Ran over a bag - jammed into radiator (right side) fan and burned out the motor. I pulled the fan assembly and replaced the motor only with an aftermarket part - not GM. Had to lose some coolant to get the fans out and have replaced it attempting to burp all the air out. As far as I can tell it is topped off. I overheat if sitting still or moving slowly. Any ideas? Vehicle did not overheat before losing the fan motor.

G$

 

Is the fan coming on idling in the driveway?

If not check power at the fan to see if the relay is working and the fuse is good. Also be sure it's pulling air in not pushing it out.

I would also check the front of the radiator for debris blocking the cooling (the cars suck up more stuff than a Hoover!)

 

Also check to see if they come on when the a/c is turned on.

 

It is also possible you didn't get all the air out - it would certainly overheat if that happened. Use the drain/fill procedure below to make sure it's been properly burped and completely filled.

1) Park the vehicle on a level surface.
2) Remove the surge tank cap:
3)Raise and suitably support the vehicle. Refer to Lifting and Jacking the Vehicle in General Information.
4) Place a drain pan under the draincock.
5) Open the radiator draincock.
6) Allow the cooling system to drain completely.
7) Inspect the engine coolant for the following:
Discolored -- follow the flush procedure below.
Normal in appearance -- continue with the next step.

Notice
When adding coolant, use DEX-COOL® coolant. If silicated coolant is added to the system, premature engine, heater core or radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the engine coolant will require change sooner-at 50 000 km (30,000 mi) or 24 months.

8) Close the radiator draincock. Tighten.
Tighten the radiator draincock to 2 N·m (18 lb in).
9) Fill the cooling system through the surge tank.
10) Fill the cooling system with a 50/50 mixture of DEX-COOL® coolant and deionized water.
11) Start the engine.
12) Allow the engine to idle for 1 minute.
13) Install surge tank cap.
14) Cycle the engine RPMs from idle to 3000 in 30 second intervals until the coolant temperature reaches 99°C (210°F).
15)Shut off the engine.
16) Remove the surge tank cap.
17) Start the engine.
18) Allow the engine to Idle for 1 minute. Fill the surge tank to 12.7 mm (0.5 in) above the COLD FULL mark on the surge tank.
19) Install the surge tank cap.
20) Cycle the engine RPMs from idle to 3000 in 30 second intervals until the coolant reaches 99°C (210°F).
21) Shut off the engine.
22) Remove the surge tank cap.
23) Top off the coolant as necessary, 12.7 mm (0.5 in) above FULL COLD mark on the surge tank.
24) Rinse away any excess coolant from the engine and the engine compartment.
25) Inspect the concentration of the engine coolant.
26) Install the surge tank cap.

 

Ed:
I always did like the part about the "deionized" water that GM makes reference to.
I use distilled.

 

Hey G Money, you got any tips for me. Getting ready to replace the left fan motor on mine tomorrow! What all did you have to remove to get to it? Thanks

 

Sorry I didn't get this sooner -

The fan appears to be functioning normally.

It seemed at the time it would have been easier to remove the fans from the bottom, but I did not have a way to lift the vehicle high enough so I removed it from the top. I had to remove one of the coolant hoses from the radiator to make room and lost a bit of coolant that way. It took patience to work the fan assembly back and forth to get it past various lines and hoses, but I eventually did it. Just be patient and careful. Once out it's very simple to replace the fan motor. If you have not yet purchased one I suggest the factory one if you can purchase the motor alone.

Good luck

G$

 

Not sure about the Vette fan, but on some cars, it's possible to wire the motor backwards or put the blades on facing the wrong way. This would cause the engine to overheat at idle and while moving slow. Driving faster would overcome the backwards air movement and the engine would start to cool down.
Good Luck,
jeff