LS-coupe cooling saga continues :(

[greenbullitt]

progress!

[dville_gt]

progress!

yep, i think paul and i figured it out. he was generous enough to let me swap in his l33 pump (5.3 liter) that he had in his garage. it made some difference but not quite enough (would run decently cool at speed but got too hot at idle).

so i made a trip out to the salvage yard looking for a better fan. man, someone must have had the same idea because literally every ford had the fans yanked from it. about the time i was going to throw in the towel i stumbled upon a 3.8l mercury sable that nobody had touched yet. $20 later i had a fan.

paul hooked me up with a 70amp relay, wired everything up, took her for a cruise. i also made an air dam, some shrouding for the open areas beside the radiator, and put a broken upper radiator cover from a 2k1 mustang (will replace this, just wanted to block the air from going straight over the radiator)

ambient air temp was between 92-95 degrees at the front bumper:

at 65-70mph (3000-3200rpm) the car runs about 215*
at low speed/idle the car runs about 205-210*

took it out on a 30 minute drive (half highway, half city) and the highest i saw was 220* (on the highway).

These numbers are all based on the ECT reading from the PCM, my autometer electric h2o temp gauge that is mounted in the head (opposite from the factory ect sensor) never got above 210*. Not sure which is more accurate so I go with the higher number (factory ect sensor).

So, going to have to test it on a hotter day, but this is a HUGE improvement from where I was. Seems that the pump I had might have a problem, and the f-body fans < 3.8 taurus/sable fans.

Here are some pictures of the setup now:

[Txstang1]

Nice ! That's pretty much the same fan I have.

[UserX]

Glad to hear it! I know it's been asked... but why not throw a 160* thermo in there too?

New fans, radiator, hoses, pump, dam, etc... the thermo would have been my #1 move.

[dville_gt]

Glad to hear it! I know it's been asked... but why not throw a 160* thermo in there too?

New fans, radiator, hoses, pump, dam, etc... the thermo would have been my #1 move.

i already had a stock replacement on the shelf, drilled a hole at the 12 o'clock position for air bubbles. i probably will throw a 160 in now that things are looking better.

[71chevellejohn]

210* is where my truck sits normally(08 GMC 5.3L), once up to operating temp

Just remember if you go too low on the thermostat, it might not cycle properly and your temp could go higher.

[dville_gt]

210* is where my truck sits normally(08 GMC 5.3L), once up to operating temp

Just remember if you go too low on the thermostat, it might not cycle properly and your temp could go higher.

ya, the more i think about it the more i think that a lower thermo will probably cause me more problems then help anything. if the car was running at or around the 187 degree thermostat i could see a 160 keeping it cooler, but since with a/c on the car is operating over 200* it shows me that the thermostat is probably open most of the time anyway, the only thing a 160 would do is start cycling coolant sooner, a 160 and 187* thermostat is no different at 210*

[kingjason]

Sweet! Good to here its better now.

[Grape]

how much wrap is on that waterpump pulley? sure doesnt look like it touches but maybe about 30% of the pulley

[dville_gt]

how much wrap is on that waterpump pulley? sure doesnt look like it touches but maybe about 30% of the pulley

it is only about 30% wrap. not discounting the theory at all as i obviously can't tell what's going on under there while at speed, but i have seen/heard no indication that there is any slipping of the belt under normal (or even high) loads with the pulley wrapped like that. you def. cant spin the pulley by hand with the belt tensioned no matter how hard you try.

it's really not much worse than the corvette's come as far as belt wrap on the waterpump

[War Machine]

it is only about 30% wrap. not discounting the theory at all as i obviously can't tell what's going on under there while at speed, but i have seen/heard no indication that there is any slipping of the belt under normal (or even high) loads with the pulley wrapped like that. you def. cant spin the pulley by hand with the belt tensioned no matter how hard you try.

it's really not much worse than the corvette's come as far as belt wrap on the waterpump

by you posting this, you have no idea how much you just helped me in a build Im doing, thank you

[dville_gt]

by you posting this, you have no idea how much you just helped me in a build Im doing, thank you

n/p!

[46Tbird]

Don't put a 160 thermostat in it. If it can't maintain 200, how would it maintain 160?

The purpose of a thermostat is to allow coolant to stay in the radiator long enough to be cooled off well below the operating temp of the engine. So when it opens, the coolant reduces the temperature of the engine. Pretty basic, but if the stat opens back up before the radiator sufficiently cools the coolant, the engine temp will steadily rise with the thermostat standing wide open and ineffective.

Cars that are already overheating due to ineffective cooling do not magically start running cooler with a lower temp thermostat lol. If anything, put a HIGHER stat in it to increase the amount of time the coolant stays in the radiator. I only use 195 stats myself, the car runs better, gets better mileage, and keeps a rock steady temp.

[Txstang1]

Don't put a 160 thermostat in it. If it can't maintain 200, how would it maintain 160?

The purpose of a thermostat is to allow coolant to stay in the radiator long enough to be cooled off well below the operating temp of the engine. So when it opens, the coolant reduces the temperature of the engine. Pretty basic, but if the stat opens back up before the radiator sufficiently cools the coolant, the engine temp will steadily rise with the thermostat standing wide open and ineffective.

Cars that are already overheating due to ineffective cooling do not magically start running cooler with a lower temp thermostat lol. If anything, put a HIGHER stat in it to increase the amount of time the coolant stays in the radiator. I only use 195 stats myself, the car runs better, gets better mileage, and keeps a rock steady temp.

truth

[dville_gt]

Don't put a 160 thermostat in it. If it can't maintain 200, how would it maintain 160?

The purpose of a thermostat is to allow coolant to stay in the radiator long enough to be cooled off well below the operating temp of the engine. So when it opens, the coolant reduces the temperature of the engine. Pretty basic, but if the stat opens back up before the radiator sufficiently cools the coolant, the engine temp will steadily rise with the thermostat standing wide open and ineffective.

Cars that are already overheating due to ineffective cooling do not magically start running cooler with a lower temp thermostat lol. If anything, put a HIGHER stat in it to increase the amount of time the coolant stays in the radiator. I only use 195 stats myself, the car runs better, gets better mileage, and keeps a rock steady temp.

This is what I have thought from the beginning, a low temp thermostat would compound the problem.

The only logic I could see behind the low temp is either

a: a 187* thermo begins to open at 187 and is not fully open until 10-15* over that, so you are not getting "full flow" until 200-205* vs 175*

or b: the higher coolant temps cause a snowball effect whereas the heat from the engine/coolant running warmer acts as heating element to only compound the problem by heat soaking everything. thus running a cooler thermostat keeps everything cooler, including the air around the engine/radiator that is used to cool everything.

i am not saying i agree with either of these two hypothesis, but i have gotten advised by more then one person to run a lower temp thermostat and i have to believe there is at least some explanation to why. i will probably keep the factory 187 for now, it seems like a good compromise between too cool and too warm.

i would be interested to see how it acts with a 160 and a 200 just for shits and giggles though.