engine temp- is this normal?
Thread Starter
2nd Gear
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: Helena Mt
engine temp- is this normal?
1984, totally stock. Has the crossfire ignition, and an auto tranny. The car sat for about 8 years in a garage before coming back to life. Anyway, the car runs hot(with a new t-stat). The digital gauge reads out 220's-230's at idle with tranny in drive. Once out on the road the temp drops to about 205-210. If you kick the tranny into neutral while at stop lights and such the engine doesn't get as hot. Stay's around 215. The fan kicks on right at 195. I keep telling my dad that 230's is to hot and that we should pull the radiator and get it flushed. He says that that is the nature of the beast.
Does your vettes run that hot?? Thanks a ton for the help.
-Todd
Does your vettes run that hot?? Thanks a ton for the help.
-Todd
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 208
Likes: 1
From: NJ
Re: engine temp- is this normal? (Nurse)
Sounds about right. My 84 runs about 205 to 209, when cruising above 25 to 30 mph. In traffic, the temp will rise to 219 / 220, and then fan will kick on and bring it down until it shuts off at about 209.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
Likes: 487
From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Re: engine temp- is this normal? (Nurse)
Check the front of the radiator for debris such as dirt, leaves, paper, Honda's etc. Lots of stuff can get sucked up from the road onto both the radiator and the A/C condensor.
Use a stream of water from the back side of the radiator to flush out any junk. Air hose works too but just be careful about too much pressure.
Also, being that old and having sat for such a long time, you mave have some clogged tubes in the radiator core. Have you done a coolant flush? Might be a good idea to do that before you pull the radiator. Radiatord do "wear out" in that the tubes get thin and will not transfer the heat from the coolant as good as when they were new. Also have the system pressure tested to make sure there are no leaks anywhere. I would replace the hoses too.
Use a stream of water from the back side of the radiator to flush out any junk. Air hose works too but just be careful about too much pressure.
Also, being that old and having sat for such a long time, you mave have some clogged tubes in the radiator core. Have you done a coolant flush? Might be a good idea to do that before you pull the radiator. Radiatord do "wear out" in that the tubes get thin and will not transfer the heat from the coolant as good as when they were new. Also have the system pressure tested to make sure there are no leaks anywhere. I would replace the hoses too.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
Likes: 33
From: The Top of Utah
Re: engine temp- is this normal? (Nurse)
I keep telling my dad that 230's is to hot and that we should pull the radiator and get it flushed. He says that that is the nature of the beast.-Todd
RACE ON!!!
Racer
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 354
Likes: 1
From: BARTLETT TN
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-11-'12-'13
Re: engine temp- is this normal? (Nurse)
water wetter water wetter water wetter it really helped my95 and they sell it at autozone now. plus I have a 200 fan temp switch.
Thread Starter
2nd Gear
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: Helena Mt
Re: engine temp- is this normal? (CFI-EFI)
Thanks for all the great replies. First time on this site and i'm already treated like i've been here for months! I meant injection. I don't know why I put ignition. Anyway, thanks again, and i'll tell dad that he's right yet once more.
-Todd B
-Todd B
Pro
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 586
Likes: 0
From: Schmuckville SA
Re: engine temp- is this normal? (Nurse)
I think he is a tad on the high side...
Assuming that thermo is stock and the fan is kicking on at 195...
Wouldn't he be running at more like 195-205? Especially
when he is moving? Fan shouldnt be on if he is moving..
Sounds like it's on all the time if running at 205-210 on the road.
Maybe cleaning the radiator inside and out will bring it down a few..
I say this because my 85 will not run over 200 unless it's at a stop
or in slow traffic for a couple of minutes.. Other than that, it's high
180's and low 190's ... With stock thermostat and no cooling mods..
my .02
Assuming that thermo is stock and the fan is kicking on at 195...
Wouldn't he be running at more like 195-205? Especially
when he is moving? Fan shouldnt be on if he is moving..
Sounds like it's on all the time if running at 205-210 on the road.
Maybe cleaning the radiator inside and out will bring it down a few..
I say this because my 85 will not run over 200 unless it's at a stop
or in slow traffic for a couple of minutes.. Other than that, it's high
180's and low 190's ... With stock thermostat and no cooling mods..
my .02
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,565
Likes: 2
From: somewhere between heaven and hell WI
Re: engine temp- is this normal? (Nurse)
FLUSH FLUSH FLUSH!!!!
I flushed my 84 out and it was running about 199-205. After flushing it runs about 175-185!!!
FLUSH FLUSH FLUSH!!!!!!
I flushed my 84 out and it was running about 199-205. After flushing it runs about 175-185!!!
FLUSH FLUSH FLUSH!!!!!!
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Drifting
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 1,478
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From: Sacramento, CA Money can't buy happiness - but it's more comfortable to cry in a Corvette than a Yugo.
Re: engine temp- is this normal? (Nurse)
In the C4 Tech Tips there should be a write-up on how to pull the radiator and clean it up. The area in front of it catches lots of junk from the road. I had similar temps in my 88 until I followed the tech tip. I pulled the radiator and washed the outside and all fins with a dilute solution of Simple Green. Used a small flat blade screwdriver to straighten every bent fin. Took all of one Saturday morning. After that it never went above 220 except at the drive thru on hot evenings. Even then it stayed below 225. Soon after I installed a 180 thermostat and lower temp aux fan switch and now it won't go above 220 even at the drive thru on hot nights. Runs at 183 on the highway and 185~195 in town all day.
