Larger radiator not enough cooling

[jnrock]

Has anyone tried to put a heavier radiator in a gen 3. In the summer if I run my sho for more than a half hour or so continually the temp gauge continues to rise. I know the rad is about 1 year old and everything is in order. The radiator in the car is barely antiquity for the three L's. I just put a trans in and it is working good. I have been looking at putting in a double core which the right tank will accommodate but the left one will not. I think it can be done with the proper left tank. I think it would add a lot to the life of the car if it could be accomplished. Does anyone have any insights into this. I have a radiator siting beside me now and have called a rad assembler and the end tank is the only barrier that I can see. Any comments would be appreciated. thanks

 

[AREA 91]

Is your ac condenser in good shape?
Fans working?
How about a remote trans cooler instead of it running through the rad?

 

[rubydist]

I never had any problem with cooling with either of the Gen3 SHOs that I had, and the cooling is a lot harder to do here at elevation than it is in Vermont. I think you have a problem with thermostat or blockage somewhere. Do you know if the wp is any good?

 

[jnrock]

If it is 50 degrees or lower the car cools fine until I go up a large incline. Any warmer and the temp rises slowly after a half hour or so. on my way to Boston the gauge is up around half and will not go down unless there is a long down hill. Fans seem to be working. I would amuse the wb is working.

 

[stephen newberg]

I think Rubydist has a good point. If the car is running hot, you might have a cooling problem that is not the rad, but at the same time, the gauge needle running at about the center of the gauge is not abnormal. Almost all auto gauges are designed with normal being near the middle, or in about the 1/3 of the gauge centered on the middle. So if the needle having gone up to the center and staying there is what you have, I suspect you do not have a heating problem at all.

pax, smn

 

[luigisho]

Is there a way to get an accurate coolant temp from a gauge or something when it's operating? I never had a cooling issue with my GenIII except when a hose failed. Those engines do tend to run really hot under the hood.

 

[jnrock]

I am going by in the winter full engine warm is with the gauge at about one quarter and there is good heat. So when it climbs to one half and or better and sets there it gets me worried. It probably is characteristic of these cars. I thought if it could be done easy enough I would do it but getting the left end tank to fit is going to be a big problem. Thanks for the response guys.

 

[stephen newberg]

Actually, I am now starting to think you do have a thermostat problem. In winter the heater should be able to cook you out of the car and the needle should come to just a bit below center or so on the gauge. Sitting at center and staying is normal. I do not remember if there is a reading for engine coolant temp from the OBDII readers, but that would be the first place I would check, as its easy if its there.

pax, smn

 

[GEN 3 SHO FAN]

I had heat problems with mine, running at 3/4 of the gauge without hard driving. When we change the flexible, we remarked that the 3rd cat was obstructed at 85 % by broken ceramic parts, we retrieved them and no more heat. After the car run at 1/4 of the gauge. (Other owners I spoke with all said that the needle must pointing at 20 mph or so.)

An other thing is that big hose prestone of 1 inch diameter at the front passenger car, just beside the plastic cover. There is metal joint right there on it which can be rusty, even if it's not perforated, the rust goes inside (maybe by some chemical reaction) and clogs that hose pretty much. I saw that first on my SLO and when I got the SHO, I ask to the mechanic to change this joint. He don't understand why, it seems rusty but ok. When we look inside of it we saw that he was obstructed at 50 % maybe more. After that, the car run at the beginning of the normal zone in summer (but will goes at 1/2 or 2/3 in traffic during a hot day).

Good luck and keep us informed,