cooling tricks for a 350 in a cruza

[ALLOCKEDUP]

FIRST TIME - '95 tbi 350 just installed in my 81 fj40. Running the stock cruiser radiator and the biggest electric fan that can fit the radiator. Airflow seems to be pretty damn good from the fan at idle. I have about four inches from block to the firewall and it appears there is ample room in the tranny tunnel for air flow. While idling the temp gauge goes up to 190 then the thermostat opens and it settles down around 185. When driving around 35 around town on a warm ( 99) degree day it goes up around 240. Running a sm465 to cruiser t/case and 4.88 gears with 36's and a spring over. Any cooling tricks that people have learned through experience would be appreciated.

UPDATE - Had my radiator recored to a five row - More $$$ then I care to admit - Found that my thermastat was rusted shut - replaced it with a 180 degree new one - put very little coolent and an entire bottle of watter wetter and filled the rest with pure H2O. have just driven it a little and right up to 230. I'm not impressed so far

[COMPLAINE]

Had similar results when I did a 350 swap, but I was using a 4 cor CCoT Cruiser style rad and a cluch fan. I put in a Griffen alum rad and a shroud and now it's 190 - 210. My problem was that it was getting too hot (240) on the freeway. When you have overheating at freeway speeds it is mostly an issue of not enough cooling capacity - fan size and shrouds dont make any significant difference on the freeway! Another "trick" is to trim the inner fenders away to improve air flow. I have seen many people running 350's with stock radiators, and everyone has little or no inner fenders.

[The Jerk]

sell it

[ranger]

You need a bigger radiator. Been there, experienced that!
You also have to look at the front grill, there is only a small area to let air in on the front of the radiator. I had to trim mine and open up the area to allow more surface area on the radiator to be exposed to cooling air. Removing the headlight bucket also permits better air flow......

[bsilva132]

I've heard using water wetter (~$7 at Pep Boys) will help, but I have no first had knowlege. It is suppose to lower the temp up to 20 degrees. Its a cheap possibility at the least.

[ranger]

Water wetter does work.....to a degree. I have tried this route also, but the results weren't as good as I liked. Cooling wasn't an issue at lower rpms, or on mild days. The problem I ran into was hotter days running on the freeway. The faster I went over 55 mph, the hotter the coolant temp got. I tried everything from timing to shrouds to different thermostats, water pumps, and 7 blade caddy fans with and without fan clutch. Always the same results......ran hot on the freeway. Only thing that fixed the problem was a bigger radiator and trimming the front grill for more airflow....
The larger the surface area and the ability for the coolant to stay longer in the radiator for heat transfer to take place, the cooler your engine will run.....

[ironpig70]

have not tried it on a cruiser but flow cool(i believe) look in a summit catalog makes a water pump that moves more coolant than a standard water pump. just a thought

[Erik D_lux]

I run a custom 5 row radiator, with the stock tanks. I think its the easiest, simplist, most cost effective way to go. I just took it to a shop and told him that I dont want to over heat again. He charged me ~$200. I have run this setup in 110 degree temps @ 3500rpm for 3 to 4 hrs and hasent come close to over heating.

[ALLOCKEDUP]

I think I am going to try a bigger radiator and I like the idea of more rows so the darn thing will still bolt into the stock holder. How much thicker is a 5 row raditor then thr stock one? I have plenty of room with the electric fan but I think if I went to a mechanical fan it would allow more air to pass at speed? Erik - what kind of fan and shroud are you running?


I will also try watter wetter - I want to run COOL!

[Erik D_lux]

I am running some dirty cheep piece of crap sheet metal one. I am not sure of how much thicker the 5 row is over stock. Not alot if any though. I even actually rolled when I was in Moab and it crushed the radiator. I drove all the way home (salt lake) with a leak and 3/4 full of fluid and still didnt over heat.

[wngrog]

I have an FJ-55 radiator I will let go CHEAP. Hit me offline....

[fj40mon]

Hey eric d lux,

Did you trim your inner fenderwells any? Bodylift?

[brainless]

the best set up i have seen is a stock rad that is re-cored with a 5 row xl dimple core . the trick is to slow the coolant down so it can transfer heat the xl dimple core slows coolant and swirls it in the tube which also helps to bring down engine temps . it is cheaper than an aluminum rad . i also think they cool better than aluminum too.

alan

[nichols]

Try a Lincoln Mark VIII electric fan, havn't been able to find the exact specs on this fan but its the Hoover of electric fans. Real world experience 400csb bored thirty over w/ 9:1 comp. stock size Griffin radiator(Al.). Before the LM VIII fan my boy was running a Black Magic fan and highway speeds in warmer temps motor temps were hitting 220deg and rising. Now when the Mark VIII fan kicks in temps have yet to reach 185. This is what the Mustang crowd has been using for awhile now and it works.

