Cooling issue

[Dwight]

Lots of good responses

I'll add mine

try using 40% antifreeze and 60% distilled water. To much antifreeze will make the motor run hotter. Been there done that.

My friend installed a rebuild water pump on his 351W. He set the motor up on my test stand to break it in and check for leaks.
It would run for 15 minutes and then the temp would go to 250 plus.
After months of trying different things he pulled the pump and found they (the company that rebuilds the pump) had installed the wrong impeller.
New pump and all was well.

Check your radiator size

Had one FE with trash in the return hose. It would overheat at idle but not on the hiway.
Cured a few with new high volume pumps.
Over drive pulleys are not for street cars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If your going to own a Cobra you should buy a good (not Sears $80 POS) infrared thermometer.
Check the temp on the base of the sending unit in the intake and compare it to the gauge reading. Most gauges are off 5 to 8 degrees. Some as much at 15 degrees.

Best of luck

My buddies and I have chased a lot of overheating problems thru the years.

Dwight

My motor makes about 480-500 hp. Which is heat! Lots of heat.
Last June on I-65 north of Nashville Tn. it took me 77 minutes to go 4 or 5 miles.
My car idled the whole time and never got above 220 degree. Most of the time it was 200. I have a 195 T-stat. When it got to 220 I just rev'ed the motor for a few minute and it dropped.
I wanted to do the Happy Dance in the middle of the interstate. No over heating problems.

[Bobcat]

What cycleguy said about thermostat "ratings" .... X2 ! So many people think that a 180 degree thermostat will hold the temps at 180 degrees . There is also a tolerance of =/- a few degrees on the settings . Test your thermostat by putting a piece of string in the seat , drop it in water and bring it up to boiling while monitoring the temp . When the unit drops off the string is when it is stating to open , note the temperature .
FWIW , I run a consistant 190 degrees except in traffic when it will get to 195 to 200 degrees .... drops when I get up some speed . Track is about 195 to 200 degrees .
You might want to verify that your gauge is reading correctly before spending a lot of time and money on other things .
Check your timing ... it can have a big effect on engine temps .

[Xack]

Originally Posted by Dwight

Lots of good responses
Over drive pulleys are not for street cars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dwight,
Is this comment for centrifugal pump impellers vs. scroll impellers, like Edelbrock?

Can you elaborate on this for us please. I have an Edelbrock pump (scroll impeller). I changed it on advice which stated improved temperature control. I installed a small pulley (~3:1 ratio to crank pulley) in order to get the idle RPM up to get the pump to work better at idle state. I am concerned that what I've done is up the RPM's on the pump at highway speeds to cause too much pressure on the block to possibly blow the freeze plugs!, especially if there is any restriction at the thermostat. I have placed a gutted thermostat so I do not have temperature control at all. Am I doing things here to cause more problems for myself or improving things? It sounds like to me, possibly making things worse by changing pumps, pulleys and removing thermostats.

Should I just go back to the stock, centrifugal impeller, my mildly overdriven water pump pulley and a 180 degree thermostat?

Thanks, in advance,
Xack

[Dwight]

Ok, Xack,

I need to correct my statement to say underdrive pulleys.

First; I'm not an expert in anything!

I think if you have changed the pulley to overdrive at idle, that would be the correct thing to do.

I don't think you can blow your freeze plugs at hiway speed.

I like a t-stat because I have a heater. Some guys don't use t-stats in their Cobras. And it's not a problem for them.

Just my humble opinion

maybe someone with more experience can chime in.

Dwight

[frankym]

cycleguy, i may have missed this, but when your fan(s) come on, does it reduce the temperature? I agree with others that the 210-215 is not an issue. Guessing you are into motorcycles as well (cycleguy), as am I. 2 of my bikes are sport bikes, bmw s1000rr and honda vtr 996. Both are sport bikes, s1000rr is the highest horsepower (193) production bike in the world, although someone might argue that the highest HP claim goes to a bmw hp4 or or a ducati panigale r course. but anyways, both my bikes idling in the driveway at today's 15 degree F temperatures, the bikes get to about 218 degrees of water temp before the fans come on. The fans stay on until the water temp taken is around 195 if i recall correctly. If your water temp is getting to 210 to 220 and your fan comes on to cool it doesn some, then your engine is running and cooling properly.

If you are boiling over and the excess heat is causing electrical malfunction, then perhaps there is a problem, but from what i read, there is nothing to be worried about.