Marto1955
Thread Starter
6th Gear
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Marto1955
OVERHEATING 2002 Corvette Changed water pump, 160 thermo checked relays still clicking with 12 volts ( can they still be bad if still clicking) Is so I'll repace them. 9yrs old anyway. temp stayed at 220 idling drove down the road 300yrs topped out at 260 and shut her down. took the radiator out and cleaned it had quite a bit of grass and road debris. Shot water into it and had flow out the other end, but that doesnt mean the vains are clogged up inside . My next step was to purchase a new radiator. Instead of having it serviced, spend the money on a NEW One, and forget about it. ANYBODY HAVE ANY IDEAS?
Last edited by Marto1955; Sep 14, 2011 at 12:07 AM. Reason: OVERHEATING 2002
Thread Starter
6th Gear
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Overheating 2002 Corvette
Yes Chris Fans are on! And all relays are good. Purchased a new Radiator today. After I get it I'll cut the old one open to see if vains are clogged up! I was going to get a custom one from Ron Davis radiators but I'm out of work right now . Everyone ought to check them out they do a NICE JOB!! all alum and 2 rows of fins BEAUTIFUL . Ill do it when I get back to work ($899) if I dont like the temp. I dont like my engines runnin in the 220 range too hot.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 101
Likes: 0
From: Justin TX
Sounds like you still have air in the cooling system to me. I had the same problem after a cam swap. A friend that was a lot smarter than me told me to fill the reservoir up to the top and let the system push the air out over the next couple of days and that worked.
You could also still have a thermostat problem. I replaced my stock thermostat with a 160 from JEGS and it was bad out of the box. Took me a month to figure out why the car would overheat sitting still but not while moving. Swapped it out and the problem was solved.
There are posts in the forum for testing thermostats, could be an easy fix.
Good Luck!
You could also still have a thermostat problem. I replaced my stock thermostat with a 160 from JEGS and it was bad out of the box. Took me a month to figure out why the car would overheat sitting still but not while moving. Swapped it out and the problem was solved.
There are posts in the forum for testing thermostats, could be an easy fix.
Good Luck!
Thread Starter
6th Gear
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
I'm going to fill through the top radiator hose with water pump hose connected. Closed thermo should stop the flow. Then stick a hose in the top of water pump and fill the block hopefully this will get most of the air out before we start. Then fill the rest at flow tank, See what happens
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 18,681
Likes: 47
From: Reno is so close to Hell you can see Sparks , State Of Confusion
St. Jude Donor '12-'13-'14
The LS1 is famous for getting air in the system, Did you burp the system correctly?
According to the service manual:
1. Fill the system through the surge tank opening.
2. Fill half the capacity of the system with 100 percent DEX-COOL® coolant.
3. Slowly add clean drinkable water to the system until the level reaches to the base of the neck.
4. Start the engine.
5. Idle engine for 1 minute.
6. Install surge tank cap.
7. Cycle the RPM, idle to 3000 in 30 second intervals until engine coolant reaches 99°C (210°F).
9.Shut off the engine.
10. Refer to step 3 above to remove the surge tank cap.
11. Start the engine.
12. Idle engine for 1 minute and fill surge tank to 1/2 inch above COLD FULL mark on the radiator surge tank.
13. Install the surge tank cap.
14. Cycle the RPM, idle to 3000 in 30 second intervals until engine coolant reaches 99°C (210°F).
15. Shut off the engine.
16. Top off coolant as necessary, 1/2 inch above FULL COLD mark on the radiator surge tank.
17. Rinse away any excess coolant from the engine and the compartment.
18. Inspect the concentration of the coolant.
According to the service manual:
1. Fill the system through the surge tank opening.
2. Fill half the capacity of the system with 100 percent DEX-COOL® coolant.
3. Slowly add clean drinkable water to the system until the level reaches to the base of the neck.
4. Start the engine.
5. Idle engine for 1 minute.
6. Install surge tank cap.
7. Cycle the RPM, idle to 3000 in 30 second intervals until engine coolant reaches 99°C (210°F).
9.Shut off the engine.
10. Refer to step 3 above to remove the surge tank cap.
11. Start the engine.
12. Idle engine for 1 minute and fill surge tank to 1/2 inch above COLD FULL mark on the radiator surge tank.
13. Install the surge tank cap.
14. Cycle the RPM, idle to 3000 in 30 second intervals until engine coolant reaches 99°C (210°F).
15. Shut off the engine.
16. Top off coolant as necessary, 1/2 inch above FULL COLD mark on the radiator surge tank.
17. Rinse away any excess coolant from the engine and the compartment.
18. Inspect the concentration of the coolant.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski