First Generation Firebird-L Mailing List
.........................................................................
I think you're right that mods are a big part of overheating. Pontiac
was very specific about which combinations of rear diff
gears/radiators/transmissions/options you could order. Their engineers
did extensive testing to determine what would work and what wouldn't.
I think, too, that some people misunderstand what constitutes
overheating. The '68 manual states that a 190-degree thermostat should
start to open somewhere between 187 to 193, and a used thermostat is
considered good if it fully opens somewhere between 183 and 197. It also
says that it should be fully open at or before 222 degrees, so it seems
that running at 210 or even 220 technically would have been deemed
acceptable to Pontiac.
Andy
Larry *.* wrote:
First Generation Firebird-L Mailing List
.........................................................................
Back around 1968, My friend owned a 6x Nova 4-speed that he raced on weekends. He had no problems with overheating even in hot Washington DC summers. Then he installed 4.11 gears. From that point onwards, he couldn't cruise on the freeway without overheating. Above 45 mph, the temperature gauge moved higher quickly and he would boil over. Modifications from stock condition can add to overheating issues. The air control devices in the front of the car are important. Losing or removing these air control devices over the years can cause a new issue. We should also consider timing changes folks make to accomodate today's gasoline.
In 1968, the streets were not lined with Pontiacs with steam pouring out. I think these issues come from modifications to the original configuration, corrosion in the radiator or rusting out of the water pump baffle.
I remember an old Popular Mechanics column about car problems. It discussed an overheating car. It was traced to someone removing the thermostat. The thermostat is necessary to control water circulation so water flow is uniform. In this article, the overheating was solved by installing a correct thermostat where the t-stat was missing.
Back in 1970, I replaced my stock thermostat with a cooler one, thinking this would extend engine life. The cooler running engine ran noticiably poorer. I ended up replacing it with the correct t-stat. That was on a 350/3-speed 68 bird.
Larry
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submissions to Firebird-L: <[email protected]>
Unsubscribe from Firebird-L: <[email protected]>
Help: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/firebird/Firebird-L.html>
Classifieds: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/ubb/>
Owner Pictures: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/show/>
