Engine Temp/ Wheels want to buy.

[Dammit man]

I have an LT4 CE, 160 stat in it . I am still getting hot 230 ad What can I do next.

Does any one had some stock wheels for LT4 CE for sale?

 

[Hib Halverson]

First, understand that the stock 90-96 cooling system is incapible of cooling down to 160 except on days with cool-to-warm outside air temp when you are driving at highway speeds with low load on the engine.

That said, if you are seeing 230 in traffic on warm days, that's just a tad above normal, but if the car is not overheating in an engineering sense (ie: boiling over) you don't have a serious problem, but you may be able to improve the situation.

Here's some things you can do.
1) This is not intended to be flippant, but check the coolant level make sure it's at the correct level in the high-fill tank. Make sure the cooing system has no air bubbles. Use the bleed procedure in the factory service manual.

2) Make sure you're reading the digital display of coolant temp in the IP Cluster and not the analog gauge at the right.

3) Check the operation of the electric fans using the tests in the factory service manual. Repair the fans as necessary.

4) Remove the upper radiator cover and inspect the area between the radiator and hvac for debris. Clean and/or remove debris as necessary.

5) Get under the front end and look up into the cooling air intake. Remove any debris you find there.

6) Verify your existing radiator is in good condition.

7) If you have not done this in the last three years, change the coolant. Safest is a mix of 50/50 Dexcool and distilled water, however, you can gain cooling performance by reducing antifreeze by an amount which depends on the coldest temperature the car experiences when parked or stored in winter. A decrease to 25/75 Dexcool/water can improve cooilng noticeably but there are some caveats. a) you're only "safe" down to about +10 deg. F b) you must add a bottle of Red Line Water Wetter for its corrosion inhibiters which will bring the protection back to the level it would be if you ran 50/50 (with LT1s and LT4s, use of RLWW may, also, reduce coolant temp somewhat) and c) you MUST change this coolant mix every 18-24 mo. regardless of mileage.

8) Have someone reprogram the ECM to turn the fans on about 10 deg. lower.

9) You can get a significant improvement in cooling by replacing the stock radiator with a Fluidyne C4 Corvette unit.

 

[stgry1]

That is some great info.....I even benefited from that :L Thanks for the time and effort Hib, It is well appreciated!!

 

[Hib Halverson]

You're welcome.
Glad to be of service.

 

[Dammit man]

Hib, Thanks for the info
I brought some red line and on the bottle it says you can use water and 1 bottle of red line and you get even better cooling. I live in the south and the car is in a garage so I don’t have to worry about freezing. Will this hurt my engine?

Thanks Ben

 

[rwpeders]

Thanks for the info. I was just worrying about that yesterday where my digital readout was up to 220 in stop and go traffic and 90 degree heat. The most it would cool to was around 212. I am just a tad below 100K miles and just had the radiator flushed and coolent replaced. I was thinking I had a problem, but the coolent level was right.

If 220 on a hot day is "normal", at what point before radiator venting should I get concerned? Does it just run around 220 or so and stay there (absent other problems)?

 

[stgry1]

I brought some red line and on the bottle it says you can use water and 1 bottle of red line and you get even better cooling. Will this hurt my engine?

Hmmm, IMO I don't know if that is a good idea. Coolant has lubricating properties which are essential for water pump bearing longevity. I don't know if the red line has enough to compensate for the 50% of coolant your replacing. I might call redline on that one.

 

[siller]

Try the Hypertech Power programmer.

After a 383 Stroker upgrade, my temps were up around 225 - 240. I bought the programmer, then quickly and easily reset the fan on/off temps. Now I am running around 190.

Very cool! Good Luck.

 

[rwpeders]

Try the Hypertech Power programmer.

After a 383 Stroker upgrade, my temps were up around 225 - 240. I bought the programmer, then quickly and easily reset the fan on/off temps. Now I am running around 190.

Very cool! Good Luck.

Which programmer are you talking about and how much did it cost?

 

[siller]

Which programmer are you talking about and how much did it cost?

Back in October 03 I bought a "Hypertech Power Programmer III for a 96 Corvette 5.7L LT4 Manual Only" From Zip Products (product Number PM-179) for $289 plus $18 shipping thru the Corvetteforum Mall.

