Cooling issues please help!!!

[92talonawd21]

Ok i have read the threads that popped up. And none of them match mine. I have a 1g, fully forged internals with a mitsu 20g. The car will run in my driveway all day long at idle and not overheat. When i am driving around below 45 after about 20 mins of running, it will start to climb over the middle tick mark on the stock guage. If i go to hammer on it, it will get hotter then cool down when im at crusing speed. It will also warm up and then cool back down slightly below that middle tick mark when i pull up to a red light and the car is idling. Now if im driving the car easy and smooth after its heated up, while switching gears you can hear the belt chirp. And im pretty sure its the water pump belt. If i were to stay on the highway at 70 all day the car will not over heat until i put it to the floor. It does have a 170 degree failsafe thermostat in it. And its the kind that stays open at failsafe . please help im lost.

 

[nicknorth11]

First, don't trust those thermostats. They CAN and Do fail in the closed position. An easy test is to take it out and put it in a pot of water on your stove. Stick a thermometer in the water and then heat it up. Note what temperature it opens. Obviously, it should start to open at 170. Autozone thermometers are notorious for opening late, so make it a general rule to always stick them in a pot of water before sticking them in your car. And don't use the failsafe ones. They suck.

Regarding the water pump, take off the belt and spin the pulley with your hand. It should spin easily. If it doesn't, it needs to be replaced.

 

[92talonawd21]

so nobody is thinking head gasket? it has a cometic head gasket and when i blew the belt a while back...i had the heat on and the car filled with a strong smell of antifreeze and white fog.... but it doesn't smoke or anything from the actual car? It never has smoked either. Please help... I have no idea what it could be. I am about to start replacing part by part. I will start with a radiator cap. Pretty sure the one on there is stock.

 

[Gsxhero]

I'd start with a new thermostat since they dont cost to much. If its a blown head gasket most times you will seee water in your oil or oil in your water. you can also try Red Line Oil Racing Water Wetter - SafeRacer . And add Louvers to your hood

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. I got some louvers from part of a refrigerator, cut them into squares. Then cut the squares shape into my flip up headlights and bondoed them in. You could put some on your hood. Also running lean can make your engine hotter. And your fmic is probly blocking your radiator.

 

[nicknorth11]

I just noticed that your original post sounds like a normally operating car. You keep saying it warms up then comes back down. How hot is it actually getting? The middle tick on the gauge isn't a good indicator of your actual temps. It's unlikely it's your hg. Change your Thermostat, or at least test yours. You can also test to make sure both of your fans are working properly. But don't put in louvers. They are not needed... at all.

 

[supersilverspeed]

have you done any work to the car prior with the cooling system? i would make sure there is no air in the cooling system. air pockets are notoruious for causing a temp to go up and down while driving. test hg by doing a leak down test and also turn your water pump . last test if thermostat in pump doesnt work is to pull tstat out and run the car without it. keep us posted

 

[92talonawd21]

I will try to get on some of that stuff this weekend im in the military so finding time to work on it can sometimes be challenging. Thank you for the input. and I will keep you posted

 

[dsmpat95]

Leak down or compression test it.

 

[seejakob94]

The way you're describing, to me sounds like a fan/ breathing issue. When you're getting up on boost the front mount is at its hottest point and all that hotter air is blowing into the radiator, not allowing it to cool enough, and when you come to a light that's when your fans should kick on because there is no more air running across the radiator and that makes the temps go really hot for a minute till the motor can cool back down. I would first make sure fans are kicking on, make sure nothing is blocking the radiator and if you don't have some all ready, get some fan shrouds. I've delt with this last summer out here in az, I would over heat on boost and off the freeway after a long drive, or really just beating on it. I put a second fan in and never had a problem again. Sure hope you figure it out though, cooling problems suck