Only way to clean it is take the radiator shroud off, and stick your hands in there to pull out the trash.

Best way is to go ahead and pull the radiator and clean the crap from in between the fins. Then restraighten the fins because youll bend them quite easily.

I dont see why 160 thermos arent standard equipment in FL, It gets hot as hell up here and mine runs right around 210oil/180 coolant with the 160 AND a fan reprogram. Your car might not be running too hot now, but I know when the real heat kicks in within a couple weeks itll start climbing up there.

 

So then is it safe to assume that even though the old 160 sat opened when tested that in some way it was bad...cause all else is the same and the car is running far cooler now :confused:
Sats are too cheap not to try a 160 but it's sort of tricky to get at them on this car.... :thumbs:
Charlie....

 

There had to be something wrong with it, it may have opened but not all the way. Theres no reason why a 180 should make the car run cooler than a 160.

 

I am going to repeat what I have read many different times in many car magazines written by people who know far more than I do about auto cooling systems....
Keep in mind these are just view points I have read from people in the cooling industry, I listen to everyone in the interest of learning.... I'm posting this in reply to your last post stating... "Theres no reason why a 180 should make the car run cooler than a 160."

In some cases a sat that opens at too low a temp doesn't allow water to remain in the radiator long enough to cool the water down, there must be some restriction in the cooling system even in racers, that's why people like Moroso sell restrictor plates to use in racers that don't want a sat that starts in a closed position and has to wait until the car heats up to open, but they still want the water to remain in the radiator long enough to be cooled.....

That's just what I have read many times over the years...
Charlie. :thumbs:

 

The water stays in the radiator for the same amount of time no matter what stat you use.

Look, if you dont want a 160, thats just fine by me. My temps were higher with the 180 than they are now, and we have the same car. Granted, i only had the 180 in for a couple of days over the summer.

 

Vader, I was not trying to **** you off... I'm trying to learn.....The other day my Car craft magazine came in the mail, my kind ol' dad sends me a scrip' it it each year, they do have good info and under 50 tips under 50 bucks they say lose the 190 sat get a 160......so today I stuck a 160 in there I have not driven it yet, want the gasket sealer to dry but I will update on what happens.....
However on the subject of how long water stays in the radiator people in mags argue about that, engine have hot and cool spots and if you for example had no stat the water is free flowing.....I have no opinion on what is right there I just want my car to run the coolest it can and I will let you know what this 160 stat does...
cheers, C

 

Yeah, check that area bewteen the condensor and radiator. The only way to do it is by pulling the shroud. That's the panel the air intake housing screws to. I didn't know about checking that and I blow both head gaskets before I noticed it and shut it down because of the trash buildup in front of the rad.

When I put it back together I left the thermo out and installed a new radiator and upper and lower hoses and the heater hoses. I also installed a 180F fan temp swicth and run about 3/4 gallon anti-freeze and the rest water. Water cools better than anti-freeze but has no lubricants or anti-rust properties for the water pump and things that operate inside the cooling system. But I live in sunny CA by the beach. If you aren't blessed with this kind of "throw your jackets away" weather, you might want to follow your factory recommendations for that.

My warmed over '87 runs about 148F on the freeway at night this time of year and the only time the fans ever come on is when I sit in a fast-food drive through. I also run about 2 degrees more initial timing which tends to make the engine run hotter. Let me tell ya, when they say colder makes more HP, believe it!

Unlike the last guy who rebuilt my engine, I left the farthest rear plugs in the head gaskets for the cooling passages to keep coolant out of the manifold, in that area anyway. The last mechanic pulled them out. I don't know if this has anything to do with my cool engine or not.

BIG JIM


[Modified by BIG JIM 54, 12:33 PM 4/27/2003]

 

I'm in Fl I don't need antifreeze at all I use water pump/radiator lube and conditiner, I'm shocked that you don't have a stat at all and don't over heat but I had a 78 camaro that had no stat and didn't overheat no AC though,
My custom 66 vette only had an electric fan don't recall what stat I used and from here to work about 10 miles it never got hot enough to even turn the fan on...did you rewire your fan, the computer controls the radiator fan on my 86 so I either have to get a new chip burned or rewire the fan to a switch do you recall the part number of the 180 switch you used....I also have a custom high output upgrade fan for my can but haven't gotten around to

I had mentioned before using a piece of screen holes bigger than house door screen something like what the ricers use in their grills..... to keep trash out of the our radiators and damned if I didn't see a pop up ad for one on this forum and now can't find it again....can't recall the price but screen is cheap and I am a build it yourself kind of guy....
Cheers, C.

 

Here's my update, today was 95 outside...I installed the 160 stat electric fan comes on about 221 or with AC I had AC on all day, car ran 195-197 for the longest time then got up to 210 and dropped from 210 to like 198.....I have not cleaned out the front of the radiator yet and my car is missing the air damn...who sells the air damn the cheapest....or I'm gonna make one....So I guess the 160 is running somewhat cooler than the 180 did, which means the 160 that I originally pulled out must have been bad.....I might rewire the fan so it's not the computer that tells it when to come on but a switch that comes on at about 190.....but hell 98% I have the AC on in fact I offed some kid in a rice racer today with my air on.....:D
Cheers, c.

 

I pulled the rad shroud on my 88 yesterday. What a load of crap in there.
No getting my hand in there but I used a spring loaded remote claw.
Leaves galore..cigarette butts, celophane, feathers and more leaves. Then I taped a section a copper pipe to the vacuum hose and sucked out the small
junk and then a final blast with air! Nice and clean and with a 180 thermostat
while I was there......it's running at 183.
It's true about the stuff that piles up in front of the radiator! :yesnod:

 

are you sure the fans are running , Both that is! :auto:

 

If I were to reprogram my fans what should I reprogram them at?

thanks guys

 

I would have to agree with the post that suggest cleaning the :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: