also how is the black plastic air dam (i don't know the correct name for it)at the bottom of the front bumper. if it's missing or damaged it will cause an increase in temp.
Hot, not overheating, but trying to :)
Thread Starter
2nd Gear
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Hot, not overheating, but trying to :)
Help!! 
I am trying to get my vette running at a normal temperature. I have a 1980 vette, 350, auto transmission. New Delco fan clutch, new 160 thermostat, new radiator (but previous owner installed, don't know the brand). So, if the middle of the gauge is 200, I hit that within five minutes of drive time. In Houston, TX, middle of August, I am getting to 220+, always threatening to overheat. The faster I drive (freeway speeds), the higher the temp gets. It doesn't seem to plateau - the longer I drive, the higher it goes. If I slow down, it tends to back down, but stays above 200. We did put some pipe insulation in the gaps around the radiator. Coolant seems to be flowing and is the correct type of fluid. I have no A/C. Generally speaking, the quadrajet needs a rebuild and car is running rough. The front of the radiator is clean (no debris). We are chasing a white rabbit!! 
Any suggestion towards a solution is great!!!!!!
I am trying to get my vette running at a normal temperature. I have a 1980 vette, 350, auto transmission. New Delco fan clutch, new 160 thermostat, new radiator (but previous owner installed, don't know the brand). So, if the middle of the gauge is 200, I hit that within five minutes of drive time. In Houston, TX, middle of August, I am getting to 220+, always threatening to overheat. The faster I drive (freeway speeds), the higher the temp gets. It doesn't seem to plateau - the longer I drive, the higher it goes. If I slow down, it tends to back down, but stays above 200. We did put some pipe insulation in the gaps around the radiator. Coolant seems to be flowing and is the correct type of fluid. I have no A/C. Generally speaking, the quadrajet needs a rebuild and car is running rough. The front of the radiator is clean (no debris). We are chasing a white rabbit!! Any suggestion towards a solution is great!!!!!!
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 860
Likes: 0
From: Stratford Ontario
Try to see if You can advance Your timing. If it is retarted You lose power and the power loss has to go somewhere. It ends up increasing temp. As Yours seems to go down when You go slow it leads Me to believe that its caused by combustion. It may also cause it to run better.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 105
Likes: 0
Yeah, noticed the same after I removed my old front air dam. Engine running a lot warmer than usual..
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 9,993
Likes: 1,136
From: League City Tx
1) Get your timing set right and make sure the vacuum advance is working correctly.
2) Air damn under the front of the car?
3) Seal up all gaps in the shroud to radiator and radiator to core support. This is very important!
4) 70/30 water/antifreeze mix
5) Are you running stock manifolds? If so make sure the heat riser valve on the manifold to exhaust pipe connection is open and not closed(stuck).
Ultimately, if none of this stuff helps, you will likely have to change the radiator as for some reason it is not dumping off the heat. Maybe it's corroded inside. I just went through all of this with my car and eventually, I figured out my stock but freshly rodded radiator was the culprit. I was running 200-210* on the hwy, now with the new Dewitts it runs 170-175* with a big block and AC. I am also in the Houston area and it has been hot as $hit here...
2) Air damn under the front of the car?
3) Seal up all gaps in the shroud to radiator and radiator to core support. This is very important!
4) 70/30 water/antifreeze mix
5) Are you running stock manifolds? If so make sure the heat riser valve on the manifold to exhaust pipe connection is open and not closed(stuck).
Ultimately, if none of this stuff helps, you will likely have to change the radiator as for some reason it is not dumping off the heat. Maybe it's corroded inside. I just went through all of this with my car and eventually, I figured out my stock but freshly rodded radiator was the culprit. I was running 200-210* on the hwy, now with the new Dewitts it runs 170-175* with a big block and AC. I am also in the Houston area and it has been hot as $hit here...
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 105
Likes: 0
I can take some pictures of it, but if you hit up ecklers/zip/willcox, they all sell the front spoiler/air dam and they have pictures and will give you the cost associated with each piece.
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,258
Likes: 38
From: springtown Texas
here is a good pic of the air dam. this is not my car (i wish it was) the owner installed a larger air dam over the original. i think it looks really good and plan to do the same for mine. this would really help with cooling.
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Race Director
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 10,362
Likes: 5
From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
Go to a radiator shop & have 'em aim a heat gun at the cooling system parts. It won't cost you a nickel and you can easily verify the accuracy of the OEM temp gauge & sender.
In the center of it's travel, my temp gauge proved to be exactly calibrated to the heat gun. At 180, I was well below the middle mark and at 200 it was right in the middle.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 105
Likes: 0
EDIT: Did a fit test with the air dam I bought from ecklers. The left and right side of it doesn't have enough fiberglass surface area to put on the 3 retaining bolts. It has room to put TWO (the middle and bottom holes), but not the one on the top. I am not happy with their press molded air dam at all now.
I can take some pictures of it, but if you hit up ecklers/zip/willcox, they all sell the front spoiler/air dam and they have pictures and will give you the cost associated with each piece.[/QUOTE]
Took some pictures.
Old Air Baffle:
New Air Baffle:
Remove/attach air baffle to radiator support. The AIM depicts 2 retaining bolts (circled red) or you could attach using 5 bolts (holes circled yellow). The 5 holes might be specific to my car only though.
LH side where 3 retaining bolts attach the left side of the spoiler. Same for RH side.
I can take some pictures of it, but if you hit up ecklers/zip/willcox, they all sell the front spoiler/air dam and they have pictures and will give you the cost associated with each piece.[/QUOTE]
Took some pictures.
Old Air Baffle:
New Air Baffle:
Remove/attach air baffle to radiator support. The AIM depicts 2 retaining bolts (circled red) or you could attach using 5 bolts (holes circled yellow). The 5 holes might be specific to my car only though.
LH side where 3 retaining bolts attach the left side of the spoiler. Same for RH side.
Last edited by anonymizer; Aug 18, 2010 at 09:29 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,781
Likes: 15
From: Oxford Ohio
Do a compression and vacume test on the engine and check timing. Smell the coolant see if you can detect any exhaust in the coolant. If it is increasing as your speed does you should be getting airflow that you need. Are you running a Cat. Converter? See if it's heating up more than usual.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,534
Likes: 14
From: Dallas-Fort Worth TX
I think the 80-82 have the same temp gauge. Many on going debates on how to read the gauge properly, but the majority consensus is that the bold/thick dash at the 11 oclock position is 200 degrees. Straight up vertical 12 oclock is 215 degrees.
The lite dash to the left of the bold dash at about 10 oclock is around 180ish.
At least that is what it is on mine, measure with a Infrared/laser temp gun pointing at the thermostat housing.
The lite dash to the left of the bold dash at about 10 oclock is around 180ish.
At least that is what it is on mine, measure with a Infrared/laser temp gun pointing at the thermostat housing.