Help! My Cutlass is getting hot.
July 10th, 2015, 03:56 PM
#2
Administrator
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Poteau, Ok
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As you found out a thermostat has nothing to do with max temp, it controls the minimum operating temp. What you have is an airflow problem, have you checked to make sure your clutch fan is operating correctly. Is your shroud damaged or has large gaps? Is there anything blocking the radiator preventing air from going through correctly?
July 10th, 2015, 04:45 PM
#3
Connoisseur d'Junque
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: The Hudson Valley
Posts: 21,183
Yes, you've replaced a bunch of parts that may or may not have been bad, but you have not told us whether the original factory setup, which worked fine as designed, is intact and functional.
- Eric
- Eric
July 10th, 2015, 06:00 PM
#4
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 7,286
Water pump ID characters or digits if OEM unit, and maybe pulley identifications or at least approximate diameters? Pulley sizes affect the speed of the water pump with respect to crank speed.
July 10th, 2015, 09:16 PM
#6
Connoisseur d'Junque
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: The Hudson Valley
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So what was wrong with the factory fan, clutch, and shroud, then?
And why remove them, rather than place the aftermarket fans on the front of the radiator or condenser?
To answer your question (okay, to repeat the answer to your question):
Your engine cools down once you are cruising at 40mph.
Your problem is not your water pump.
- Eric
July 10th, 2015, 09:29 PM
#7
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Evansville, IN
Posts: 10,280
Something to note, can you verify the temp with a second gauge to check if the first gauge is accurate? Usually a temp gauge is in a hole in a head in a cooling jacket. The other head might have a spot for an aftermarket one, or maybe it's doing something dumb like a TCS system. Be careful pulling 40 year old plugs.
July 11th, 2015, 04:48 AM
#10
Lansing built
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Grand Ledge, MI
Posts: 3,227
Agreed, lets verify your temps first. But your original radiator with A/C should have been a three core, unless somebody replaced it? The original radiator could have had the tanks cut off and put a new core section in it with more fins per inch (AKA as more surface area) I went from my stock unit of 6 fins per inch to 14 per inch. I can sit and cruise Woodward during the dream cruise and not go more than 205 on a hot day.
As far as excluding Eric (MDchanic) from helping even though his intentions were good and he may have gotten off on the wrong foot is a little fool hardy! He has helped many people solve problems on this forum.
Pat
As far as excluding Eric (MDchanic) from helping even though his intentions were good and he may have gotten off on the wrong foot is a little fool hardy! He has helped many people solve problems on this forum.
Pat
July 11th, 2015, 04:56 AM
#11
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Sorry, I was preoccupied with multitasking when I read your original post. I still believe you have an airflow issue. A lot of aftermarket electric fans do not produce enough cfm to cool. Some shrouds of some of the electric fans actually impede airflow and create cooling issues. In addition some aftermarket radiators although made of aluminum are thicker but the distance between the fins actually allow less cooling. I'm not ruling out the water pump, it could be an option also.
July 11th, 2015, 05:16 AM
#12
Out of Line, Everytime😉
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Melville, Saskatchewan
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What temp does it run on the highway? It should run 160 or close to it. Make sure your A/C condensor is blown out with straight fins. Make sure you buy an A/C replacement water pump with a closed impellar. Nothing wrong with electric fans IF they move enough air. Other than US made Derale fans, few aftermarket fans do. I run Dodge Stratus dual fans and they drop the temp quickly in traffic.
July 11th, 2015, 05:19 AM
#13
Connoisseur d'Junque
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: The Hudson Valley
Posts: 21,183
You have so far introduced at least five unknown factors into your engine and are asking us to give you quality advice on the basis of those and the single piece of information that the car overheats when not moving (you are still not clear on what happens when you sit in one place and rev the engine - ambient temperature, engine speed, amount of engine temperature rise).
- Removed factory fan - How big was it, and how many blades?
- Removed factory fan clutch - What condition was it in?
- Removed factory radiator - Single-row? They didn't make those, and, as was pointed out, all A/C cars got 3- or 4-row radiators.
- Added aftermarket radiator - What model? What dimensions? What fin pitch?
- Added aftermarket electric fans - What model? What CFM? How were they installed?
