Cooling question

[highboostgn]

So I took the Gn out today and ran the ac because I had my daughter in the car. It was about 90,95 degrees out,Mississippi humidity and a little breeze. So I drove about two or three miles going 25-35 hit a few brief lights. The temp was around 190. Then I turned the ac off and rolled the windows down and it stayed around 190. Then turned around to go home and turned the ac on the last 5min and as I was pulling it in the garage I notices It was at 210 then 214 the. 217 when I final shut it off. So my question is Whats considered a normal level for no ac, normal for ac and whats a dangerous level?

Also I have two electric fans,stock radiator and a FMIC. Should my next step be to upgrade to an aluminum radiator to help this problem?

 

[GNRick]

Were the fans running when the temp went up in your garage? I had a similar problem recently. Temp gauge showed 220 or so, fans were not running. I replaced the temp. sender in the front of the manifold that sends the signal to the ecm. Also sent my chip back to Full Throttle. Turbo Bob fixed it.

 

[Nick Micale]

........................Also I have two electric fans,stock radiator and a FMIC. Should my next step be to upgrade to an aluminum radiator to help this problem?

In the past 15 years I have not seen a stock radiator that has more than 50 per cent flow from the tubes, in other words it is 1/2 plugged up. The radiator should have been replaced years ago.

If this is not the original radiator, you need to check a few items and give more data about your car and symptoms.

How was it last summer, normal or hot, or did you even own it then?

Are you running antifreeze or what?

Do both fan work at max, and have you verified they have ample voltage and move lots of air?

Did you remove the thermostat and see if that helps it cool down when driving? Don't fall for the old rumor "it will run hotter w/o a thermostat".

Any GN with a front mount should never run a t'stat or antifreeze in the summer months.

I would be happy to offer help, but without more info, not much more to say at this point.

 

[HelloBozos]

x2 Radiator....

 

[turbov6man]

X3 radiator. Provided fans are working.

 

[3.8L V-8 eater]

I have the dual fans and a f-body radiator and it works great!!! Get rid of the stock radiator my temps were briefly at 173 before fans kicked on and brought it back down into the high 160's that's in 90* weather.....You did a good a thing shutting that thing down before temps got too hot!! A dangerous level I would say 240 and above...

 

[2toneregal]

This Mississippi weather is crazy im on the coast took my Gn out last weekend and it stayed in the 187-192 range i have the stock rad and fan i flipped the switch on for the hi fan and it never went down scared me to...

 

[Red C5]

This the first time this has happened? When's the last time you went through your cooling system. Make sure fans are working properly and check out your cooling system. That radiator is probably done as mentioned by Nick.

 

[GullsGN]

I have the dual fans and a f-body radiator and it works great!!! Get rid of the stock radiator my temps were briefly at 173 before fans kicked on and brought it back down into the high 160's that's in 90* weather.....You did a good a thing shutting that thing down before temps got too hot!! A dangerous level I would say 240 and above...

X2 On the F body radiator. Temps never go over 173 no matter how hot it gets.

 

[SloGN]

so i guess i should be worried about my car heating up too.... The other day the outside temps were like 100 and i ran the A/C on the freeway the temps stayed in the high 180's and when i got in to town the temps got to about 210 and stayed there until i got home. Car has a FMIC and alum radiator dual fans and a 50/50 mix of antifreeze.

So what is the normal coolant temp in hot weather with the A/C running in stop and go traffic or freeway?


BTW the 87 T stocker runs about the same temps with a/c on. so i'm the radiator in it is prolly done. can the core be replaced so i still have a factory appearing rad ?

 

[GullsGN]

so i guess i should be worried about my car heating up too.... The other day the outside temps were like 100 and i ran the A/C on the freeway the temps stayed in the high 180's and when i got in to town the temps got to about 210 and stayed there until i got home. Car has a FMIC and alum radiator dual fans and a 50/50 mix of antifreeze.

So what is the normal coolant temp in hot weather with the A/C running in stop and go traffic or freeway?


BTW the 87 T stocker runs about the same temps with a/c on. so i'm the radiator in it is prolly done. can the core be replaced so i still have a factory appearing rad ?

Like Nick said, with a front mount remove the t'stat and antifreeze for the summer and you will be good.

The stocker is most likely the radiator. You can get it recored, but, you will crap at the price. Probably 400.00 or more. You can get an aluminum for that or you can get an F-body, which looks pretty stock, for 100.00. Your choice.

 

[GNONYX]

I have the dual fans and a f-body radiator and it works great!!! Get rid of the stock radiator my temps were briefly at 173 before fans kicked on and brought it back down into the high 160's that's in 90* weather.....You did a good a thing shutting that thing down before temps got too hot!! A dangerous level I would say 240 and above...

Hi,
What type of cars is a "F" body radiator and also what type of dual fans you are using? Thanks

 

[SloGN]

so whats is the advantage of removing the T-stat? The GN has a 160 t-stat so if the coolant temps are well over 160 the t-stat is completely open. (granted if it's working correctly), if it is i don't see the advantage of removing it.

it's my understanding that the T-stat sets the minimum operating temp (160) The radiator and the fans and the fan controllers (ecm etc) controls the maximum temps. Again if those items are in correct working order.