[Blucruz]

Single 1-1/2" core 19" x 27" Becool Aluminum Radiator- 6 blade 18" fan off a 502 Cadillac engine, and a homemade galvanized sheetmetal shroud. 165* thermostat. Runs between 165* & 175* on the freeway and no more than 190* around town. Wheelin I've had it up to 215* once. In winter I run a 185* thermostat.
Not the best pic but you get the idea:

[Erik D_lux]

Originally posted by fj40mon
Hey eric d lux,

Did you trim your inner fenderwells any? Bodylift?

Stock inner fender wells, and no body lift.

[TellurideCruiser]

I might as well throw in my 2 cents worth. First thing that i did was buy a new radiator from CCOT. Then got the biggest flex fan that would fit and not hit anything as it went around. Then I got a electric fan that went in front of the radiator, it is manualy switched so I can turn it off and on when I want. The last and probably the most important was to buy a cheap little oiece i=of sheet metal from Summit that rivits to the impellor of the water pump. The damn thing works like a charm. I run the trails in Moab and all over western colorado, new mexico and utah all summer and never have any problem with it heating up. Oh yeah and when I installed my 203 reduction box I moved the motor as far forward as possible, in doing so I had to chop the heck out of the inner fenders, so it does have a lot of air flow around the motor... Total price for everything cooling related is around 350 bucks... Worth every penny...

[ALLOCKEDUP]

I think I am going to remove the hood and drive it around to see if it gets hot. if it doe not then time to trim?????????????

[Bjowett]

oil cooler.

Brian

[hohardcastle]

Hey there Scott Its Heath here. I am running an aluminum radiator with an electic fan in front and a manual fan. I think the key is also to have a really good shroud. which I don't have yet. This set up seems to work pretty well except for on days when it is hotter than 100 out But I think if I had a fan shroud it would solve that problem. Hey I can't wait to see your cruiser it sounds awesome.

[woody]

I run a 16" pusher electric fan mounted to a stock tanked-5 core radiator. 7 blade mechanical fan with a temp-type clutch. NO shroud, no fender trimming. Factory new GM water pump. Kick the electric fan on and the temp drops to 180 all day, no fan and it sneaks around 200 degrees. Road temps are great.

350 Chev motor, .060 flattops, roller tips, .020 shaved heads, torquer cam, etc etc.

Where is your winch mounted? An 8274 (or XD9000i or or or) with the fairlead above the front bumper will take all your airflow away from the radiator and shove it over the hood. Common problem. Might be worth trying it on the highway once with the winch off and see if it overheats or not.

[Eskimo]

Seems that the guys with mechanical fans have no problems with cooling, and the problems really only arise with electric fans.

I'll throw in my $.02. I have a black magic 150 fan, 4 core FJ rad on my 305. Ran HOT at anything above 50mph before the BM fan.

Since that, I've cut out the inner fenders, raised the rear of the hood 3/8", and spaced the electric fan AWAY from the rad about 1". Stays at 210 up to 65.

I'm tempted to try the Mark VIII fan, but don't have $125 to cough up to try it right now.

I'll know in a day or 4 if re-mounting my winch will affect my cooling performance. It's just a POS Ramsey 9k, but it is mounted above the bumper.

[ALLOCKEDUP]

Originally posted by hohardcastle
Hey there Scott Its Heath here. I am running an aluminum radiator with an electic fan in front and a manual fan. I think the key is also to have a really good shroud. which I don't have yet. This set up seems to work pretty well except for on days when it is hotter than 100 out But I think if I had a fan shroud it would solve that problem. Hey I can't wait to see your cruiser it sounds awesome.

Hey Heath,

Lets go wheelin - in August - I am studying until then

I might be able to get away before then but not for more then a day........let me know next time your headen to the trail.

The cruiser has turned out real nice with the exception of overheating - I'm getten ready to replace my radiator with one out of an 18-wheeler mounter on the top of my roll cage!!!!!

That should flow pretty good.........

[Dan]

Must have a engine mech. fan. Electric pusher for on the trail at low RPM less than 1000. On the freeway it is all about air flow. Is there a big winch in the way? I made a top shroud for the radiaitor so the air would not go in the gril and over the top of the rad. Be sure there is the factory shroud that goes around the rad in the front of the rad. You want all the air that comes in the gril to go through the rad not around it. I don't even have a rear shroud an I run a 16"x1" mech fan due to doubler and short space. Never over 190 with a 350 TBI

Dan

[ALLOCKEDUP]

I took the rig down to the radiator shop and they determined that the rig was only running about 200. it seems that the temp sender that goes to my VDO gauge is to close to the headers. I have it in the side of the block and so it is not reading accurately! this was good news. now the only problem is moving it to the top of the motor. I already have two temp senders up there and all the holes are full. (one in the intake manefold and one in the thermastat cover) I am going to see if I can find a thermastat cover that has two holes in it for sending units. Has anyone ever seen one or know where I can get one?