now me being a bit of a vette newb, but not a stranger to chevy small blocks im getting to get my car road bound.

im gonna try to get my coolant temp lower due to its 225* standard, i was going to go with a Lingenfelter 160* Thermostat. i know Lingenfelter makes good stuff, i dono how picky i should be about what i put in my vette, also hoses, i was able to make a SS upper hose work but its not got the right bends and i was wanting to know every ones favs.

i also found Zip corvettes has Hypertech low temp 160* therm. that one is a bit more than the lingenfelter running at 20.00.


and near future i wanna get a new water pump, what is a good high flow MECHANICAL pump, i dont see any reason to run an electric for a daily (pleasure vehicle) driver type veh.

and the one sound that my vette makes is a sound im unsure of, as its running it sounds like an old school slow running air compressor like a soft "blaup,blaup,blaup" that is running at the same speed as the engine. its not sluggish or running hard, runs great as i can tell just dont know if its something i should worry about. it did blow a rad hose a month ago, but i put a new hose on and it seems to be running fine, and the person that i got it from, shut the car off rolled into a parking lot as soon as it started spraying coolant everywhere, him also being a gear head always had the temp gauge up and kept an eye on it always saying 200-228* rang. anyways thank you for reading my rant and horrible run on sentences when im in a hurry

 

Always give the year of your car and the type if tranny if applicable to your questions. I do not know the year of your car and there are differences from year to year.

The Corvette will typically run at about 200* when on the open road. When stopped or in heavy traffic the temps will climb.

On an early LT1 car the first fan should come on at 229* and the second at 239*. On later LT1 cars both fans come on at low speed first and then high speed later, at about the same temps.

Putting a lower temp. thermostat will not change the temp that the car runs at, it will only change the temp at which the water starts circulating. The condition of the cooling system determines the actual running temp of the car. These cars are known to suck all sorts of junk off the road into the gap between the AC condenser and the radiator and restrict airflow. Check and see how much junk is in there.

Also old radiators can lose a lot of their ability to transfer heat from the coolant to the air going through the radiator. Maybe you could do with a new radiator if the flow of water is restricted or heat transfer is low.

 

sorry about that i need to make a sig.


1996 LT1 AT

 

If your only seeing the 225° temps while sitting in stop and go traffic, that is perfectly normal and will cause no harm.

When the car is not moving, there is no airflow going through the radiator until the electric fans come on.
With the A/C off, they will come on in the 228° range.
They will also run whenever the A/C is on, so the Corvette will actually run cooler with the A/C on.

At any speed over 35 mph, your temps should be in the 190°-198° range.
That is because you have air being forced through the radiator as the car moves.

If your seeing the 225°F while moving, then you have an issue to look in too.

If your cooling system is in good condition with the proper coolant mix and pressure, the boiling point is up around 260°F

My '96 will sit and idle all day long in the 217°F - 230°F range.
Once the electric fans kick on, the temps lower until they turn off, and the cycle repeats itself.
That is the way they came from the factory. Even the newer Corvettes run at these temps.

 

Adding a lower temp therm will not have any effect in your case.

 

well i was getting higher than that but i was working air out of the system, i have not seen it go above 225 after the coolant was topped off.

so a lower temp therm and a high flow WP wont make a diff? unless i have it tuned for the fans to come on sooner.

what about that funny noise that i have that i was describing?

 

cough *bump*

 

If it is running 225 consistently when moving I'd check the radiator for blockage. The funny noise - sticky valve(s) maybe???

 

You could be hearing the air pump...possiby leaky gasket/exhaust leak.

Any low temp sbc stat will work Milodons always worked well with a high flow pump if you have one.

Wait saw you have the Lt1...dont know if that stat is different. High flow pumps you really dont need them. Some tend to cavitate at higher speeds if the impeller isnt of the right design and perfectly straight.

 

Be completely positive of the condition/cleanliness of your cooling system. If it is right you don't need anything GM didn't put on it.

 

oh thats right air pump forgot about that. it goes away once the car warms up.

whats the best way chem to clean the system with. i saw about the Knock sensors and drain it all out. but what chem breaks it up. i know rubbing alc. does a great job of breaking things up when its hot