Cooing System that can hold engine @ 160

[hemi8]

Haven't found one yet, maybe someone has and I'd like to know what you use. I'm in the mid-Atlantic, 90-100 degrees, intense traffic, A/C on, SLIC. The temp holds about 180 @ 65mph under these conditions with fans set to come on at 160, 160 T-stat. Fully boxed-in radiator. When I stop in traffic it drifts to 195 degrees. Currently I run twin spal fans and a new Alradco radiator which I believe is a 2-pass radiator. Used to run a Dequick 3-pass radiator, neither one can hold it at 160 degrees unless its cool outside, like below 60 degrees. Is there a kick-a__ ,no bs, high dollar no excuses setup that works?
Mike

 

[forcefed3.8's]

I have a $90 F body radiator, Intrepid fans, and a huge front mount, and the hottest I have seen this year is 163.

 

[coach]

Rob's car is monster. Not too many making the power he is, so he is speaking truth, not bullshit.
Cooling is often posted about here. You could grab an F body like Rob said, or you could contact Pete at Alradco Radiators. They are top on the market today.


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[hemi8]

I ran the intrepid fans for about 5k miles, changed them out for the Spals and I did the change just in time as they were melting my factory wire connector. I would think the F-body and Alradco radiators are very similar.
Mike

 

[hemi8]

Rob's car is monster. Cooling is often posted about here. You could grab an F body like Rob said, or you could contact Pete at Alradco Radiators. They are top on the market today.

Yep, that's what I have now, can't hold the temp @ 160.
Mike

 

[John Larkin]

I have a stock brass recore and it bounces in the 160s all the time. Stock fan too. I hear Lincoln Mark VIII fans are the shizzle.

 

[coach]

From a builders point of view. You do not want your engine to run below 170. The clearances are set by most so they are perfect at 170 degrees. Any cooler and your actually causing premature wear on items. It's all figured in the mass of metal in certain areas and growth of the metal at a desired operating temp. Don't set your goal to run less then 170.


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[HouTX87]

I have the same setup. Alradco radiator and dual spal fans from TRcustomparts. No complaints here. 160-170 on a cool day and 170-180 on the hottest day here in Texas. With the stock stuff I would see 215 in traffic on a hot day.

 

[Buick Mark]

Why do you NEED your carto run at 160? I agree, 160 is cold, 180 is better. Too many people try like hell to make their cars run too cold.

 

[turbojoe1]

Man, guys just a while back i was mocked at and shut down for suggesting an F-body rad for a guy. Hope some of those members see this now and respect that if they ever seen Rob's car. A 1000+ hp 8 sec street driven street/strip car for your ass.


Joe

 

[Amelio]

Where are you getting your temp reading at...off the scan master?

I have one gauge that reads off the block and then the reading on the scan master which I believe reads off the intake near the T-stat.....

I run a generic fit Griffin Aluminum radiator I bought from Summit for $160....a tiny bit of trimming and fits great......I run a stock cooling fan and I run external trans and oil cooler.

The car stays about 165 in hot weather on the sm reading and about 180-185 off the block.....in traffic with the air on the block will creep to 190ish and the sm reading will be mid 170's

oh and I run a 160 T-stat

 

[hemi8]

I hadn't thought of that, I'll compare the scanmaster reading with the temp gauge I'm using. In the DC area it is very hot and humid for the next few months, not hepled by the terrible gridlock traffic we deal with, which is precisly why I traded my frontmount for a SLIC.
Mike

 

[Nick Micale]

Haven't found one yet, maybe someone has and I'd like to know what you use. I'm in the mid-Atlantic, 90-100 degrees, intense traffic, A/C on, SLIC. The temp holds about 180 @ 65mph under these conditions with fans set to come on at 160, 160 T-stat.........?
Mike

Do you have antifreeze in the cooling system?

 

[kidglok]

Once its above freezing RMI+water is the best.

 

[haywire4130]

Try some redline water-wetter, I use it in bikes that have a hard time staying cool. I run it in the buick too but havent done a back to back test to confirm its doing anything. If my car is moving it stays right around 165ish regardless of outside temp, I dont have ac though. Its definately not gonna be a miracle-cure but its cheap enough to try, might knock a couple degrees off.

 

[Red C5]

Haven't found one yet, maybe someone has and I'd like to know what you use. I'm in the mid-Atlantic, 90-100 degrees, intense traffic, A/C on, SLIC. The temp holds about 180 @ 65mph under these conditions with fans set to come on at 160, 160 T-stat. Fully boxed-in radiator. When I stop in traffic it drifts to 195 degrees. Currently I run twin spal fans and a new Alradco radiator which I believe is a 2-pass radiator. Used to run a Dequick 3-pass radiator, neither one can hold it at 160 degrees unless its cool outside, like below 60 degrees. Is there a kick-a__ ,no bs, high dollar no excuses setup that works?
Mike

Mike what fans did you go with, the big ones or small? Also, the wiring harness is set up to work similar to stock. In "low" mode only one fan runs, in "high" they both run. An adjustment in the plug can change the configuration to run both fans in low mode. Maybe you already know this but just putting it out there in case you didn't. But let's make sure both fans are running.
Also as mentioned, 160 is pretty low target. We have customers that report 160-165 no matter what, and obviously a variety of other ranges of temperature.
RMI25 and distilled water is great too.

Peter

 

[ttypewhite]

I run a 4 core Griffin aluminum rad with the stock fan and a big front mount and my car always stays cool. Drove to the dyno in 90 degree heat for a hour in traffic, took 8 pulls, unstrapped it and went home. Car got no hotter then 178. You might want to have a look at your tune as well. A car that is tuned well runs properly, too fat can cause the car to over heat as well. TA also carries a bigger bodied stock style water pump that flows more then the stock one. Contact Nick about it.

 

[hawkfan]

What's the optimal temp our cars should run at? Is it really that big of a deal if the temps reach the 190's from time to time? I thought these cars were designed to operate around that range from the factory. I have both 160 and 180 degree t-stats but opted to try the 180(with a small 'steam hole' drilled in it) first with my new radiator and fans. The temps stay right around 188 and sometimes reach into the low 190's. The temp stays at ~188 with the AC on due to the second fan kicking on.

 

[TurboDave]

What's the optimal temp our cars should run at? Is it really that big of a deal if the temps reach the 190's from time to time? I thought these cars were designed to operate around that range from the factory. I have both 160 and 180 degree t-stats but opted to try the 180(with a small 'steam hole' drilled in it) first with my new radiator and fans. The temps stay right around 188 and sometimes reach into the low 190's. The temp stays at ~188 with the AC on due to the second fan kicking on.

Well, actually, the optimum operating temps for a port injected engine was in the 180's, hence the 185 original thermostat. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it running in that range, and even into the 190 range. The problem arrises from too many old school thoughts on running at 160.
There's a reason Bob Bailey was smart enough to set the cooling fan control temps in his chips to the high 170's.

 

[Adrian87]

I've got the Fbody radiator and dual Flex-a-Lite fans, 160* thermostat - stays pretty close to that and really never over 170-175 in this awful south TX heat.