can I heat this up without a problem

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trudysduster

trudysduster

FABO Gold Member
FABO Gold Member
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I am thinking about putting an electric fan on this car and getting my ducks in a row and plan on hooking up one of those thermostats that come on at a certain degree and go off at a certain degree and looking for a place to put the sending unit. This is the only place I know to do it other than another member said there is a plug in the side of the block. This is a 440. Problem is I tried to remove this plug and it wouldn't come out. I even put the impact on it with an extension and it didn't budge. I tried a breaker bar with an extension and it didn't budge. I don't know what someone did before me or if it is just seized up but I was going to put some heat on it and try it again. I heard that if you heat this water pump housing it will damage some kind of seal in it. Not sure, that is why I am here asking. I do not want to break this housing and have to replace it either. So......with that said, has anyone heated this to remove the plug or will I damage it if I heat it. this is the one by the thermostat. Is the plug in the side of the block another option.

DSC00138.JPG
 
If you don't drain the coolant, it will not let it heat up as much...

I think the only way to get that out is heat it and soak with penetrating oil until you get it, or try to drill it out and not disturb the threads... I would take it off if I were to drill it so I don't get chips in the cooling system...

If you screw it up, you will have to get a new water pump...
 
I used a Dakota digital control mounted inside the car above the drivers side kick panel to control my fans. I used a vdo sender for my vdo gauge and I tied the fan control to that. Anyway the long and short is I installed the sender on the drivers side of the block. There is a drain plug by the core plug and that is where I mounted the sender. The sender p/n 360-086 was compatible with the Dakota digital control.
 
What seal? The water pump is removable, the thermostat housing is removable. Shouldn't be any seal IN the water pump housing. Of course, you probably don't want to pull all that stuff just to remove the plug. But you'd have to heat the crap out of it to damage the water pump.

Seems like a great excuse to buy an aluminum water pump housing to me.

I wouldn't count on either block drain being any easier to remove. I just tried to remove the ones on my 340 to drain the block, that didn't happen.
 
trudysduster said:
I am thinking about putting an electric fan on this car and getting my ducks in a row and plan on hooking up one of those thermostats that come on at a certain degree and go off at a certain degree and looking for a place to put the sending unit. This is the only place I know to do it other than another member said there is a plug in the side of the block. This is a 440. Problem is I tried to remove this plug and it wouldn't come out. I even put the impact on it with an extension and it didn't budge. I tried a breaker bar with an extension and it didn't budge. I don't know what someone did before me or if it is just seized up but I was going to put some heat on it and try it again. I heard that if you heat this water pump housing it will damage some kind of seal in it. Not sure, that is why I am here asking. I do not want to break this housing and have to replace it either. So......with that said, has anyone heated this to remove the plug or will I damage it if I heat it. this is the one by the thermostat. Is the plug in the side of the block another option.

View attachment 1715082055
Click to expand...

I have a thermostatic controller that has the sensor that goes into the top radiator hose between the hose and the radiator opening and it works just fine.
The way I wired mine was so the sensor/relay commanded a 30 amp relay to actually power the fan.
This way the fan load doesn't damage the expensive controller.
A little black RTV on both sides of that rubber piece, and there ya go.
Been running that for years without a single glitch.

Just a thought for you. :D

pce184_1005.jpg
 
72bluNblu said:
What seal? The water pump is removable, the thermostat housing is removable. Shouldn't be any seal IN the water pump housing. Of course, you probably don't want to pull all that stuff just to remove the plug. But you'd have to heat the crap out of it to damage the water pump.

Seems like a great excuse to buy an aluminum water pump housing to me.

I wouldn't count on either block drain being any easier to remove. I just tried to remove the ones on my 340 to drain the block, that didn't happen.
Click to expand...

Well I didn't think there was a seal in there but someone somewhere mentioned it when I asked about it and I didn't know for sure. I am betting I am going to have to pull it and put a new housing on there. If I heat it and that plug doesn't come out easy enough, it will come out one way or the other and that will probably mean a new housing. thanks
 
72bluNblu said:
What seal? The water pump is removable, the thermostat housing is removable. Shouldn't be any seal IN the water pump housing. Of course, you probably don't want to pull all that stuff just to remove the plug. But you'd have to heat the crap out of it to damage the water pump.

Seems like a great excuse to buy an aluminum water pump housing to me.

I wouldn't count on either block drain being any easier to remove. I just tried to remove the ones on my 340 to drain the block, that didn't happen.
Click to expand...


Don't try to remove the drain plugs on some 3.3 or 3.8 L minivan engines as they sent a few out with thin walls in the casting and will crack the block if over-torqued slightly...

Don't ask me how I know that... But I do...
 
TrailBeast said:
I have a thermostatic controller that has the sensor that goes into the top radiator hose between the hose and the radiator opening and it works just fine.
The way I wired mine was so the sensor/relay commanded a 30 amp relay to actually power the fan.
This way the fan load doesn't damage the expensive controller.
A little black RTV on both sides of that rubber piece, and there ya go.
Been running that for years without a single glitch.

Just a thought for you. :D

View attachment 1715082059
Click to expand...

never seen one of those. thanks
 
I put the electric fan setup in a hot rod pickup truck I have and put the sensor in a threaded hole in the bottom of the radiator. It works beautifully.
 
