Running real hot

[soCalTA]

Hello again ....

I am looking for any suggestions on a very good aftermarket radiator. I have the 160 therm/hypertech, it had a new water pump installed about a year ago and a heater core probably about 4-6 years ago. The car has about 108k miles on her and I want to get this problem fixed before summer gets here.

Thanks,

Jorge

[wolfdogs]

Hello again ....

I am looking for any suggestions on a very good aftermarket radiator. I have the 160 therm/hypertech, it had a new water pump installed about a year ago and a heater core probably about 4-6 years ago. The car has about 108k miles on her and I want to get this problem fixed before summer gets here.

Thanks,

Jorge

dumb question for ya: did you perhaps remove that black lower air dam under the car?

[soCalTA]

Hey Ken.

No it is still there although the sides (area outside the width of the radiator are gone as I use that area for ducting for solo/road racing

[Joe K. 99 Zeee!!]

What's your schedule for coolent flush/fill?

The orange stuff likes to gunk up.

[Craig 94 TA GT]

How hot is it running? How fast does the temp climb? Do you have a manual fan switch? Is this a problem out of the ordinary, or are you just referring to the way our LT1s get hot normally?

[soCalTA]

I am pretty sure it was done about a year or two ago. I mean they changed out a bunch of hoses and the water pump.

[z28_xxx]

Answer the guy what he asked you.

What is the temperature that your running? 1/2 way? 3/4? 4/4? 1/4?

Have you had your fans reprogrammed? do they come on?

I am pretty sure it was done about a year or two ago. I mean they changed out a bunch of hoses and the water pump.

[DJ Taso]

Check to see if any garbage or leaves are blocking your radiator. I had a similiar problem.

[BANSHEE001]

running hot

I had the same problem. Try changing that therostat again. I thought it was good my self but their known to go bad right after you buy them.

[soCalTA]

Ok let me see if I can cover a little more ground here. I traffic on a sunny California summer day it can easily hit 210 and then some. This is a problem that has been on going for a few years and seems to get progressivley worse. I can't say a 100% but it seemed like it got bad after the heater core was replaced. Before the heater core and since then it has always had the 160 thermo and it was calibrated with the Hypertech programmer. Water-wetter makes not impact at all. I could swear that in the early days my car never got passed the first dash on the engine temp guage on the hottest days. Now if the temp is in the 80's or higher she goes passed the first dash and easily gets to the 210 mark. In the worst of summer she passes the 210 and then the windows go down and the heater gets turned on. I know the fans go on because I can hear them cycle through. Last year or before I changed the thermo and it didn't clear it up. I have also changed out some of the fuses/relays (the square, black ones). Either I have some kind of blockage or the radiator just sucks after 108k miles.

[Craig 94 TA GT]

A few thoughts...
On stock LT1s in traffic, without a reprogram, the temp gets up to ~230+, then the high speed fans kick on. Once it hits ~200-210, the fans shut down. The temp then climbs up to 230+ again. This cycle continues...
Since you have a Hypertech, and are hearing the fans cycle, are they the low speed or high speed? The high speeds, when constantly on, should keep it around the first hash mark (~175-180 deg). When the low speed is on, it goes up higher, possibly to 200. I'm not quite sure how the Hypertech works it...
Now, what about driving on the freeway? If you're going 70+ mph, for more than several minutes, your temp should not pass 185 or so degrees. If it's still passing 185, on the freeway, you have a problem.
One last thought. Is the coolant level staying the same?

[soCalTA]

On a wide open freeway the temp stays at just about the 185 dash (second one). The problem is this is Los Angeles and most of the driving is done in traffic so being stuck on the road or freeway when it is 100+ outside is not good for me of my car. I just know that she is way too hot from what I remembered her being and the only two things I can think of doing are a full flush and replacing of the radiator fluid and replacing the radiator.

Soooooooo if any of you guys can recommend one that would be great.

[BadWS6]

I got a SLP manual fan switch for my bird and it works great if I get stuck in traffic and she starts to heat up just switch the fans on to high and it cools right down ...I have a 160 tsat and factory fan programming ( I know I need to get it re-programmed )

The fan switch is the best thing since sliced bread IMO

[Injuneer]

Griffin makes a heavy duty aluminum radiator specifically for the LT1. I have the 2-row 1.25" model and it keeps things at 195degF (the set point for the fans) under virtually any conditions. About $500.

http://griffinrad.com/blank_chart3.php

But, there's no reason that your stock radiator shouldn't work. There are countless 4th Gen LT1's cruising the hot spots like AZ, TX and FL with no overheating problems.

Is your t'stat the correct one for the LT1? Which temp settings did you program with your HPP - there are three different sets of temps to choose from, as I recall?

[soCalTA]

If I remember correctly 160 tstat I installed was a Hypertech and after I put it in I went back into the program to re-set it to 160 just be sure. Yesterday it got to about 85 and in freeway traffic it got to 210. This morning with the temperature about 50 or 60 it was past 185 in traffic. When it opened up and I was able to get some speed it went back down to just below 185. I remember when in similar or worse conditions it would only get slightly past the 185 on the hottest days with the air conditioning on. On cooler days or mornings like today it was a needles width past 160. Now it is reading much hotter than I remember and it is only March. I would rather spend the $500 on the radiator to save my motor.