Percolation? Heat soak? Don't drive during summer??

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j par said:
The last time I said... "I'll just pick up a joint to take camping"... (It's legal here)
IT TOOK ME TWO YEARS TO QUITE!!!
Never again... I know I like that stuff to much...:(...
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Yea I have an addictive personality. I cant just enjoy something and stop at a reasonable amount. That's why I don't do anything anymore. I'm like that with food soda alcohol pretty much everything. If I have a bag of candy I wont stop eating it till it's gone. I dont have the will power to say enough is enough. I guess I'm the same with cars and guns. That's why I'm constantly looking for another project even tho I have 3 unfinished ones sitting in the driveway lol
 
69_340_GTS said:
Don't worry about the heater core. It is not necessary. If the car came with no heater, or someone removed it, the hoses will not be there, and the in/out ports on the engine get pipe plugs installed. You can "bypass" it by connecting a hose to the two ports, but this does nothing. Plus, on your A/C car, there is a valve that stops the flow of coolant thru the heater core when you turn the A/C on. Same as having a blocked heater core, or no heater core.

I have a small valve on one of my heater hoses which I close off during the hot weather, to keep some heat out of the interior. The car runs no hotter, or cooler, with that valve opened or closed.

Now, this is not to say that the heater could not be used for additional cooling. If the engine was getting too hot sometimes if you ran the heater on full blast it could help to cool the engine a bit. But it is not part of the engine's cooling system under normal circumstances.
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Yes I agree but if the heater core is hooked up and connected and the core is stopped up it will limit the flow thus causing overheating. That's why I said to bypass the core and test it out if he hasnt done so already. I had a s10 that had a leak in the radiator and like a dunbass I put stop leak in it and it did stop leaking but it gummed the core up and it started over heating. I bypassed the core and it stopped.
 
dartfreak75 said:
Yes I agree but if the heater core is hooked up and connected and the core is stopped up it will limit the flow thus causing overheating. That's why I said to bypass the core and test it out if he hasnt done so already. I had a s10 that had a leak in the radiator and like a dunbass I put stop leak in it and it did stop leaking but it gummed the core up and it started over heating. I bypassed the core and it stopped.
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Somehow that makes no sense to me. Maybe on an Chevy S-10 the function is different. You do not need the heater core on an A-body to cool the engine. Plugged-up, disconnected, bypassed, working, leaking, or missing... it isn't meant to cool the engine.
 
69_340_GTS said:
Somehow that makes no sense to me. Maybe on an Chevy S-10 the function is different. You do not need the heater core on an A-body to cool the engine. Plugged-up, disconnected, bypassed, working, leaking, or missing... it isn't meant to cool the engine.
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No it doesnt cool the engine your right. But if its stopped up its limited the flow of coolant and slowing the flow down in other words coolant is going in but not coming out. Therefore it's not pumping thru the block as efficiently. By bypassing it your removing the amount of area the coolant flows. Your absolutely correct you dont need it that's why I said bypass it. It may not be the problem but it is a free test that couldnt hurt to try.
 
I dont have any patients today, so I'll try to install my console, reattach my speedo in the dash, then take it for a drive to see if it dies.
 
dartfreak75 said:
Yea I have an addictive personality. I cant just enjoy something and stop at a reasonable amount. That's why I don't do anything anymore. I'm like that with food soda alcohol pretty much everything. If I have a bag of candy I wont stop eating it till it's gone. I dont have the will power to say enough is enough. I guess I'm the same with cars and guns. That's why I'm constantly looking for another project even tho I have 3 unfinished ones sitting in the driveway lol
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Same exact thing for me except for I always need a project but I just do one at a time. I don't want to get too scattered I like to focus..
Right now I'm focused on a go-kart. of course they have the beginners with the four strokes and they're pretty fast with automatic clutches. Then you could step up to the two stroke with an automatic clutch that's really damn fast. Then you can go all out to the shifter kart that has the two-stroke water-cooled 125 dirt bike motor with 6-speed transmission and a clutch. I already know but I don't want to start with the first one have to sell it then get the second one and have to sell that I might as well just get the shifter kart to start with. I know my personality why cry 3 times and not just cry once and buy it..
 
j par said:
Same exact thing for me except for I always need a project but I just do one at a time. I don't want to get too scattered I like to focus..
Right now I'm focused on a go-kart. of course they have the beginners with the four strokes and they're pretty fast with automatic clutches. Then you could step up to the two stroke with an automatic clutch that's really damn fast. Then you can go all out to the shifter kart that has the two-stroke water-cooled 125 dirt bike motor with 6-speed transmission and a clutch. I already know but I don't want to start with the first one have to sell it then get the second one and have to sell that I might as well just get the shifter kart to start with. I know my personality why cry 3 times and not just cry once and buy it..
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I always wanted to try out a shifter kart. I used to race dirt oval caged karts with a 5hp Briggs that would turn a 14.2 at the quarter mile dirt oval. That was a ton of fun.
 
