so how hot is too hot?

[Nick Micale]

If a car is missing the thermostat it wont overheat, it will never get UP to temp..........

That statement may be true where you live, but here in the warmer climate it WILL get up to temp except on VERY cold days.

Many GN's run water/RMI all year w/o or a t'stat in the southern climate zone.

Our street driven GN's at 105+ will run 185-190 deg. with AC working when set up properly.

 

[83 intercooled]

And not to take the post but to see if there is a air bubble in the system and bleed it thanks

 

[BadAssGN]

While 210 kinda sux its not that hot.

most newer designed engines will and do run hotter than they used to mainly for emission controls.

Fans on our big trucks do not turn on until between 212 and 220

While I don't like it I have had my own car hovering in the 215-220 area
in super bad downtown toronto traffic.
that is with an F body rad and dual fans, and a big front mount ic.


Overheating is 230+ ( according to my trade school professor)

 

[Squid4life]

While 210 kinda sux its not that hot.

Fans on our big trucks do not turn on until between 212 and 220

While I don't like it I have had my own car hovering in the 215-220 area
in super bad downtown toronto traffic.
that is with an F body rad and dual fans, and a big front mount ic.

Overheating is 230+ ( according to my trade school professor)

I start feeling like I am going to puke at 180-185, like something is wrong. I did that once or twice with the Intrepid fans and F body rad when I forgot to flip my fan switch on sitting in traffic, or parked running in the house or something.

I know my CTS-V doesn't kick on the fans until 224, then back off at like 214. Makes me super nervous... I guess they are built to run that way, and the GN's could survive at high temps like low 200's, but if at all possible, I like mine to sit much lower. Maybe it is because it gives me more time to notice a rise in temps, or more time to react or pull off the highway, etc. If mine were sitting at 220, then all of a sudden rises 20*, I am F'ed. However, if I am sitting at 170-180 and it goes up, I have a "cushion" if you want to call it that.

Sorry for the long rant, bottom line is to me, cooler is better. :biggrin:

 

[Red C5]

I start feeling like I am going to puke at 180-185, like something is wrong. I did that once or twice with the Intrepid fans and F body rad when I forgot to flip my fan switch on sitting in traffic, or parked running in the house or something.

Sorry for the long rant, bottom line is to me, cooler is better. :biggrin:

Me too. We had some overheating problems on my tow vehicle recently pulling a 44ft trailer. Talk about a sickening feeling having your family on a trip and being stuck on the side of the road trying to limp it to the next exit.


BadassGN, you certainly have the right screen name. No way would I drive my GN at those temps.

 

[TurboBuRick]

Our street driven GN's at 105+ will run 185-190 deg. with AC working when set up properly.

Thank you Nick.

If anyone is running hotter than this, there is a problem. Make sure the system is full of fluid and holding pressure. Also make sure your fan is working.

Looks like the poppet thing is a matter of debate. I returned a brand new rad cap because the poppet was dangling. The poppet on the new one was lightly spring loaded. This works better for me and seems more logical. No more leaking by the cap and no more high temp. My car is rock solid 175-180 with a 180 stat, a crappy little fbody radiator, dual fans and a pte fmi.

FWIW

 

[Rich Gio]

I was out yesterday in near 90F. Car ran at 168F at speed, air off and a high of 180F at idle air off. 175F at speed, AC on and actually hit 207F idling at motor vehicles inspection station with AC on.

The AC works MUCH better when the car is moving for sure!

 

[DailyDrifter]

That statement may be true where you live, but here in the warmer climate it WILL get up to temp except on VERY cold days.

Many GN's run water/RMI all year w/o or a t'stat in the southern climate zone.

Our street driven GN's at 105+ will run 185-190 deg. with AC working when set up properly.

Here we go again Nick :biggrin:

 

[HiTech6]

After 25 years of turbo Buicks and always living in the south and always having heat issues I called Nick and said how do you keep your cars kool in the Az. heat. I had quit driving my turbo cars when temps were going to be over 92 as temps just were too high. He was kind enough to share his knowledge with me and I did what he said. I drove one of my GN's today and it was 103 here. I did hit 205 now and then but around 200 seems normal even in this heat. Thanks again Nick.

 

[BadAssGN]

BadassGN, you certainly have the right screen name. No way would I drive my GN at those temps.

normal temps are 180-190


Toronto traffic gets real bad, sitting in bumper to bumper for an hour crawling
with the Air on .it got hot.

 

[Justin85]

Just a question if you where missing some of the rubber radiator air box pieces that funnel air through the grill, how much would that affect temps?

 

[87GNSteve]

I just drove from SC to IL last week. My car normally runs at 167. I kept scrolling through the scanmaster at the water temp vs the ATS (air temp sensor), which you would expect to have a direct correlation when I left SC under hood ATS was 106 water temps were 190+ when I made it to the mountains of NC/TN it dropped 6 degrees and so did the water temp. and every hour I drove north the temp dropped and the car was able to manage the heat better.
On the trip back it was blazing hot and ATS was 115 and temp climbed quickly and did not want to drop when I turned the AC off. I had eliminated the oil cooler on this car and I have been thinking it might have been a good point to have one in this situation as the oil does a whole lot of soaking up (and if cooled --shedding) engine heat.
ATS in the mid 90's my car could hit a point at 185-190 and maintain, by night time temps in the high 70's low 80s running in the 160-170's.

 

[hawkfan]

Just a question if you where missing some of the rubber radiator air box pieces that funnel air through the grill, how much would that affect temps?

Yes. That's why I'm installing them in my T now. I have a 180 degree thermostat, new water pump, Alradco radiator, and dual fans but the engine temps are higher than I'd like and the AC isn't all that great either even while the car is moving. I learned that air will go under/around the condenser and radiator fins if the air box pieces are missing.

 

[salvageV6]

225 on a 95 degree day with A/C and an old stock setup, surface roads, it runs about 205-210 on the highway.

The high speed fan switch was set to turn on around 220 degrees I think so Buick didn't think that was too hot for a stock motor.

Of course the A/C high pressure switch turns the fan on high (and low) as well.....

Drive it.

 

[bison]

Also keep in mind that the oil coolers are likely heating the cold side of the radiator. I've seen two good examples of this with spragless converters this year. One car would cruise at 180 in 90* weather. Now it runs at 195-200. Not a problem with a 16psi cap.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk