Overheated the GN...doh!

[WakkoSS]

Yeah, I'm a fokktard. I'm driving home from a party last night and some MORON pulls up next to me yelling at me for cutting him off and tells me he's a police officer. I ask for the badge, he refuses to show it and takes off. OH HELL NO! So I chase him around (
91 Accord vs. ME) and call 911. Delray PD shows up and we go to the dude's house and rail him for 20 minutes. GN's running the whole time. I go back to the car to find the CHECK ENGINE and WATER TEMP lights on and the Scanmaster reading 300!!!!! HOLY CRAP!!! I turn off the A/C and turn on the heat and gently start rolling it down the road to get airflow. I couldn't leave the car there since it was in front of the douche bag's house and we'd have had issues. I barely hit the gas at all to get it going and the temperatures start dropping. Engine was knocking a little bit so I coasted it as best I could. Finally she drops below 280 and then finally 240. Fortunately I was only a mile from home. After it cooled to 240 it ran fine (I didn't put my foot in it though) so I'm hoping I didn't pop the gaskets. If I did...guess I'll have to be safe and put a new set of (Champion) heads on it.

 

[BoostKillsStres]

Man that sucks...at least you got to give that butthead a run thru..

You running synthetic oil by any chance?? FLAMESUIT ON J/K

I'd start checking out sensors and relays and such...should've never done that in the first place. Was the fan on high when you switched the A/C off? Oh and maybe change the oil just for the heck of it...I would just for piece of mind since you know the oil temp had to get up there too.

 

[WakkoSS]

Yeah, Mobil 1 5W30. I am def gonna change the oil. The fan was on, so I believe it was a water issue. It's been running 230 all week, but it's a bone stock cooling system and it's been 90's and super high humidity, so I didn't worry about it. I've got a set of Ramcharger's fans and a bottle of RMI25...jsut gonna have to flush the system out and do the work.

 

[87natl]

Damn, that's frightening. 300 degrees? I would have freaked!

I'll be intetrested to hear if there was any damage as a result. I start having a cow if my '70 hits 220.

Good luck.

 

[shawnz]

My temp went to 270 for a couple of hours before i noticed it on the scanmaster ,Just topped it with water and its been fine ever since

 

[Nick Micale]

Originally posted by WakkoSS
................................. I go back to the car to find the CHECK ENGINE and WATER TEMP lights on and the Scanmaster reading 300!!!!! HOLY CRAP!!! I turn off the A/C and turn on the heat and gently start rolling it down the road to get airflow. ........................... After it cooled to 240 it ran fine (I didn't put my foot in it though) so I'm hoping I didn't pop the gaskets.

Seriously doubt if it actually was 300 deg? At the very high readings the temp sensors get flakey and usually read high. Have seen them 30+ deg. too high.

Your coolant will boil at 265 deg. with antifreeze, and you certainly would have noticed it blowing out at 300 deg.

 

[WakkoSS]

That's good to know. Nick, is there a shelf life of the RMI? My bottle I got from you is about a year or so old.

 

[Nick Micale]

RMI is still good.

 

[77tech9]

I've seen engines shut off before 300. Sounds like there wasn't enough coolant to keep flowing or like he said it was boiling.

 

[PEACHS]

Hey Wakko,
Sometimes those pukes are not worth messing up a nice motor over. Change the oil and most of all BUY 5 CORE RADIATOR. You can then leave your car idle in 100* weather all day with ac on and only get up to 180-190. Also check your water pump as the heat is hard on the seals. Hope you didn't warp the heads.

 

[1badTTA]

Originally posted by PEACHS
Hey Wakko,
Sometimes those pukes are not worth messing up a nice motor over. Change the oil and most of all BUY 5 CORE RADIATOR. You can then leave your car idle in 100* weather all day with ac on and only get up to 180-190. Also check your water pump as the heat is hard on the seals. Hope you didn't warp the heads.

