Hot 350 or not
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,790
Likes: 108
From: On the coast North of SF bay
Good pics
I assume that copper elbow on the right of the exp tank is just a hose fill fitting.
While it's still roadworthy, try capping off the heater line from the expansion tank to the heater. That should prevent some hot coolant from bypassing the rad. And always record upper and lower rad port temps with each trail.
What brand and type of water pump is it?
I assume that copper elbow on the right of the exp tank is just a hose fill fitting.
While it's still roadworthy, try capping off the heater line from the expansion tank to the heater. That should prevent some hot coolant from bypassing the rad. And always record upper and lower rad port temps with each trail.
What brand and type of water pump is it?
Water pump is an iron GM.
Just ran the engine for an hour at idle with the hood mostly closed (ambient temp 54F) - BTW, this engine feel like it's running right, just not quite up to my ZR1
.The results of that indicate that the temp eventually levels off at just over 200F and with the hood open, it will very slowly drop to 198F. On a day like today, this engine should idle at no more than 180.
A scan of the left and right tanks with an infrared show the hot side as consistent from top to bottom and the left side with varying temps. I believe this suggests the core is plugged and the radiator is not up to the task of cooling this 390+hp 350 – open to comments on that thought.
Will pull the radiator and move on with fixing/replacing.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,112
Likes: 28
From: Florida
Try and take your differential readings for the hot side at the tstat housing on the manifold and the lower outlet on the rad or just above the lower hose on the metal of the water pump for the cold side.
Dry driving it with the hood propped open a few inches to compare it to the overheating drives. I have driven c3s with the hood propped with no problems.
Dry driving it with the hood propped open a few inches to compare it to the overheating drives. I have driven c3s with the hood propped with no problems.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,790
Likes: 108
From: On the coast North of SF bay
Anyone have empirical data on the temp-differential between the hot and cold side of a radiator at any given ambient temp???
Tried to google that, but found no results that pertained.
Tried to google that, but found no results that pertained.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,790
Likes: 108
From: On the coast North of SF bay
Here are the results:
Cruising with ambient temp 60 = 183
Cruising with ambient temp 80 = 191
Even at stop lights temp never ran over 197 and would quickly drop after resuming speed.
All this with a 180 stat. The gauge indicates (sudden drop in reading) that the stat opens just about 180 and quickly drops before leveling off at 180+.
I would have hoped that at 80 ambient, the temp would have been below 190, but it seems like it will work for a few runs (no hotlaps) at Sonoma Raceway at 90+ degrees.
Now on to the final tuning - another thread for that coming up......
