Wow! The members here who are always saying we need to clear the debris from the radiator are spot on! I decided to "just do it" this morning and though it was a little more involved than I anticipated,I'm betting this is the first time that area has been cleaned since my '87 was built. There are leaves and trash 1/3 of the way up . I'm hoping this helps with my over heating problem.Thanks everyone.

tankman

 

Now would be a good time to make and install a mesh screen for the inlet area under the front bumper.

 

Thanks,but I'm too big of an idiot to do something like that and get it right .

 

Add a tranny cooler while you're there, like I did I also cut open the air-box and removed the "frizbee" from the water-pump pulley.

 

You've got to be kidding . I just told you guys how big a dunce I am,I'll be lucky to get this radiator shroud thingy back on correctly .

PS,WTH is a frizbee?

 

What's involved in removing the trash?

Chuck

 

I don't know if your car has it, but it's that big steel plate thats on the water-pump pulley. I thought it was just a lite tin disk till I took it off. It's actually a heavy plate, almost like a "free-weight". I don't know if you have 2 fans, but my car does so I wired them to run together. Now I run at no higher than 185 all day, maybe up to 200 or so with the AC on in traffic.

 

First, drain the coolant, then remove the top 2 front fan bolts going into the shroud, then disconnect the upper-hose from the rad along with the tranny lines and lower hose.Then remove the MAF and place it aside, then remove the air-cleaner assembly. Also, Be ready to cap off the tranny lines with rubber caps if you dont want tranny fluid on the floor. Then just start undoing all the little 10 and 8mm bolts all around the shroud. You might have to undo the power-steering resivour and move it aside. Undo the fan relay and move it aside, then just lift the shroud up AND BEHOLD, TONS OF CRAP!! Take the rad out and vacuum out the crap then hose or pressure-wash it out and do the same to the condenser.

 

Thanks. I only have one fan. I'm still thinking about pulling my thermostat to see if it's gunked up,but things look a little cramped in there,I'm leaning towards leaving it alone until I get up enough nerve to change my injectors . I purchased the injectors over a year ago but don't have the ballz to get started.

 

It aint that hard, just a little PITA. Did mine a few months ago, just make sure you have the right T-40 1/4" drive tools. I also did the regulator and took the opportunity to powder-coat the runners, re-do the valve-covers, plenum, altenator, air-pump and all the brackets Not to mention the cap, rotor, plugs, wires and HEI module Oh well.........

 

You can also get the temps down by adding a lower temp switch and wiring it into the fan relay ground wire. I'd go with a 180 stat and a 195 switch, thats what I'm running.

 

Thanks again,but I'm not comfortable with electricity except for flashlight batteries .

 

Wow caddyboy, you make a lot of work out of it, you can do that job by simply dropping the coolant level enough to take the top hose off. Then the air filter housing, then the bolts around the upper rad housing. Once they are all out you can get the top up high enough with the trans cooler line in place to get in there with a vacuum cleaner & suck all the trash out of there. After you get it all out then use compressed air to blow out the rad & the ac condenser then blow out the area where all the trash was again. Even with a screen at the bottom of the car there will still be junk get in there.

 

True, but.......I added a tranny cooler and took the rad out and pressure washed it along with the cavity and condenser coil.

 

The smart move is to get the hacksaw and cut a slot in the shroud ends so that next time it can be lifted off without having to d/c any lines or hoses...I get the cordless driver out, 2 size socket bits and mines off in 3 minutes. My MAF and duct is quick disconenct too....big hose clamps on a section of silicone hose for air duct and the MAF assy is lifted out of the way with the 2 hose clamps loosened. Cordless driver rocks !

How'd you mount your cooler caddy?

I took my bottom shroud out and reinforced it with 3/4" alumin C-channel on the top or inside. Reinstalled it and set the trans cooler in that track then clamped the cooler to that c-channel. Ran the hoses to the passenger side where I tapped in after the fluid went thru the radiator, so it went thru its own cooler before back to the tranny,. and double bagged the hoses where they lay across anything that might saw into them from vibration or rubbing. The trans cooler is about 3" in front of the condensor and covers maybe 2/3 of the frontal area. So far there have been no issues. I lift the top shroud off every few months to retreive dead birds and trash bags....and the occasional styro coffee cup. Having to do this sure makes me very aware of the crap that I'm willing to pass over on the streets and hiways...I usually dodge paper trash on the road like other folks dodge tire casings....

 

Well, I didn't do anything really fancy. I just got a basic Hayden 15"X10" and mounted it to the front of the condenser with the plastic ties and cushions. It just clears my secondary fan and I ran it solo not through the rad. I used my Dremel to open-up the shroud for hose clearance, like you said, I didn't want anything cutting through the lines. I really didn't anticipate how tight running the hoses would be I did alot that day, I cut open the air-box, removed the "frizbee" and wired both my fans to run, which works out nice because the secondary blows right on the cooler. All of this, with my home-made "Big Mouth Air-Dam" has me running a beautiful 185 all day. I think in heavy traffic with the AC on high, I hit 203 at a light for about 1 minute, than back to the high 190's with the AC. Best things I've done for the car thus far I also added a galvenized mesh grill in the air opening to avoid debris.

 

Hey caddyboy84,
You guys are way over my head. I'm just a parts changer and only fair at that. How did you construct your mesh thingy to stop the trash pickup? Also,how long did it take you to change injectors? I'm thinking that once I start on the injectors I'm gonna be down for a while .Thanks.

tankman

 

Well, I went to Home-Depot and picked up a roll of galvanized garden mesh. It's the kind of mesh the old "Zips" in Brooklyn used to use for thier tomato plants it's very flexible and can be easily bent into almost any shape, it's made up of wire and 1/2" square openings. It looks good and wont rust and is pretty much invisable to the air. I used exsisting screws in the front air-way to anchor it in place. I attached it to the top facia screws and to the bottom splitter screws. As far as the injector job goes, it depends on what you're gonna do and how much time you wanna take. I did alot of work so I had no choice but to have it take me a week. I waited for powder-coat, I redid everything on the top. I'm thinking that if I did just my injectors and regulator, it would be finished in an afternoon. Do yourself a favor and do the regulator and check the EGR while you're there. I also did the fuel pump and the filter. Take your time, a few hours each day and you should be done in 2 afternoons. No need to rush, not unless she's your daily driver, which I hope she aint

 

Now that you have cleaned out all that crap that was blocking the radiator.....your temp problem should be solved.

If you do change out the stat.......to a lower temperature, that will keep things even cooler.

 

Take a look at "My Garage" pictures so you get an idea of how to do the screen on the air-opening.