RichB said:
I put the electric fan setup in a hot rod pickup truck I have and put the sensor in a threaded hole in the bottom of the radiator. It works beautifully.
Click to expand...
You are controlling the coolant temperature with the fan, not the block temperature.
The engine block temperature you monitor.
 
TrailBeast said:
I have a thermostatic controller that has the sensor that goes into the top radiator hose between the hose and the radiator opening and it works just fine.
The way I wired mine was so the sensor/relay commanded a 30 amp relay to actually power the fan.
This way the fan load doesn't damage the expensive controller.
A little black RTV on both sides of that rubber piece, and there ya go.
Been running that for years without a single glitch.

Just a thought for you. :D

View attachment 1715082059
Click to expand...

Why the expensive thermostatic controller and Relay? Do you frequently change the temperature Setting? All you need is a sensor/switch that turns on at say 180 deg. And turns off below that, and a relay. Summit and JEGS carries this stuff. The sensor should be screwed into the radiator near the bottom.
 
RichB said:
I put the electric fan setup in a hot rod pickup truck I have and put the sensor in a threaded hole in the bottom of the radiator. It works beautifully.
Click to expand...

I never thought about that. I don't know if the Champion 526 has a hole like that but will look. I have 2 holes in the bottom I know of but they are for the tranny lines.
 
RichB said:
You are controlling the coolant temperature with the fan, not the block temperature.
The engine block temperature you monitor.
Click to expand...

The first thing I am going to do is replace the temp sender. Make sure it is working right. I have ordered a temp gauge that is electrical, not mechanical that will hook up to that sensor. I am going to just lay it on the car and run this and see just how hot it gets. The only gauge I have on this is the one in the instrument cluster and I am not sure how accurate it is. As I mentioned somewhere earlier I don't like gauges mounted inside a car. I think it looks cheap. Just me. That will tell me exactly at what temp my car is running after it has been running a long time. If it gets up there, I have a fan here that come off a truck I am going to put in front of the radiator up in the corner as to not block the factory fan and see how much it drops. I may be able to get by with that and just hook it up to a switch and not have to run relays and all that other stuff. This car doesn't run hot. The only reason I am doing this is to be able to run this car in the parade during " Cruisin the Coast ". I don't think it will be able to idle that long to run the course if I don't. So the easier I can do this the better. If I use one or two small 8" fans mounted in the corners of the radiator just may bring it down enough for what I am looking to do.
 
RichB said:
Why the expensive thermostatic controller and Relay? Do you frequently change the temperature Setting? All you need is a sensor/switch that turns on at say 180 deg. And turns off below that, and a relay. Summit and JEGS carries this stuff. The sensor should be screwed into the radiator near the bottom.
Click to expand...

I didn't use that adjustable controller because I do, I used it so I could. :D
I normally have it set to come on at 210 and go back off at 195 with a 195 stat, and it only comes on in heavy stop and go or after you shut it off.
The coolant coming right out of the block is a more accurate indication of engine temp than after the coolant flows down through the radiator to a sensor, so my fan controller and mechanical temp gauge both read the coolant temp right as it comes out of the motor.
There is nothing that ever said the sensor should be screwed into the bottom of the radiator.
To each his own though. :D
 
RichB said:
You are controlling the coolant temperature with the fan, not the block temperature.
The engine block temperature you monitor.
Click to expand...
You're measuring the temp of the coolant after passing thru the rad and dropping 50* or so.. Most temp senders are where the coolant is hot, and closest to actual engine temp, like the guage sender.. jmo
 
inertia said:
You're measuring the temp of the coolant after passing thru the rad and dropping 50* or so.. Most temp senders are where the coolant is hot, and closest to actual engine temp, like the guage sender.. jmo
Click to expand...

Yeah, it would be the coolest at the bottom just before it goes back in the engine. This radiator doesn't have a hole for that anyway unless you put it in the drain hole. I am going to do everything I can to keep from trying to bust that plug loose up there. I don't think it is coming out with ease. sure don't want to put a new housing on right now either.
 
trudysduster said:
Yeah, it would be the coolest at the bottom just before it goes back in the engine. This radiator doesn't have a hole for that anyway unless you put it in the drain hole. I am going to do everything I can to keep from trying to bust that plug loose up there. I don't think it is coming out with ease. sure don't want to put a new housing on right now either.
Click to expand...

Maybe one of the those things you put in the top hose that has a sender bung in it like this.
Then all you would have to do to put it back is replace the hose.
Or even put it on the end of your existing hose, then a super short section on the other end of the adapter.
There are also water necks with places for senders if you would rather.

ADD W1 Water Temp Temperature Gauge Radiator Hose sensor T ADAPTER Red-26mm 1" | eBay

$_58.jpg
 
TrailBeast said:
Maybe one of the those things you put in the top hose that has a sender bung in it like this.
Then all you would have to do to put it back is replace the hose.
Or even put it on the end of your existing hose, then a super short section on the other end of the adapter.
There are also water necks with places for senders if you would rather.

ADD W1 Water Temp Temperature Gauge Radiator Hose sensor T ADAPTER Red-26mm 1" | eBay

View attachment 1715082672
Click to expand...

Yeah, I saw those. They have them in the 1 1/2" also, same size as the top hose.
 
If it doesn't budge, and you bugger things up (the paint at least), might be an excuse to switch to an aluminum w.p. housing and pump (~$120 ebay). That saves 10 lb off the front end. I have one for my 383. People on the C-body forum say there is one Chinese housing which restricts the flow too much, thus contributing to over-heating.
 
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