock system to work as designed.

Apparently I was never able to "get it just right", and after insuring all the usual problems were solved I was only able to keep temps down around town after installing the dual Spal electric fans. This suggests to me that I had a lack of air flow at idle, and I suspect I never found the exact correct fan clutch for my application and/or air was somehow bypassing the radiator. I had tried several clutches and had made sure I had all the required foam pieces around the radiator, but still temps creeped up at idle.

The system seems very unforgiving and unless you "have all your T's crossed and your I's dotted" you'll continue to have problems.