94 LT1-Cooling problem
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 482
Likes: 0
From: Wilmington NC
94 LT1-Cooling problem
Hello all,
My LT1 wants to operate at between 212 and 225 degrees all the time, but when I first got the car 5 years ago the temp stayed around 195. I have replaced the thermostat and the radiator is less than a year old. The system has been flushed.
Another thing I noticed is that my A/C is not cooling as well as it used to. The R134 is full.
Could the condensor cooling fins be plugged up with road gunk and dirt cause this? My next step is to pull the cowling and get all the trash out of the gap if there is any there. But could air flow being restricted through the condensor cause the problems I'm having?
And if so, is there any easy way to clean the fins without pulling the evaporator? I had thought about spraying it heavily with a good cleaner like Greased Lightning and then spraying it out as much as I can from under the front. Opinions?
My LT1 wants to operate at between 212 and 225 degrees all the time, but when I first got the car 5 years ago the temp stayed around 195. I have replaced the thermostat and the radiator is less than a year old. The system has been flushed.
Another thing I noticed is that my A/C is not cooling as well as it used to. The R134 is full.
Could the condensor cooling fins be plugged up with road gunk and dirt cause this? My next step is to pull the cowling and get all the trash out of the gap if there is any there. But could air flow being restricted through the condensor cause the problems I'm having?
And if so, is there any easy way to clean the fins without pulling the evaporator? I had thought about spraying it heavily with a good cleaner like Greased Lightning and then spraying it out as much as I can from under the front. Opinions?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 8,700
Likes: 298
From: Ft. Lauderdale Fl
Try this. This may be a longshot but worth a try. First shield your Optispark with towels or plastic or anything to keep it dry. With a garden hose, get under the front with the hose and spray the evaporator with water until it is clean. This worked on my 1996...I now am at a steady 190.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 861
Likes: 1
From: Hyde Park NY
St. Jude Donor '05
Originally Posted by elefkow
Try this. This may be a longshot but worth a try. First shield your Optispark with towels or plastic or anything to keep it dry. With a garden hose, get under the front with the hose and spray the evaporator with water until it is clean. This worked on my 1996...I now am at a steady 190.
try to clean the condenser cause the air to the radiator needs to travel through the condenser coils to get to it. So if ac condenser coils are clogged, this would impact cooling air flow to the radiator proper. Let us know if flushing with water hose helps. thanks.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 482
Likes: 0
From: Wilmington NC
I didn't get time to clean the condenser today but I did a little experiment.
I know the refrigerant is hot when it comes into the condenser so I tried not running the A/C around town today and the car ran 15 degrees cooler!!! So that tells me that possibly heat from the condenser was affecting the temp of the airflow into the radiator. And with insufficent airflow through the condenser the heat couldn't dissipate as it normally would.
I went back out again, this time with the A/C on, and the temps were back into the 215-225 range.
So the condenser WILL get cleaned this weekend!!
I know the refrigerant is hot when it comes into the condenser so I tried not running the A/C around town today and the car ran 15 degrees cooler!!! So that tells me that possibly heat from the condenser was affecting the temp of the airflow into the radiator. And with insufficent airflow through the condenser the heat couldn't dissipate as it normally would.
I went back out again, this time with the A/C on, and the temps were back into the 215-225 range.
So the condenser WILL get cleaned this weekend!!
