Cooling Issue!!

dragrace505

Daily Driver
Sep 18, 2013
39
0
0
For the passed few years I've had cooling problems with my 79 Malibu. It's to the point know where I don't even want to drive the car, well actually, I can't. I can't even drive 3 miles without the car getting to 200 degrees. The other day it was about 80 degree F out and on the way home I had to stop about every mile and a half to let the car cool down to 170* and I had to do that 3 times before I got home. After letting it cool down the one time, as I was pulling away, I smashed the gas pedal, the car started going sideways then all of a sudden the car just bogged down and just died. I new immediately that it was due to vapor lock.

Information: It's a 79 Malibu with a 355ci sbc pump gas motor (carbureted, Quickfuel 750 mechanical secondaries with annular boosters) (cast iron heads and block) it makes around 10:1 compression with a th-400 transmission. I have a griffin 2 core ( tubes measure 1.25" wide) aluminum radiator with a CSR 35gpm electric water pump with heater core outlet on it. I have a billet aluminum moroso overflow canister on it. I have one 16" puller fan with a shroud and a 12" pusher fan. Timing is set at 23* initial and 33* total. I have a 180* thermostat. The engine is not lean, if anything is a little too rich. The coolant also has a bottle of water wetter in it. Rad cap is a griffin 17 lbs. I use ultra 94 gasoline)

A couple years ago I used to have a 3 core aluminum radiator (champion brand) with dual 12" puller fans with no shroud and it seemed to cool ok at first but progressively as time went on, the engine would get hotter and hotter. I've tried a 160* thermostat, I've tried the restrictor washers instead of a thermostat, I've tried no thermostat, I've tried different rad caps with different lbs ratings, different mixtures of coolant to water. Nothing seems to make a difference and I'm really starting to get frustrated.

I'm definitely in need of some help please.

Thanks in advance!!
 

NOT A TA

Frequent Racer
Nov 30, 2009
346
1
16
Delray Beach FL
Have you verified that the fans are not working against each other? Have you verified that the fans are making the air flow the correct direction? When you stop & let it cool are you leaving the engine running and it cools or are you shutting it off? Have you verified the temps with a heat gun or just a temp gauge? Have you let it go over 200? If so does it level out or continue to rise? Has it boiled over? Are you sure the electric pump is actually pumping and moving the water the correct direction? A couple miles isn't far so something is very wrong.

My guess would be the water pump is not pumping, wired backward or the fans are working against each other or blowing forward.
 

goldie

Frequent Racer
May 24, 2003
392
0
0
chicago
www.geocities.com
I am having the same trouble. but I was told electric water pump was not for street cars at all. my car does the same thing driving 180 at a light 200. and I have done everything but electric pump.
 

bowtie81

Moderator
Mar 28, 2008
5,008
0
36
sarnia, ontario canada
I put a 195 stat back in mine from a 160. Seems to work great now, stays at 180. Did you get rid of any air pockets in the cooling? Sometimes too rich can cause it to run hot. And just on the off chance where is your t-stat gauge plumbed in to? if it's in the head it will read higher than if it was in the intake close to the t-stat.
 

dragrace505

Daily Driver
Thread starter
Sep 18, 2013
39
0
0
Yes, I have verified the fans are not fighting each other. You can physically feel the air from the puller fan on your legs when you step put of the car and if you put your hand behind the puller you can feel it pulling tons of air through the rad. Before I installed the pusher fan, I spun it using a car battery to see which direction to it turns. I had to remove the fan blades and spin them around and then wire the two wires for the fan backwards to give me a pusher fan. The pusher fan will suck a piece of paper to the back of it and the puller fan will suck the sheet of paper to the front side of the rad.

I pull off on the shoulder and shut the car off and let the electric water pump and fans cool the car down.

I have verified the temps with a heat gun pointing it at the rad and at the sending unit (in the intake manifold) for the auto meter mechanical temp gauge.

It must've boiled over because it starts coming out the coolant overflow tube onto the road.
It goes passed 200* and it will just keep on climbing. I have a pro warning light on the side of the tachometer that will come on at 220* and it came on a few times.

I know the electric water pump is moving the coolant because when you open the rad cap and look inside the rad, you can see the coolant coming out of the tubes in the rad. The coolant flows from the driver side of the car and exits the tubes in the rad on the passenger side of the car.

On top of all that, about 3 years ago I flushed the entire block via the two ports on the side of the block.

I can't figure it out.
 

dragrace505

Daily Driver
Thread starter
Sep 18, 2013
39
0
0
Yes I did get rid of the air pockets in the cooling system through the overflow drain and had the car running until it heated up and started spitting out coolant through the bottom of the overflow.

The sending unit for the mechanical gauge is in the top of the intake next to the t-stat housing.
 

bowtie81

Moderator
Mar 28, 2008
5,008
0
36
sarnia, ontario canada
When i had the 160 in, it never closed to allow the coolant to cool in the rad. When i put the 195 back in it works great now. But i also have a mechanical stewart stage 2 pump, mechanical fan, stock 3 core rad and a 195 stat.

I would try a mechanical pump and a 195 stat.
 

dragrace505

Daily Driver
Thread starter
Sep 18, 2013
39
0
0
I was going to try a 190-195* stat but then I thought to myself that the coolant will stay in the engine longer and heat up more so the fans have to cool it down that much more. I had a mechanical pump on it when I first got the car and the issue was there from day one.
 

bowtie81

Moderator
Mar 28, 2008
5,008
0
36
sarnia, ontario canada
When the coolant gets to the temp of the stat it will open up and the coolant will circulate to cool stuff and eventually close the stat. Then the hot coolant has time to cool down in the rad and the process starts all over again.
With a 180 or 160 stat when the engine gets hot enough the stat will never close and the coolant will just get hotter as it doesn't get a chance to cool.
 

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