For whatever reason I think the dying problem was resolved with the electrical issues. I'm very curious to see how the car cools when it's on the freeway and just running at a steady highway speed for a good amount of time..
 
j par said:
Same exact thing for me except for I always need a project but I just do one at a time. I don't want to get too scattered I like to focus..
Right now I'm focused on a go-kart. of course they have the beginners with the four strokes and they're pretty fast with automatic clutches. Then you could step up to the two stroke with an automatic clutch that's really damn fast. Then you can go all out to the shifter kart that has the two-stroke water-cooled 125 dirt bike motor with 6-speed transmission and a clutch. I already know but I don't want to start with the first one have to sell it then get the second one and have to sell that I might as well just get the shifter kart to start with. I know my personality why cry 3 times and not just cry once and buy it..
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I have an old 4wheeler I'm wanting to fix up sometime
 
69_340_GTS said:
Somehow that makes no sense to me. Maybe on an Chevy S-10 the function is different. You do not need the heater core on an A-body to cool the engine. Plugged-up, disconnected, bypassed, working, leaking, or missing... it isn't meant to cool the engine.
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dartfreak75 said:
No it doesnt cool the engine your right. But if its stopped up its limited the flow of coolant and slowing the flow down in other words coolant is going in but not coming out. Therefore it's not pumping thru the block as efficiently. By bypassing it your removing the amount of area the coolant flows. Your absolutely correct you dont need it that's why I said bypass it. It may not be the problem but it is a free test that couldnt hurt to try.
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Some more contemporary designs use the heater core as the recirculation loop in the coolant system. If I remember right, that's how my old FWD dodges were setup and the HC could definitely cause some headache with the cooling.

On these cars, the water is supplied from the thermostat area and returend back to the water input of the water pump - just like the bypass hose. If a person isn't running the bypass hose then the HC circuit serves that function (which just helps normalize operating temperature to prevent large temp swings as the thermostat operates). With the bypass hooked up, the HC is just 'along for the ride' and not offering any function to the system.

Now, I have seen a gunked up HC cause coolant temp problems after the system was drained because not all of the air would come back out of the HC. Caused hot spots, lack of cooling system pressure, and spikes in operating temperature. Bypassing the HC fixed the issue in those cases.

In Doc's case, I agree with the notion that the HC won't just cause a high operating temp. Lack of airflow from the fan, or another of todays aftermarket thermostats not fully opening until well beyond it's rated temp. It's too bad the thermostat diameter is larger than the 'other' brands which makes it tough to source a quality high-flow stat w/o an expensive adapter.
 
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If I lived in constant 105 degree and up temperature I would pitch that thermostat out.... And by the biggest electric fan that would fit right in front of that radiator and put it 180 degree thermostat...
 
What speed are you cruising at when it was 205? The wind speed overcomes the fan around 30 (give or take a few), so if you're in that range it could indicate an inefficient fan/shroud setup.
 
RammerJammer75 said:
What speed are you cruising at when it was 205? The wind speed overcomes the fan around 30 (give or take a few), so if you're in that range it could indicate an inefficient fan/shroud setup.
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I think he was more circling the neighborhood trying to get it hot to see if it would die again... And of course not get too far from home if it did...
 
1967
IMG_8374.JPG


1975
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1977
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Get the picture?
Coolant temperature should be in the middle of range and be relatively stable.
210 is very much in the middle of the range. 230 is pushing it and 250 you'll be lucky if its not boiling (depends on pressure and mix).

Running too cold means the cylinder walls are on the cold side and so is the oil. I like to see at least 190 once its warmed up. Sometimes in winter that's tough with a 180 thermostat.
 
Mattax said:
1967
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1975
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1977
View attachment 1715600813

Get the picture?
Coolant temperature should be in the middle of range and be relatively stable.
210 is very much in the middle of the range. 230 is pushing it and 250 you'll be lucky if its not boiling (depends on pressure and mix).

Running too cold means the cylinder walls are on the cold side and so is the oil. I like to see at least 190 once its warmed up. Sometimes in winter that's tough with a 180 thermostat.
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I'm more of the school of heat kills...
Now I wouldn't want to go run in my car at 80 degrees or anything like that but if I could keep my car at a hundred and sixty-to 170 all day long I wouldn't be freaked out about it.. it's my understanding that he breaks down the viscosity of the oil? Just like your transmission the cooler you keep it the longer it will last.. (I was talking automatic there I don't have one)..
Just food for conversation not trying to argue with you...
 
I definitely agree 230 is pushing it. I would be flushing the coolant system and checking the condition of the thermostat. I think the thought of heat breaking down viscosity is a valid point, I am just not sure. I agree with Jpar too, I wouldn't be scare to see 160-170. The oil is still going to have heat in it, and I would think enough heat to burn any condensate out of it.
 
Before I put the AC condenser and 12 inch pusher fan out front of my radiator of cruise down the freeway on a 85 degree day and seen my temperature drop down to a hundred and seventy. I wasn't freaking out at all. Actually little curls of a smile were formed... Now with the extra crap blocking the air flowing into my radiator I see about 180 on the freeway it may dip just a hair below that or depending on how hot it is it may be up to 185 at the most....
 
Best operating temperature has a lot of factors. Piston-to-wall clearance being the big one. If it's designed to run at lower temps, then it will be fine. But typical clearances are designed for operating 190+
Oil choice also has to be proper in order to run lower (or higher) temps. Running 20w50 with a 160 stat is likely a bad choice - oil has to reach a certain temperature saturation point in order to activate the compounds which resist high loads, thinner oil gets there quicker.
Run 5w20 or 5w30 in the summer with a 160-170 stat and so long as the piston clearances aren't too tight, it should be fine.

Changing the operating temp after break-in could also be detrimental since the rings will be seated to the size of the bore at a certain temperature. Going from 195 to 180 isn't likely to cause a single issue. But drop from a 205 to a 160 and I bet oil consumption goes up a bit and blowby increases.

Higher operating temperatures are better for maximum energy extraction from the fuel - this matters for MPG. Best horsepower comes from coldest air charge, which comes with reduced operating temps (typically 160-170 is where max output tends to be found without other drawbacks).

Everything is a trade-off.
 
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