Coolant Temps, Running Lean??

[Grimis]

ok, i've pulled everying i had into this rebuild and now im getting kicked in the face.

I got evo scan so this is where my info is coming from.

Car sits and idles around 210/216, then around town 226 and on the highway 230/240 it bounces and sits around 226/230 after it makes up its mind.

Its a fresh rebuild, replaced the T-stat twice, flushed the rad, bleed the system, new water pump and i cant figure it out. I know having a FMIC adds to the temps but this high??

Im going to pull the plugs tomorrow and see what they say, but its a stock rebuild 7bolt, with stock injectors, fuel setup, 14b at 11lbs I dont know what else to do, i have really no one local to ask, you guys here have been great help all the way (last 3years). Im just stumped.

So it sits out back till i figure out whats up. thanks.

 

[stefanOst]

Try building some ducting around the radiator and FMIC, should help to keep temps down while driving. For idle, consider adding a second fan, probably a slim fan so it can clear whatever piping you have for the FMIC, or even add it on the front of the radiator between the rad and FMIC.

 

[Grimis]

I have both stock fans, A/c and the other, and there is enough air to get to the rad..

im just not sure...

 

[stefanOst]

Are you running any heatshields around your turbo manifold? If not, put em back on, or consider doing a heat wrap around your manifold, o2 housing and downpipe, that will help to keep engine bay temps down. Also, do you have both fans wired to run together, or is the A/C fan only on with the A/C? If you have A/C, obviously the condensor is already blocking air to the rad, even before you add the FMIC in.

 

[Grimis]

heat shelds are on, and only the one kicks on , then the other. Evoscan is saying 219 at idle sitting and drops down to 216/212 when i bring up the rpms. I've pulled the valve cover and checked my head bolts, there tight, replaced the Tstat as said above, something is a miss and i cant figure out why. No local help. Im running out of options.

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after i swaped the upper hose.. and before i swaped the ECT/ECS (coolant temp sensor) i did noticed a temp of 216/212 after and both fans kicked on.. Im stumped.

 

[->PrOjEcTGS<-]

What temp T-stat did you put in there? I run a 180 and it sits at around 195-205* temp. If you've got a 195* stat then it's feasable that it would sit that high.

Does it shit coolant out the coolant reservior? Check your pressure cap. You really just don't want the coolant to boil.

100% water boiling point: 212*F
50/50 water/coolant boiling point: 223*F
70/30 coolant/water boiling point: 235*F

Now for every 1lb the system is pressurized the boiling point is raised by 3*F

So with a 50/50 mix and a 13lb pressure cap your boiling point should be about: 262*F

That's when you really need to get scared.

You can also buy a kit to pressurize your cooling system to check for leaks. Sort of like a boost leak test for your cooling system. It mounts to where the cap is and you hook it up to an air compressor. Pretty cool little deal.

Stant

 

[Grimis]

its a oem temp 180* first one i got was 180 and made sure to get another 180. Im going to call a shop and see if they have a tester, as i dont have the $70 bones to get what you posted. Thanks for the info, will keep you all informed what is found.

 

[PIMking]

go to the local home depot and get your self some steel. Then make a air deflector and mount it on the core support. mine has a 90* bend with 3 inches down. I just used self tapping screws. My temps via dsmlink were somewere in the area of 220* all the time then I would kick the ac switch kicking on both of my slim fans and turn the heat on (I dont have ac anymore) and it would drop to 180* on my autometer gauge. (auto meter gauge is about 10-15* cooler than what Link reads for some wierd reason) but I just made mine today and my car on the highway doing 75 did not climb above 200* with no fans or heat on. So I got more air going to the radiator. I just have to be careful going onto parking lots and whatnot because I only have 4 1/4" clearance .

Hope that helps.

Also when I built mine I used aluminum and put a bead roll down the middle 2 inches from the edge all the way in the middle to give it strength.

 

[Grimis]

yeah thats my last option but with one of the fans on , it sucks a paper towel to the front mount so there is air moving. I just got up and going to call a local shop and see if the can pressure test the system for me, and as well do a exhaust check in the fluid.

 

[PIMking]

took me a total of 5 mins to make. if your not loosing coolant then a pressure test wont tell you anything.

 

[Grimis]

pressure test came back ok, no leaks, no exhaust in the coolant. Did a lazer test on some of the parts, and the temps came back normal, 192 is what its running at the Tstat, and 200 the fans kicked on. I've replaced the ECT so only guess is that evo scan is reading it to high. Plans are , that im getting a Alum Rad and some new fans, and a temp gauge to go inline and Dsm Link Lite (when it hits the streets)

 

[rEclipserGST]

pressure test came back ok, no leaks, no exhaust in the coolant. Did a lazer test on some of the parts, and the temps came back normal, 192 is what its running at the Tstat, and 200 the fans kicked on. I've replaced the ECT so only guess is that evo scan is reading it to high. Plans are , that im getting a Alum Rad and some new fans, and a temp gauge to go inline and Dsm Link Lite (when it hits the streets)

More water, maybe a 70/30 mix. Since water cools faster but evaporates faster. Try adding Water Wetter. Also, do the ducting. It will help & tons of people who have heating problems do everything they can to reduce heat.

 

[Grimis]

More water, maybe a 70/30 mix. Since water cools faster but evaporates faster. Try adding Water Wetter. Also, do the ducting. It will help & tons of people who have heating problems do everything they can to reduce heat. Dont be a bum

I'll stick with the 50/50 till i get the new alum rad. I'm not one to add "additives" it didn't need them before and its not getting it now.

Ducting i can see helping when the cars moving, and will be done.

 

[kristmen]

Little thread hijack here.

At what temp do you have to start worrying about engine damage, cylinder head warp etc?

