1988 c4 - temp question
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Instructor
Joined: Mar 2010
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From: DFW texas
1988 c4 - temp question
ok so just got done redoing a l98 with afr heads , has a older cam in it , new water pump , and 160 degree thermostat from zip -
however after running it today - not even 30 min into running the car my temp is reading 230 which seems high to me but i wanted to ask yall what should be normal operating temperature for a 88 c4 with 180 afr heads and 160 degree thermostat
i do not want to overheat these new heads - coolant seems to be running through the coilds when i have the radiator cap off
so im just concerned --
update - i just let it run at idle in the driveway , once the temp got to 236 i got worried and shut it off -
thanks all
however after running it today - not even 30 min into running the car my temp is reading 230 which seems high to me but i wanted to ask yall what should be normal operating temperature for a 88 c4 with 180 afr heads and 160 degree thermostat
i do not want to overheat these new heads - coolant seems to be running through the coilds when i have the radiator cap off
so im just concerned --
update - i just let it run at idle in the driveway , once the temp got to 236 i got worried and shut it off -
thanks all
Last edited by foreveraudio; Apr 25, 2012 at 09:09 PM. Reason: update
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 2,469
Likes: 6
From: Winchester Ontario
That temp, although high isn't too high to worry about.
I remember thinking of getting a 160 years back, but the general consensus on that is you'll only see 160 degrees as the temperature passes it
I think a 180 would be perfect and either re-program your chip to turn the fans on earlier or splice in an override switch to the fans so you can manually turn them on whenever you desire.
One time, a fan blew on me and I was at a point where I could not shut the car off (at customs at the border) so when I got to the other side, it was 265! The steam was coming out the side of the hood and it blew the cover off the overflow tank.
I remember thinking of getting a 160 years back, but the general consensus on that is you'll only see 160 degrees as the temperature passes it
I think a 180 would be perfect and either re-program your chip to turn the fans on earlier or splice in an override switch to the fans so you can manually turn them on whenever you desire.
One time, a fan blew on me and I was at a point where I could not shut the car off (at customs at the border) so when I got to the other side, it was 265! The steam was coming out the side of the hood and it blew the cover off the overflow tank.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 90,675
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From: SE NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
My prior 35th Anni (stock heads & building 300chp) ran a 160deg T-stat with main fan On and would hold 160deg until air temps got into the high 80s-90s; then it would run maybe 170 deg.
Was the car at idle with main fan running when coolant temp got that high?
Was the car at idle with main fan running when coolant temp got that high?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2010
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From: DFW texas
the fans are working i havent noticed what temp their coming on yet, but i remember when i fist got the car - it ran anywhere from 180 to 205
i put a hypertech chip in , removed air pump and added the air pump alimator pulley in -
i got local corvette shops telling me anything over 235 you need to kill the engine -
so thats why im worried now that i have these new heads on there
i put a hypertech chip in , removed air pump and added the air pump alimator pulley in -
i got local corvette shops telling me anything over 235 you need to kill the engine -
so thats why im worried now that i have these new heads on there
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 841
Likes: 1
the fans are working i havent noticed what temp their coming on yet, but i remember when i fist got the car - it ran anywhere from 180 to 205
i put a hypertech chip in , removed air pump and added the air pump alimator pulley in -
i got local corvette shops telling me anything over 235 you need to kill the engine -
so thats why im worried now that i have these new heads on there
i put a hypertech chip in , removed air pump and added the air pump alimator pulley in -
i got local corvette shops telling me anything over 235 you need to kill the engine -
so thats why im worried now that i have these new heads on there
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2010
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From: DFW texas
ok
well thats what makes me think something else here is wrong cause when the old head gaskets went my temp was climbing high like this - and the heads were done back in 1990 so i figured it happened just cause they were old and beat up
but now with brand new heads and still having the same temp issue something has to be wrong - yet everything appears to be working normal
but now with brand new heads and still having the same temp issue something has to be wrong - yet everything appears to be working normal
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 841
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well thats what makes me think something else here is wrong cause when the old head gaskets went my temp was climbing high like this - and the heads were done back in 1990 so i figured it happened just cause they were old and beat up
but now with brand new heads and still having the same temp issue something has to be wrong - yet everything appears to be working normal
but now with brand new heads and still having the same temp issue something has to be wrong - yet everything appears to be working normal
but I get the impression your not running a race car, so hopefully it's not that. My friend just had to pull his new 87 G/N motor because he used the wrong head-gasgets and one of them breached because of the turbo boost. Check the plugs for coolant burn and the oil, then try a head-gasget test to see if you have exshaust emmissions in the coolant.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 456
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From: Columbus Oh
Did you do any tuning? What's the current fuel pressure? How much cam did you install (or what cam is in it and has it run before with that cam?)? Did you do any tuning for the heads or are you running a stock tune? Where's the timing set and has the ring on your balancer moved? Did you check the timing before you took it apart (just to get an idea where it is/was)?