I also find it hard to not think the coolant temps shouldn't rise when the A/C is on. The A/C compresses the freon and that build heat in the condensor. The cooling fans pull that heat from the condensor and then thru the radiator and then in the engine bay. So how do you expect the coolant temps not to rise slightly when your blowing hotter the ambiant temp air across the radiator.. When at low speeds or stopped the hot air really don't get blown away from the radiator/condensor very well thus making this problem a tad worse. When at highway speeds the air is forced out from under the car completly.

Now we factor in the FMIC that is now another resrtiction for the air path thru the front of the car. so this hurt the fans ability to actually move the correct amount of air the fans were rated at.


If you look at how alot of the newer cars being built the Radiator and the A/C condensor are no longer stacked in front of one another. They are placed side by side. This makes both of these units perform more efficently.


Sorry for the long post.

This is my understanding of how the cooling systems works. i'm simply tring to learn.

 

[Slow91z]

so whats is the advantage of removing the T-stat? The GN has a 160 t-stat so if the coolant temps are well over 160 the t-stat is completely open. (granted if it's working correctly), if it is i don't see the advantage of removing it.

it's my understanding that the T-stat sets the minimum operating temp (160) The radiator and the fans and the fan controllers (ecm etc) controls the maximum temps. Again if those items are in correct working order.

I also find it hard to not think the coolant temps shouldn't rise when the A/C is on. The A/C compresses the freon and that build heat in the condensor. The cooling fans pull that heat from the condensor and then thru the radiator and then in the engine bay. So how do you expect the coolant temps not to rise slightly when your blowing hotter the ambiant temp air across the radiator.. When at low speeds or stopped the hot air really don't get blown away from the radiator/condensor very well thus making this problem a tad worse. When at highway speeds the air is forced out from under the car completly.

Now we factor in the FMIC that is now another resrtiction for the air path thru the front of the car. so this hurt the fans ability to actually move the correct amount of air the fans were rated at.


If you look at how alot of the newer cars being built the Radiator and the A/C condensor are no longer stacked in front of one another. They are placed side by side. This makes both of these units perform more efficently.


Sorry for the long post.

This is my understanding of how the cooling systems works. i'm simply tring to learn.

I think the advantage to no thermostat is more flow through the motor due to the smaller opening in the thermostat.

I think you are correct on how the system works. On my last car which was a stock motor with bolt ons daily driven I had a old CAS aluminum radiator, the old ramchargers fans, and a fmic and a 160* thermostat. It it never got over 180 ac or not. I have the same equipment on my current car which makes much more power and even racing it in the heat it never goes over 180 maybe 185 at the end of the track and by the time i get to the scales it's falling fast toward 170. I've never even wired the fans to be able to run on high, never had a need to.

Oh and I've never seen a temp difference with anti-freeze, i just remove it during the summer for racing in the car, never changed it out in the old car.

 

[84BuickGNYorkPA]

If you do the f-body radiator, dual fans, fan hot wire kit, I recommend the hot-wire kit from racetronix.... I have 2 spare radiator's in the garage, stock & re-cored stock, the f-body works much better then either one, keeping the temp down in the 170 deg. range.

Chuck

 

[GNONYX]

If you do the f-body radiator, dual fans, fan hot wire kit, I recommend the hot-wire kit from racetronix.... I have 2 spare radiator's in the garage, stock & re-cored stock, the f-body works much better then either one, keeping the temp down in the 170 deg. range.

Chuck

Hi Chuck,
Hi,
What type of cars use a "F" body radiator and also what type of dual fans you are using? Thanks

 

[mearly65]

The "F" body radiator that can be used in our cars refers to an 82-92 Camaro and l would guess a Firebird would use the same rad. You can get them at Autozone for around $100. They're not identical to a GN rad. It won't have the engine oil cooler lines but you don't need them anyway. As for what fan setup Chuck is using, well he'll have to answer that.

 

[84BuickGNYorkPA]

I got the fans from Brian @ gbodyparts.com I believe he said that they came from the Chrysler/Intrepid, Eagle/Vision models.
mearly65 is right on with the radiator, pd about $115 for it.
Chuck

 

[GNONYX]

I got the fans from Brian @ gbodyparts.com I believe he said that they came from the Chrysler/Intrepid, Eagle/Vision models.
mearly65 is right on with the radiator, pd about $115 for it.
Chuck

You must have gotten your dual fan from Brain many, many years ago, It's more than double in price. I already look into Brian's but the bolt attachment are in different location and that means fabrication, not plug and play type.
Thanks for the info

 

[84BuickGNYorkPA]

You must have gotten your dual fan from Brain many, many years ago, It's more than double in price. I already look into Brian's but the bolt attachment are in different location and that means fabrication, not plug and play type.
Thanks for the info

The price of the radiator was like $115, the fans where more then that, plus the upgraded wiring, it all adds up...

Chuck