Okay a couple more things keep in mind besides the fact that the C5 is a bottom feeder and you have to make sure the condenser is clear of debris. Are all three pieces of the front lower air dam in place and not missing. Without them in place, the air is not forced up and thought the radiator. Is the ductwork shrouding still in place and is it still sealed by the foam tape on both side?

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1605901802
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1605891568

 

Have someone with HP tuners drop them is the least expensive way. A shop with a blanket model license should be able to make this simple changer for very little $.

 

Keeping it in the 190's will have the fans running a LOT in the summer. fwiw, I dropped mine to keep it around 205 - 210.

 

All great thoughts and I thank you all for your input.

1. A month ago I blew out my condenser and radiator in an attempt to lower temp. with compressed air and water. When I replaced the radiator, I blew out the condenser again.
2. All 3 of the lower damns are in place and the middle one is functioning correctly.
3. The shroud is in place, but I confess the foam on the drivers side is not in place. I think originally it did have some sticky side to it but it was not sticky anymore. And as I tried to reinsert it, it was a pain, so after about 15 minutes of messing with it I just removed it. So I anticipate there would be some leakage, but not enough to have the motor run hotter on a much colder day. I would anticipate a few degrees difference, maybe.
4. Yesterday after work I went to a performance shop and he did readjust my fans to come on at a lower temp. Fan 1 = turns on at 205 and shuts off at 200. Fan 2 + Turns on at 210 and turns off at 206. I realize that will go a long way to keeping the temp down when the vehicle is stationary and running. But I wanted that the be a safety net to get the temp in the high 190's.
5. Yes I believe both vehicles are using the 190 tstat, But his car is running 190 and mine is running 205 this morning coming into work. Plus his 190 is in 106 degree heat and my 205 is in 42 degree cold.

I just think there is too much of a disparity between the performance of these 2 cars, and I need to find out why. His car is running in much hotter temp and his engine is running cooler. Doesn't make sense.

 

Order some of that foam tape and reseal the shroud on both sides. Also make sure there is some spring resistance when folding back the center section of the lower air dam and its not just "flopping in the breeze" so to speak, Personally I watch the oil temps more than the water temps.

 

OK, yes the middle flap is functioning properly in that the spring load is bring the flap back into position.

I will get some foam tape. Is that something I should get at Chevy, or could I use something from Home Depot?

What would be good oil temps I should be looking for?

Do you have an external oil cool ?

 

So let me through you another angle.
I indicated Chris of My Corvette Life has the same car as I do, 98 base. But he has added a cold air intake, FAST intake, long tube and all the rest exhaust. Yet with all that I thought his engine would run hotter because he is creating a condition that will produce a more powerful explosion in the combustion chamber.
But is it possible with all that he has done to create better breathing through out the intake system, that it is contributing to drawing heat away from the motor also? And if that is the case, is it enough to make the motor run cooler?

 

This is what I bought.

https://cleverbrand.com/products/1-w...31685661163572

Yes, an Improved Racing setup with a thermostatically controlled adapter block. Works wonderfully. It all depends on the weight of the oil you are running. If its a stock short block and you are running 5w-30 oil, then you should have a 180 degree thermostat in the oil cooler block adapter.

 

OK, but I do not have an add on oil cooler set up.

Thanks for the info regarding the foam strip , but what I removed was more square in nature than flat.

I have thought about doing an external oil cooler, but didn't really think I needed it because I will not be tracking my car. And my spirited driving is very minimal. I'm using 5W-40 Mobil . It is the first oil change I did . All the rest will be with Amsoil 5W-40.

So I will get the foam and install it and let you all know what effect it had on the cooling temperature.

 

You're overthinking it here.

 

The link was to the 1"x1" square cross sectional closed cell foam, which is what I used and worked well. This foam material and adhesive are both rated for an automotive environment. The default photo shows a flat foam.

 

Supercharged11, I know, I know , I know. I am over thinking it. It drives me crazy. I don't know if I can stop.
I need so much psychological help.

JHrinsin, Got it, I guess I missed the 1x1 part. I did pick some up at Home Depot, but I'm guessing it is not automotive rated. So I will defer to your input and order that which you sent me.

I did order a 180 tstat and when I get this installed I will report to you all about the results.