You have provided a bunch of extremely subjective information, without even a photograph, and are asking us to provide specific advice. Sorry, no can do.
I'm sure you'll figure it out.
- Eric
July 11th, 2015, 09:29 PM
#18
Out of Line, Everytime😉
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Melville, Saskatchewan
Posts: 8,919
It may help running the stock fan and clutch. It sounds like flow if it gets hot on the highway, either air or coolant. My current 2 core aluminum rad out cools the 3 core Champion aluminum rad I had in the car. I don't run fans on the highway, never need them.
July 12th, 2015, 03:27 AM
#21
'87 Delta 88 Royale
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Margate, England
Posts: 2,513
X2.
Don't hide your light under a bushel, share what was was wrong and how;
a, You found out what the problem(s) was.
b, You fixed whatever was the cause.
Reading your thread and just seeing "Fixed" in all your posts strikes me as either you were embarrassed because you made a beginners error, or you don't want to share. It also comes across to me at least as rude and ignorant to forum members who have tried to help.
Roger.
Don't hide your light under a bushel, share what was was wrong and how;
a, You found out what the problem(s) was.
b, You fixed whatever was the cause.
Reading your thread and just seeing "Fixed" in all your posts strikes me as either you were embarrassed because you made a beginners error, or you don't want to share. It also comes across to me at least as rude and ignorant to forum members who have tried to help.
Roger.
July 12th, 2015, 06:57 AM
#22
morgan
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: CT
Posts: 1,925
X2.
Don't hide your light under a bushel, share what was was wrong and how;
a, You found out what the problem(s) was.
b, You fixed whatever was the cause.
Reading your thread and just seeing "Fixed" in all your posts strikes me as either you were embarrassed because you made a beginners error, or you don't want to share. It also comes across to me at least as rude and ignorant to forum members who have tried to help.
Roger.
Don't hide your light under a bushel, share what was was wrong and how;
a, You found out what the problem(s) was.
b, You fixed whatever was the cause.
Reading your thread and just seeing "Fixed" in all your posts strikes me as either you were embarrassed because you made a beginners error, or you don't want to share. It also comes across to me at least as rude and ignorant to forum members who have tried to help.
Roger.
well, he is a squrry assassin you know.....maybe sociopath
July 12th, 2015, 06:14 PM
#26
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: St. Louis
Posts: 2,357
He'll I would like to know. I said just today I can't believe they would sell cars that overheat. I put every seal in that factory did, replaced the radiator with new, new fan clutch, used water wetter, new thermostat, but at idle and 65 mph on highway it gets hot. If you have the answer share it.
July 14th, 2015, 06:10 PM
#28
Registered User
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Southern Virginia
Posts: 344
Champion Radiator
So you do not recommend Champion radiators as a replacement for factory radiators.
July 14th, 2015, 06:19 PM
#29
Out of Line, Everytime😉
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Melville, Saskatchewan
Posts: 8,919
No, they cool OK at best, would work for a mild 350 but ran 200+ in hot weather with my 403 and over heated towing my boat. This was with a high flow 160 thermostat, then without one, with a 7 blade clutch fan and shroud and then my dual Stratus electric fans. I never completely eliminated cooling issues till I removed my under drive fancy aluminum pulleys. Something like a Griffin two core will do much better than a Champion rad.
July 14th, 2015, 07:20 PM
#30
Connoisseur d'Junque
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: The Hudson Valley
Posts: 21,183
He'll I would like to know. I said just today I can't believe they would sell cars that overheat. I put every seal in that factory did, replaced the radiator with new, new fan clutch, used water wetter, new thermostat, but at idle and 65 mph on highway it gets hot. If you have the answer share it.
That being said, was your block boiled out, or did you give it a really good flush, with the block drain plugs out, and, if possible, a bent coat hanger used to probe inside the block plug holes to loosen up any debris?
It sounds to me like the block itself is your one remaining variable.
- Eric
December 27th, 2015, 09:32 AM
#32
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: St. Louis
Posts: 2,357
In my case it turned out the water pump was (by part number ) for a non AC car. Found the old receipt from past owner and looked up the number. The pump looked like pics on the internet of the AC version though. I put in a FlowKooler pump and immediately saw a big difference. Sold the car shortly after.
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