I JUST WENT THRU MY ENGINE AND GOT IT RUNNING GREAT BUT NOW IT TENDS TO GET A LIL WARM (WATER WILL BOIL ON THE RADIATOR) . ENGINE HAS AN EDELBROCK PERFORMER ALUMINUM INTAKE, EDELBROCK CAM, STANDARD BORE W/ NEW PISTONS AND FACTORY RODS, HI-VO OIL PUMP. IS ANYONE ELSE RUNNING A SETUP LIKE THIS OR HAVING OVERHEATING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR 302. I ONLY HAVE A 2 ROW RADIATOR ON IT RIGHT NOW, NO SHROUD AND 5 BLADE FLEX FAN. Y'ALL THINK I SHOULD SWITCH TO A 3 ROW, W/SHROUD AND A 6 BLADE FAN??? ANY INPUT/OPINIONS IS ALWAYS APPRECIATED!
Don't know if he "changed" the intake but he did mention what he has. What he does have is insuffecent cooling with that 2 row radiator and no fan shroud. Sounds like you have some places to start. I would also look at the cap and change it, it's only a few dollars for peace of mind. You didn't mention anything about the t-stat. I use a 190*, well, when it was running. Let us know what you find.
dont forget that all critical thermostat. even new they often are bad and dont open. since its already in the car, run it up to temp(180+)and then squeeze the top hose. if it is hard like a rock that thermostat is not opening. Let us know.
Does it overheat driving down the road or only while sitting? If you had the heads off, did you install the head gaskets in the proper direction?
It could overheat with that setup idling ... not while driving .... factory fans cool better and all 302 cars should have a shroud ... My latemodel 5.0 engine has 600 Edelbrock, headers, Performer RPM intake and I am running a 2-row Radiator with a shroud ... the temp gauge never goes over 185 idling or driving ... and that is with a 180 degree thermostat ...
Not a fan.... ....of flex fans! You could have other issues, but I just don't believe a flex fan moves enough air. At high speeds, the blades are flat out anyway. Seth
I agree that you definately need a shroud. If you totally overhauled the engine, they tend to run hot anyway until broken in. You didn't say what thermostat you had, but you MUST have a stat of some sort. No stat will cause overheating. Need a 180 degree at most, but you can find 160 and 170. After these things are considered, then we need to know if it is overheating all the time, or only when sitting still. Does the lower radiator hose suck closed when revved? Good luck Dave
I JUST WENT THRU MY ENGINE AND GOT IT RUNNING GREAT BUT NOW IT TENDS TO GET A LIL WARM (WATER WILL BOIL ON THE RADIATOR) Just what do you mean by that?,if you have bubbles comeing up inside your radiator then you have a bad head gasket, a cracked head or block which would let hot exhaust gas into the cooling system heating the water and overheating! If it "boils" on top of the radiator went you pour water on it then it too would be caused by exhaust gas, not steam or the water inside the radiator. Pull your thermostat and test it, also run the engine with out it, ans see what happens,Good luck!
Running A 195 T-stat And When It Gets Warm, If There Is Any Water On Top Of The Radiator It Will Boil. The Head Gaskets Are Installed Correctly With The Prints Facing Towards The Front Of The Engine. I Thought The Radiator Might Have Been Stopped Up So I Changed It With Another I Had Laying Around And Didnt Get As Hot (no Water Boiling On Top Of The Radiator) But Then Engine Still Got Hotter Than It Should. And I Have A 3 Row Laying Around For Another Project But Thought About Sticking It On And Seeing If It Helped.
My 302 heats up bad 2, and i dont Have a Shroud But i think i need a new radiator, i have to makesure that i have water in the radiator at all times.
My 289 never gets above 190 while idling for 10 minutes and it only has a 2 row and 7 blade fan imagine it with an aluminum 4 row and an electric fan another project on the summer list
My 73 4door Has A 302, 2row Radiator, No Shroud, 195 T-stat And 7 Blade Aftermarket Flex Fan And It Never Gets Above 175 Even On The Hottest Summer Day In The Middle Of Traffic........