I was JUST about to make a post about this VERY same problems but the original posters first post describes my problem almost exactly.

Well, other then the fact this problem JUST started for me this year. I've been running the same setup for the past 6 years and my temps rarely go above 205F but this year, after a cylinder head rebuild, new head gasket etc, as the weather got warm out, my temps are skyrocketing.

I'm seeing 210~216 on the highway and 220~226 in the city. I was getting scared to drive my car, I can't afford to replace the head again. Took me 6 months to get it rebuilt this last time because of funds or lack of anyway.

I only have one fan though but it's NEVER been a problem til this year. I thought maybe there was an issue with the new head but before it got warm, my temps were 200~205 as normal.


I have no heat shield, never have.

Thought about water wetter, but does it really work? I have mostly water in there now, not much anti-freeze because I have to keep adding water, no over flow, no room for one but in 6 years, never a problem, I just add water every week or so.

Could it maybe be time to replace the thermostat? How often do they go out?

My wideband has me bouncing around 14:7~15.5'ish normal driving. The boost is turned down from 18psi to 10psi because I was trying to diagnose another issue with a fuel cut or something that turned out to be maybe a bad coil pack? Just haven't turned it back up.

 

[Grimis]

start with the Tstat as they do go, and should be replaced i think every 60k or 3years (cant think) and if you been running the same setup, check your ECS or ECT or rather the dang Engine Temp Sesnor the one with the 2wires on your Tstat housing. I have yet to run mine to see if its changed as my Alt melted do to a PS leak so i cant report back, and i think Evoscan reports the temps high anyways. Good luck!

 

[kristmen]

I'm running an Autometer Cobalt mechanical water temp gauge right in the t-stat housing.

My factory gauge always sits in the same spot once it warms up, it's pretty much worthless, although DSMLink does report about the same findings as my Autometer gauge via the stock sensor.

I'll pick up a 180 stat tonight some fresh distilled water and antifreeze.

Probably need to flush it too, been years. Maybe I'll get one of those do it yourself flush kits at Wal-mart.

 

[Grimis]

yeah thats what i plan on getting here in a few weeks, autometter phantom 2 water temp to see how close, even tho the shop used a laser temp gun, at points on the water system and it never got to 200 so i dont know.. my dash gauge doest move at all ether and i've replaced them both.
Good luck with the flush, i did mine at home with a garden hose, and then once it was clean took it to a carwash to give it some good pressure, and it got the gunk out. flows good now. Im off here to go replace an Alternator and fix a few things and see what my temps are now .

 

[Grimis]

i have yet to get my water temp gauge but called a shop and they have me going in on the 27th of this month, only shop i will trust with my car so worth the wait i guess (not driving it anywhere as of late around the block a few times ) anyways, my neighbor asked me how my upper/lower hoses where after going for a short drive to get gas, i said the the uppper was hot and got on the ground and the bottom hose is (air temp??) out side temp not hot at all nor warm. Its pointing to be a bad radiator i think as i have flushed it but maybe 14years is long enough???

 

[Fast-Orange]

just use a garden hose once you have all the coolant drained and flush water through the rad and if its comming out easily and clean then rads not pluged, also when you put the new head gasket in if you use an aftermarket one you need to be carfull and check that all the coolant ports on the block/head decks are still opened are still flowing that same way the old head gasket was.
also could be a bad air lock sometimes they are a bugger to get out, try this take the rad cap off have your car idling and turn your heater on high rev the engine to about 2000-2500rpm is helps circulate the coolant check to see once its up to operating temp that you can see coolant flowing under the rad cap, that means your t-stat is opene and circulating now check your vent temps and if there good and hot then you dont have any air stuck in your heater core, now put your cap back on go for a drive then pull then take it off again just becarefull its HOT any air left over should release when you remove the cap, hope this helps, and yes those infarred laser temp guns come in handy to tell the temps on your cooling and exhaust system.

hope this helps

 

[Grimis]

i'll give that a go and see what happens, but not sure, i have good heat thats for sure.

 

[lacroixdp]

Before you spend big bucks at the shop, I'd take some washers and put them in between your hood bolts and your hood in the rear. This will lift up the rear end of your hood, which will help move the hot air out the back. I've done that for several years and it's worked wonders!

 

[Grimis]

Before you spend big bucks at the shop, I'd take some washers and put them in between your hood bolts and your hood in the rear. This will lift up the rear end of your hood, which will help move the hot air out the back. I've done that for several years and it's worked wonders!

thats not really going to fix my issue, it is somewhere. this is as bad as an electrical problem. I've seen people do that (my nephew in his supra) and it looks like a$$ so i'll leave that alone(not not insulting you, just not my cup of tea, if it works for you great)

 

[Fast-Orange]

also forgot to note your cooling fans should come on when your coolant is 220F if that helps

 

[Grimis]

also forgot to note your cooling fans should come on when your coolant is 220F if that helps

fans come on and go off (cyle) but after going around the town, they like to stay on. I'm going to pull it out back and yank the bottom hose and tstat and see if it that, even tho i've replaced it 3 times... the bottom hose is way too cool, like there is nothing getting up to the tstat to open it. (does that make any sence?)

 

[need2boostpsi]

Before you spend big bucks at the shop, I'd take some washers and put them in between your hood bolts and your hood in the rear. This will lift up the rear end of your hood, which will help move the hot air out the back. I've done that for several years and it's worked wonders!

That wont work on our cars, behind the hood is a low pressure spot. If the hood is raised up in the back, the air will hit the windshield and shove more air into the engine bay causing the engine bay to become more positive in pressure thus preventing as much air entering from the radiator side. if you dont believe me tape some short pieces of string to the back of your hood with thise mod done and at 70mph tell me what those pieces of string are doing.