One other thing. Yesterday when I was driving home from work, trans in drive, the engine was running at about 201-203.
But then I shifted down from D to 3rd. and at the same mph, the rpm's went up about 200-300. And then the engine temp went down to about to 198. So why is it that when the motor is spinning at a slightly higher rpm, which should create more heat, the Eng. temp goes down a few degrees ?

Is it because the water pump is spinning faster?

 

Missed the point that yours is an automatic. That is a whole nother matter. The extra heat you are dealing with is coming from the transmission fluid, the cooler for which is located inside the radiator. To make an apples to apples comparison you would need to eliminate the transmission fluid cooler inside the radiator. But one of the benefits of the transmission fluid cooler in the radiator is that the engine coolant helps to heat up the transmission fluid much quicker. Think of it more as a temperature equalizer and not as much as a cooler. And yes you automatic may very well run a bit warmer coolant temperature and may also benefit from the slightly lower 180 degree thermostat vs the factory stock unit.

 

Also, is yours a base with the 2.73 rear rear gear or a Z51 with the 3.15 gear? If it has a 2.73, then you may want to keep it out of OD unless your out on the freeway. That way the RPM aren't too low and keeps the engine spinning at a bit higher RPM which will keep the water pump spinning faster as you noted.

 

JHrinsin, I can't believe I did not pick up on the differences in the transmission from Chris's My Corvette Life and mine. Chris's is a manual and mine is an Automatic. Wow, that really could explain the difference in coolant temp. Ok, I have ordered the 180 tstat, so when I get that and install it I will report back to see if did help reduce that operating temperature of the eng.

Thanks so much.

 

Was your drive on highways only above 35mph? If not, then you have the low fans coming on at 205* so it will climb to 205*. Sit stopped in drive and watch the temperatures. It will climb to 205* before the fans come on. If the fans are working right with your new rad and fans it should then cool back down to 200*.

Another test is to turn the AC on, if you can keep it on. Then, the low speed fans run below 35mph to keep air flowing through the condenser.

You say you washed and blew out the condenser. Did you look through the fins to ensure it was clean? They can get so bad with dirt they're almost impossible to clean.

 

So when I drive into work, I am not on any expressways, but driving through suburban streets. I will go 1-2 miles then sit at a stop light. This also includes a drive through Starbucks, which sometimes requires I sit for 5 minutes or so.
I have sat in the garage , engine running after I get home from work, but it takes forever for the temp to get to 205. This I think is ok and the result of the new radiator doing a better job than the OE that was in there. Previously when sitting the temp would climb to 225 with very little effort and time.

Also what I did discover is if I put the trans into 3rd instead of Drive, the motor of course runs about 3-400 rpm more and the eng temp comes down. 203 with Drive, 196,198 in 3rd. Why is it that when the motor spins more, which to me means generating more heat, the water pump is spinning faster which means the coolant is not in the radiator for as long a period of time, which to me means the coolant does not have as much time to dissipate the heat away. Why does the eng temp come down when the motor , not the car, goes faster?

 

Do you know if you have an underdrive pulley setup on the engine?

 

This coolant having to stay in the radiator long enough to get cooled down thing is often cited, but it is simply at best an incomplete way to look at the system and at worse just completely wrong.

It's a closed system. Say you turned the flow on and off. So, flow for a bit then turn it off. Sure, the coolant in the radiator is being cooled, but the coolant in the block is being heated. Cycle the flow on and off slowly and the rad coolant might drop to 150* with the block coolant rising to 250* each cycle. Cycle the flow on and off rapidly and the rad coolant might drop to 195* with the block coolant rising to 205* each cycle. Now, let just the right amount flow continually, and you'd get a similar thing as cycling the flow on and off rapidly. The thermostat regulates the flow to get just the right amount.

Then, the rate the radiator can transfer heat to the air increased the hotter the coolant is. So, hot flowing coolant will transfer more heat per time period that stagnant coolant that is really cooled down before exiting would.

 

"This coolant having to stay in the radiator long enough to get cooled down thing is often cited, but it is simply at best an incomplete way to look at the system and at worse just completely wrong."

yes, it is wrong.

iv beeen seeing this for 30 years and its still wrong.

edit: the caveat being cavitation. when the impeller is turning too fast it will introduce air into the system. this will however not happen with a stock setup at stock (is) engine speeds.