Racer
Joined: Aug 2010
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From: Lebbrownsville Indiana
WITH blown head gaskets and tons of blow-by I was running 210-230 on 80+ degree days. Moving would drop the temps to ~200-210. Sitting they would reach to 230 then the aux fan would kick on and drop bacl to 210.
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2004
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From: Austin TX
Runnin' hot
I had a lot of trouble with my car running hotter than I wanted when I got it, the radiator cap is lower than the top hose and it would not vent all the air out of the system. Now runs under 200 most of the time even here in Texas during the summer with only the main fan.
Thread Starter
Instructor
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From: DFW texas
ok
yea im in texas as well -
the cam was done years ago , and i have no specsa on cam -
car ran fine - then temp started going weird , thats when it lead to finding head gasket was gone - heads were just old cause they were done in 1990
so i got these new afr 180 heads - timing is set new water pump
new 160 thermo
still temps getting to 235 after cars been running at idle for 30 min
both fans work
dont know, what else to have checked other then doing a fow test on radiator
stock tune with hypertech chip
the cam was done years ago , and i have no specsa on cam -
car ran fine - then temp started going weird , thats when it lead to finding head gasket was gone - heads were just old cause they were done in 1990
so i got these new afr 180 heads - timing is set new water pump
new 160 thermo
still temps getting to 235 after cars been running at idle for 30 min
both fans work
dont know, what else to have checked other then doing a fow test on radiator
stock tune with hypertech chip
Last edited by foreveraudio; Apr 26, 2012 at 03:42 PM. Reason: update
Racer
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 456
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From: Columbus Oh
Did you change thermostats? If so, pull it out and drill two small holes in the outside edges (not in the edge, but in the flat part). Two holes a little under 1/8" should do the trick. That will help the engine purge air out of the heads and block. Or, remove the thermostat, fill it with coolant and see if it still overheats. You could have a stuck thermostat. It also could be a tuning issue (such as being lean) or timing.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 841
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Did you change thermostats? If so, pull it out and drill two small holes in the outside edges (not in the edge, but in the flat part). Two holes a little under 1/8" should do the trick. That will help the engine purge air out of the heads and block. Or, remove the thermostat, fill it with coolant and see if it still overheats. You could have a stuck thermostat. It also could be a tuning issue (such as being lean) or timing.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2010
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From: DFW texas
ok well
could this be related - i noticed i have no heat now, and there is no coolant flow from the heater hoses -
the lower hose goes to the water pump , upper hose looks like its ran to the bottom of the throttle body is this correct - hoses do not apear to be clogged
the lower hose goes to the water pump , upper hose looks like its ran to the bottom of the throttle body is this correct - hoses do not apear to be clogged
Racer
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 456
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From: Columbus Oh
It still sounds like there is air in the system. Pull the thermostat and drill 2 holes 1/8" in diameter in the outer flat area. Then reassemble and fill with coolant. Start it with the radiator cap off of the tank and blip the throttle a few times to help force the air out of the engine. Once it quits producing air and the coolant level seems to have settled down, put the cap on and let it cool. It should draw a little coolant from the overflow as it cools and that should get most of the air out. Driving it should remove the rest.
Thread Starter
Instructor
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From: DFW texas
i tried that
i tried that with no luck , i actually think maybe this new waterpump is defective so i pulled it off im gonna exchange it tomorrow i dont think it was pushing coolant
but im not a mechanic -
i disconnected the heater hoses from the firewall and started the car, no coolant came out of either hose - and that was running it with no thermostat -
so doesnt it make sense that is a bad waterpump
or something else im gonna see tomorrow if napa gave me a reverse flow pump cause that would also explain it
so help me what do yall think
but im not a mechanic -
i disconnected the heater hoses from the firewall and started the car, no coolant came out of either hose - and that was running it with no thermostat -
so doesnt it make sense that is a bad waterpump
or something else im gonna see tomorrow if napa gave me a reverse flow pump cause that would also explain it
so help me what do yall think
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2010
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From: DFW texas
standard
this is a standard l98 corvette 350 -
i believe the belt rides underneath the water pump pully
all i know is there is no flow from the waterpump through the heater hoses to the firewall
trying to figure out why
i believe the belt rides underneath the water pump pully
all i know is there is no flow from the waterpump through the heater hoses to the firewall
trying to figure out why