I had been researching programmers since my car does not have a computer chip that can be swapped out. While normally around $330, the Corvetteforum Mall was having a special, and as the saying goes, it was too good to pass up. And I love it. The only thing I use it for is the temp reduction, but it was worth it to me. While I don't believe the car was ever overheating, since I never heard gurgling noises under the hood, never leaked coolant, never had to add coolant, and the hoses were not too hot to touch, I primarily made the purchase, because I was told that a cooler engine runs better than a hot one. I had replaced both the temp sensors and replaced the 180 stat with a 160 degree stat, so it was just one of those things that made me feel better.

Because there was no computer chip that could be replaced, the entire computer has to be reprogrammed. So, I saw my options as sending out the computer to have it be reprogrammed by someone else or buying some sort of computer programmer that allows me to do it myself.

I have read great things about FastChips and Superchips and some others, but from what I recall, they all have disclaimers for computers going on cars registered in the state of CA, which has some different emissions restrictions and guidelines. I believe they would do the work if I sent them the computer, but then I would be left hoping it would pass smog, and if it did not, I'd be in the position of buying a brand new stock unit.

I did call Fast Chips, and I think they wanted something like $350 for an LT4 reprogram, but I would have to send them mine; or keep my stock unit and buy a new one for $500 from Pep Boys and send them that one.

I figured $300 was better than $800, and it only took 10 minutes to change the temps with the programmer. If I ever want to revert back to the stock settings, 10 more minutes. Best of both worlds at half the price.

Probably more than you cared to hear. Shop around; you never know when a vender you've looked at recently may be offering a new sale. And I recall Zip had the unit to me in just a few days.

Good luck.

 

[Hib Halverson]

Hib, Thanks for the info
I brought some red line and on the bottle it says you can use water and 1 bottle of red line and you get even better cooling. I live in the south and the car is in a garage so I don’t have to worry about freezing. Will this hurt my engine?

Thanks Ben

That is correct.
In fact, I use straight water and RLWW in several of my high-performance vehicles, including 2 of my 3 Vettes.

four things about 0/100 coolant mixes:
1) Your cooling system must function properly
2) You must change a mix like that every 18 months regardless of mileage
3) It should not be used in vehicles operated above 5000 ft.
4) There maybe warranty issues with cars under warranty

Someone else posted that you shouldn't do straight water because "coolant" (he really means antifreeze) contains a lubricant needed for the water pump. Well...that's kinda sorta right, but Red Line Water Wetter contains a water pump seal lubricant similar to that in antifreeze. In fact, RLWW's corrosion inhibiter and water pump lube package is very similar to that which is in GM/Texaco Dexcool. The RLWW additive formula was designed to specifically replace the lubricant in antifreeze, *if* the user choose to run a 0/100 coolant mix, ie: "straight" water with RLWW.

As for what's normal for a C4 coolant temp? Well, there's no quick answer to that but, in a very general sense, if you're seeing this 220 deg. in warm (but not real hot days) in traffic, you're ok. If you were seeing over 235, then I'd worry (mainly that the fans aren't working right). If you're currently running 50/50 coolant mix, overheating (from an engineering perspective, ie: boil-over) occurs about 255 deg. F but may come lower if you're operating at higher altitudes.

For comparison, my 95 ZR-1 with a Fluidyne radiator, 170 deg. thermostat, the cal. changed to lower the fan-ons, the rest of the cooling system in very good condition and using 100% distilled water and 1.5 bottles of RLWW runs quite cool. The highest coolant temp I've ever seen is 215 deg. and that was during a radiator test I ran, driving uphill, runing the car very hard, in 105 deg. ambient temperature.

 

[jcs44]

Remember that the first fan should be coming on at about 228 and both should be on about 235. And, cleaning the front of that radiator is a very good piece of advice. C4's are like vacumn cleaners when it comes to picking up leaves and plastic bags.

 

[kwd1]

After I flushed my coolant, mine runs about 10 degrees cooler. On the highway at 80, at 80 degrees outside temp, I now run about 195.

 

[Dammit man]

A little update

Well I put a 160 in and used water only and water wetter. Temp is way down, Love it. Well I was testing my new cooling system the top radiator hose exploded. I was doing 6000 rpm. Check your hoses.



As I ran out of water I kept an eye on the temp electronic temp gage. It stayed at 215. I looked at the needle gage and it was pegged 260+.

Always look at your needle gages as well.