Hi Guys,

Earlier, I posted a thread describing cooling problems on my NON stock 383 L-98 that seems to make more heat earlier so sorry for the redundancy.

I did everything I could to make it run as close to acceptable (180-225) as possible including installing a Ron Davis radiator, TWO 11" puller spal fans, TWO 10" pusher fans, a flowkooler water pump and a 20% smaller water pump pulley and I can now pretty much idle without the temps gradually creeping up.

It runs close to the thermostat opening temp if I don't stress it out or turn the AC on. If I turn the AC on in city traffic it just keeps going up and up even with both fans on. It will eventually hit 235 before I shut the AC off and find a stretch of highway to cool it down. I never want to push it and find out where it level's off. I'm almost sure it won't come down in city traffic even after I shut the AC down.

When I used a smaller water pump pulley it ran better and the "creeping" slowed down a lot. It's to the point where I can actually drive in city traffic now. I get the "cycle" behavior where it reaches the thermostat temp or a little above it then comes down when the fans kick in.

Since summer is coming and I'd like to use the AC (which works) I am considering using a LARGER crank pulley and am wondering if anyone "can see" any problems with doing that. Clearance is one issue and a different serpentine belt is another. Can anyone (including CFI-EFI) think of anything else I should be aware of?

BTW, a really cool guy by the name of Lee :-) at ASP Racing is building a custom pulley for me and there is a 3-4 week lag before I get it. I ordered it already and am hoping to hear about any problems before he actually gets around to making it.

Please remember that this a hotter running NON STCOK 383 L-98.

Thanks to all for helping last time and I'm really looking forward to hearing the answers

Lee

 

For one thing you will be spinning all accessories faster and that will require more engine power which will likely contribute at least in some small way, to higher temps.

Had you considered going to an electric WP??

I am curious as to just why your 383 is running so hot???

 

You may want to put a larger pulley on your alternator to reduce the possibility of burning it out.

 

Although you didn't acknowledge our efforts in your first thread, I see you have gotten away from your preoccupation with going to a smaller crank pulley to speed up the water pump. I could go out and open my hood to check for crank pulley clearance, but what's the point. That would be the answer for my car. It ought to be readily apparent whether you have clearance for a larger pulley, or not, by looking at your car.



That is way overkill on after market cooling accessories.



For one thing, it sounds as though you are expecting your engine to run cooler than is either smart or practical. This sentence "it reaches the thermostat temp or a little above it then comes down when the fans kick in." makes it sound as though you have the fans coming in at or just above 180°. It isn't reasonable to expect any Gen I C4 to run at or near thermostat temp idling or in heavy traffic. 235° isn't anything to get too worried about. GM says to shut the engine off if you reach 260°. The stock fan in my car didn't ever come on until 238°. Now with a 206° fan on temp, the fan comes on, the engine cools and then it warms back up to 206° and the cycle repeats itself.

What you are asking of your C4 isn't a reasonable expectation. You are looking for a solution to a non problem. As soon as I post this a 1000 people will say they have done it, but I know of no C4 that will idle all day long at thermostat temperature, especially with a cooler than stock thermostat.

RACE ON!!!

 

CFI. I did say thanks to all who helped last time. Did you want me to thank you specifically? Ok. Thank you CFI SPECIFICALLY for answering and for helping last time. Cool ? (pardon the pun)

I don't think so. I ratcheted up adding components as needed. Perhaps I didn't make myself clear last time. This engine puts out MUCH more heat than my old stock engine. I don't know why. Can you shed some light on why it possibly does that? Timing is exactly at 6 degrees before TDC as it should be.

Again, let my repeat myself CFI, When the FANS KICK ON, the temps DO NOT GO DOWN at ALL in idle. You are perhaps used to seeing this cycle on your car but it doesn't work that way on mine anymore. I hope that's clear by now.

The cooler than stock (180) thermostat was an attempt at delaying the inevitable temperature creep upwards. I'd gladly put back a 195 degree thermostat if I could ARREST the temp creep with fans kiccking in.
I'm not expecting miracles. I just DON'T want my temps to keep rising without a limitng factor of some sort. Your fans coming on seems to limit the heat in your car. It does NOT in mine.

I don't race AT ALL. I just want to drive my car without worrying about over heating WITH the AC on and in NORMAL stop and go traffic in the washington DC metro area where even freeways are at a stand still MOST of the time.

AGAIN, THANKS to ALL (AND CFI-EFI) who have chimed in and attempted to help LAST TIME and this time. I'll go back and edit the last thread to repeat my gratitude.

 

You quoted half a sentence, as evidenced by the comma you let remain, and missed the whole point of that sentence. I wasn't asking for thanks or praise for myself or anyone else. The point was, that as of the end of your previous thread, you were seeking a SMALLER crank shaft pulley to further speed up your water pump after several of us had pointed out that you if you want to speed up the water pump with a crank shaft pulley change, you would have to go to a LARGER crank shaft pulley. The title to this thread indicates that whether through our efforts or not, you finally realize what you couldn't grasp in your first thread. You missed the whole point of that sentence. Reading and comprehension is fundamental.



How do you know that the timing at "6 degrees before TDC" IS "as it should be"? This isn't the stock engine that conforms to the factory engineering. By what authority do you make that statement? Without more information, it appears to me, that you have thrown an overkill of cure to cover up a symptom, rather than to address the cause.



It was clear in the beginning. But I haven't attempted to start my fan at thermostat temp. Your engine certainly puts out more heat than mine, but you would find your fans would be more effective if they were working to try to maintain a more reasonable temperature.



Delaying the inevitable, is only a delay. It is not a (the) cure. Have you tried a reasonable temp to have the fans try to maintain?

I still think you are attacking the problem from the wrong end. Instead of trying to dissipate heat that the C4 can't deal with, you should be trying to eliminate most of the excessive heat from being generated.

RACE ON!!!