Just get an F-Body radiator, my TTA runs @ 150* all day long in Tucson and will idle @ 170-180* with the A/C on. If it ever goes higher, I know I am low on coolant.

 

[WakkoSS]

Ok, I flushed out the radiator and refilled with just water, fired it up and it ran fine and stayed at around 160 at idle with the A/C off. I noted a little valve/lifter noise on the passenger side right after startup, but it went away so I think it's unrelated. Radiator looked pretty cruddy inside (it's the original) but it overheated due to low coolant level.

5 row radiator is a bit out of my league right now. Which FBody radiator is good? Might as well do it and the Ramcharger fans at once.

 

[77tech9]

Will an F-body rad "bolt" in?

 

[CCG789]

Originally posted by WakkoSS
Ok, I flushed out the radiator and refilled with just water, fired it up and it ran fine and stayed at around 160 at idle with the A/C off. I noted a little valve/lifter noise on the passenger side right after startup, but it went away so I think it's unrelated. Radiator looked pretty cruddy inside (it's the original) but it overheated due to low coolant level.

5 row radiator is a bit out of my league right now. Which FBody radiator is good? Might as well do it and the Ramcharger fans at once.

I just installed a radiator from coldair in WPB, its a stock replacment with the trans and oil cooler, 3 row.

It sure has been hot here in WPB my GN has been running at about 215 durring the day. At night it cools down to about 185. I just ordered the RC fans on friday. I dont like the car to get above 200

 

[Snorman]

but it's a bone stock cooling system and it's been 90's and super high humidity, so I didn't worry about it. I've got a set of Ramcharger's fans and a bottle of RMI25...jsut gonna have to flush the system out and do the work.

Stop fuggin' around and put the RC fans and a new radiator in it. If you're going to pull the fan, you may as well take a few extra minutes to drop in a new rad. Get one of Micale's rads and mount the fans before dropping it in.
One of the best mods I've done. Even with the FM, after a few runs with the coolant temps in the 180's, it drops back into the low-160's on the way back.
S.

 

[PEACHS]

I had a local radiator shop recore my radiator and i still use the GM cooling fan. The cost for radiator was 235.00 so i thought that was reasonable. I never have any cooling problems.

 

[GNVYUS 1]

Summits GM Aluminum 31x19 for $180 is the best bang for the buck. Use external oil and tranny coolers and keep the stock fan if you want to save money.

 

[WakkoSS]

For some reason, my radiator keeps draining a bit, and I have no idea where the water is going. Engine not running, I fill it up and it drops a couple inches. Weird.

Either way, I'm going to redo the radiator. $95 for a new F body radiator at Advance (I get a discount there) or $170 for mine recored with a 3 row. I like the idea of not having to mess with an external oil cooler, even though I already have one in the box sitting here. Anyone see any pros/cons besides the obvious of saving weight or money?

 

[WakkoSS]

A concern I have is mounting up the external cooler...I don't want to cut any hoses.

 

[turbofish38]

Originally posted by WakkoSS
For some reason, my radiator keeps draining a bit, and I have no idea where the water is going. Engine not running, I fill it up and it drops a couple inches. Weird.

Either way, I'm going to redo the radiator. $95 for a new F body radiator at Advance (I get a discount there) or $170 for mine recored with a 3 row. I like the idea of not having to mess with an external oil cooler, even though I already have one in the box sitting here. Anyone see any pros/cons besides the obvious of saving weight or money?

I've heated up my fair share of cars and when you start noticing water disappering on a 3.8 Buick it usually means you have cracked a cylinder head. They like to leak in the center cylinders 3&4. I wouldn't worry if it is like a quart every thousand or so miles but if its more than that than it is something that will need to be fixed. Also they start off small and get bigger as the miles roll on. A quick way to check is to pull the spark plugs and see if any look like they have been washed or sometimes you can see water on them. I you let you car sit a week with out driving than the plug on the offending cylinder will also rust on the electrode.