Hi All, on a recent trip to florida I took this video footage of the new stereo I installed in my C4 and realized that I had a snapshot of my new "operating temps" in the middle of the video which in hind site looked to be too low.

A bit slow to download and a hair too long but here it is:
http://www.labib.com/2cool.wmv

I know we've already beaten this issue to death and I've read a lotta posts about it but now that I actually have my cooling issue behind me with the new 383 swap, I've gotta ask again.

Should I shoot for higher operating oil / coolant temps or am I ok at oil below 200 and coolant below 180 all the time? I sorta love seeing these coolant temp numbers and they are a far cry from the 220's and up I used to stare at.

Unless someone convinces me of NEEDING to run at a hotter engine oil temp / collant temp I'm tempted to keep it as is. I also can't believe I'm getting 23 MPG on the highway !

One more time please. Why not?

Thanks
Lee

 

As long as the engine reaches proper warm up temps at some point, i dont think there is any harm.

I've been running 160* thermo for years. Highway sits at about 165-175, around town in the killer heat we are having lately it sits at around 200-210.

 

So you have what? A lower temp thermostat? I'm digging the 170 degrees coolant temp on the highway. Oil is just right were it should be, about 200 degrees.

 

Hi all, yeah I think I'm going to stop fooling around with cooling and just leave it like this.
The cooling setup is as follows:

Ron Davis Radiator
Flowkooler hi flow pump
2 spall 11" puller fans
2 permacool 10" pusher fans
Robert Shaw 160 thermostat
AFP overdrive waterpump pulley (stable idling)

With the standard waterpump pulley, everything was great except that temps used to creep up as I sat at lights or idled in traffic. if I idled in neutral, temps would level off. After I installed the overdrive pulley, temp changes are minimal. If nobody says otherwise, I'll consider this problem solved. Now on to the next thing.

Thanks for the opinions y'all. I appreciate it.
Lee

 

I dont see anything wrong with it, so long as you can get it up to temperature and cruise awhile at temps at least near 200F oil. I'm assuming those are cruising temps, where we have plenty of air coming over the radiator. The condensation will burn out of the engine if it gets warm and stays that way for a bit.

Now in wintertime it may be a different story, if you drive it alot.

 

Lee, where did you get the parts listed below;

1.) Flowkooler hi flow pump
2.) Permacool 10" pusher fans ( did you install additional relays)
3.) AFP overdrive waterpump pully

Great information thanks....................

 

You are OK, I have a Dewitts and a Flowkooler and on the interstate my car Coolant will drop to 185 but go up when I get onto side streets.

My oil can get down to 193 or so on a cool day, like 50's air temp

http://flowkooler.com/

 

The temps should be fine. That music however could make it break down and puke coolant all over the place.


j/jk

 

 

 

Hi Guys,

LOL I'm cracking up reding the comment about the music. That's hillarious. It was the Chick Corea band back in 1989 and yeah it was sorta geeky by todays standard ...

The flowkooler pump was surprisingly good and cheap (~120 dollars from http://www.flowkooler.com/engines.php pump 1688 for 1984-1991 corvettes.

You can get a Robert shaw thermostat either from flowkooler or from stewart. I got it from Stewart because they drill 3 small holes in it for more a controlled response they said. I used code 300 160 degrees. http://www.stewartcomponents.net/Mer...ory_Code=Therm

The perma cool fans were not as strong as the SPAL pullers but they had a square frame and installed very easily around the lower valence area by just drilling and bolting. They didn't need top anchoring to the shroud or air intake and they don't rattle. I have them wired to come on at 165 by the ecm as the main fan. The main SPAL fans are triggered by a hypertech temp switch and come on at 170. (+-3 degrees).

http://perma-cool.com/Catalog/Cat_page16.html
model 19010

It took me a long time to play with the various components and to get to this configuration. I have 3 extra water pumps now.

Lesson learned. More is NOT better apparently because the polished stewart pump I originally installed wasn't enough at idle either. When you pu in a bigger engine, cooling characteristics change and one has to "dial in a new system...

I can only hope someone else benefits from my expensive R&D

 

Oops! Sorry LD85 I forgot to include the pulley info. I forgot the web site (the bookmark is at work) but it's also called Auto Specialties Performance in Stafford Texas. The guy's name is also Lee :-) 1 281 261 8845. The receipt says 4.225" WP Pulley at $125.00 ouch.

The fans each have a relay each and wiring was in parallel.
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=330-079

Roadagent I'm STILL laughing my a$$ off about the music comment. I can't wait to show it to my wife. VERY VERY clever! Good thing the AC works and I can the music to myself :-)

 

I disagree with the others. Great jams playing on that video.

 

What he didn't tell 'ya is he grooves on Barry Manilow all day!

 

Barry Manilow ???? I'm cracking up again this morning. :-) I gotta dispell that accusation !!!! NEVER in a gazillion years. The car would probably object at that point. It might decide to get me stranded by macys or bloomingdales or someplace like that ....

I work on my C4 all the time guys and have even done an engine swap. I DON'T listen to barry manilow at all!!!! I actually listen to people like James Taylor , Crosby stills nash and young and mostly standards Jazz and stuff like that. Great 60's/70's music.

Every once in a while I'll crank up some classical music and you should see the look on people's faces when they see a C4 vert with a serious subwoofer setup cranking classical music out loud. I get everything from wtf? to thumbs up. No rappers here :-)