Best way to cool it?

[michformulaS]

I have been driving my Barracuda with the 416 now for about 2 years. It runs awesome but on fairly hot days like today it tends to push 3/4+ on the factory temp gage. I wonder what the factory gage temps are? I put in a separate oil pressure gage because I didn't trust the factory gages. Should I be concerned running 85% on the factory temp gage? What is the best way to cool? I am considering an aluminum radiator with electric fans. Any suggestions?
Thanks

 

[toolmanmike]

Has it overheated and boiled coolant out the overflow? I would imagine a bigger/hotter powerplant would push the limit of your stock radiator but I wouldn't think 3/4 up on a factory gauge would be a problem. Hook in a manual gauge to be shure. A 180 degree thermostat will usually run around 190 or so.

 

[Longgone]

I found that a high volume water pump and HV thermostat, like the one offered by Milodon, made a huge difference in operating temperatures on my car.

 

[demon seed]

Has the fan got a shroud, if not get one or have one made, Is it overheating crusiing around town or on the highway or both. When was the last time you had the rad flushed.

 

[OUTLAW]

On mine I put a 7 blade flex fan on it with no shroud plus when I changed water pumps on it I used one for an a/c car ( it has 1 more impellor than non a/c). Last year when it was 100+ outside I drove across town and it never got over 190-195 degrees.Yes you should get a real guage in the car .

 

[michformulaS]

I basically only run 2 lane highway with the last 2 miles back into my place at about 30 mph. It seems to warm up to 3/4 on the factory gage and stay about there or slightly higher while I am on the highway. No coolant ever seems to leave the radiator cap. Last flush was 2008 when the motor was put together but there is probably only 500 miles or so on it since . No shroud right now. Would it be easier to find a good shroud for my car (1968 340 S) or should I just go with the aluminum radiator and electric fans and be done with it? Looking for opinions. I think I will add the aftermarket temp gage. What temp should I run with a medium build 416? Fully ported X heads, 9.5:1, air gap, 750 speed demon etc.

Thanks

 

[demon seed]

I basically only run 2 lane highway with the last 2 miles back into my place at about 30 mph. It seems to warm up to 3/4 on the factory gage and stay about there or slightly higher while I am on the highway. No coolant ever seems to leave the radiator cap. Last flush was 2008 when the motor was put together but there is probably only 500 miles or so on it since . No shroud right now. Would it be easier to find a good shroud for my car (1968 340 S) or should I just go with the aluminum radiator and electric fans and be done with it? Looking for opinions. I think I will add the aftermarket temp gage. What temp should I run with a medium build 416? Fully ported X heads, 9.5:1, air gap, 750 speed demon etc.

Thanks

First thing is to get a mechanical temp guage and probe and make sure she is running hot with a 180deg thermostat, hot would be anything above 195-200. Then for the price I'd go find a shroud before spending the money on an aluminum rad and fans. Is your rad a 2 core or 3 and what kind of fan you running, 6 or 7 blade steel or one of those POS plastic jobs.

 

[Longgone]

First thing is to get a mechanical temp guage and probe and make sure she is running hot with a 180deg thermostat, hot would be anything above 195-200. Then for the price I'd go find a shroud before spending the money on an aluminum rad and fans. Is your rad a 2 core or 3 and what kind of fan you running, 6 or 7 blade steel or one of those POS plastic jobs.

+1, get a mechanical gauge and check your actual temperature first. Who knows, your dash gauge just might be wacked and you may not need a thing. (?)

 

[challengergary]

If you are mainly getting warm when going under 30 mph but fine when going faster, it is not your radiator that is the problem, it's air flow. Get a shroud. Also, does your fan have a clutch? If so, that could also be the culprit. If it has gone bad, it will not engage the fan properly at low speeds so you are not pulling enough air across the cooling fins of the radiator.