Well, I just put my 350 in with a 4 core rad and electric fans, so I don't know what it's gonna run in the summers yet, but in the summers with the previous 307, 2 core rad, and flex fan I would run around 195-205 in traffic and it'd shoot up to 215-220 on the freeway (usually closer to 215 the slower I went (60 MPH)). I did overheat once on the way to Yuma. I pulled over when it got up to 230. That was beyond my comfort level. Ended up being a thermostat that was stuck closed. No head gasket damage though. I did end up overheating once though right before I was going to do the engine swap and I was about a mile from home. I went ahead and drove it home. When I got it home the rad. was bone dry and my temp. gauge had peaked for that last mile. I figured I was swapping engines anyway, so i wasn't worried about damage, I just wanted to get home. That eneded up being a leak in the hose that I didn't catch soon enough and all the coolant had leaked out on the way home.
Rodney. 71 Chevelle El Mirage, AZ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tim Moebes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, December 14, 2002 1:06 PM Subject: [Chevelle-List] Operating temperature > Gents, > > I'm changing the subject of this thread because I had my main question > answered and because I suspect my sub-question will continue to be debated. > > Smitty, I appreciate your input, but I simply can't believe that anything > over 200 is dangerous. Perhaps you were running straight water with a low > pressure cap. I drove my Elky down from Seattle to Tucson in May with just > the warning light, and it came on once while stuck in Las Vegas traffic. It > was hot that afternoon. I never lost coolant with the pressure cap (16 lb) > and I do not have a cracked head or blown head gasket. The car ran fine > cruising on the highway and it still does (great with the HEI distributor I > put in down here.) > > When I arrived in Tucson, I put the gauge in and noted that in the heat of > the day it would run at 230, way too hot, and more when stopped at a light. > But that experience told me that the warning light probably didn't come on > until 240 or 245. Why would it: you won't begin to lose coolant until what, > 250? I never did. > > The aluminum crossflow rad I installed brought temps down 20 or more > degrees. > > I agree that sustained high-speed driving at elevated temperatures is hard > on the engine. I simply want input on what that point is. Perhaps more > directly, I suppose I need information from other desert dwellers how hot > their vehicles run under load in the heat of the day. This information will > let me decide whether I need a high-flow water pump or other improvements. I > haven't had the chance to seek out the local car clubs, but that is probably > where I should look. > > Finally, I simply refuse to believe given my experience that the venerable > 283 is as delicate as Smitty warns. A 20-degree operating range is absurd > for an engine rebuilt with late-80s head gasket technology. Or so I hope. > :-) > > Respectfully, > Tim Moebes > 66 El Camino > ----------------------------------------------------- To Unsubscribe please visit www.chevelles.net/list.html To start a new topic, send mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
