[67blackcherry]

Originally Posted by GT182

Last night after I signed off I got to thinking.... yeah right. LOL

Could it be that most of us with this overheating problem aren't getting the trapped air out after a new engine install and filling up the radiator? We just add coolant and go, not taking the time to let it sit and work out the air in the system. Just a thought to consider, but I know most don't it like that. That could have been my problem, and then it could have been just the upper hose sitting higher than the cap. Makes ya sit and think about it a bit.

Guilty as charged, your honor!

[GT182]

Originally Posted by 67blackcherry

Guilty as charged, your honor!

LOL... your honor my ... BC, you're not alone. I'm guilty too.

[67blackcherry]

Originally Posted by GT182

LOL... your honor my ... BC, you're not alone. I'm guilty too.

I mean really, who'd of thought...put the new engine in, fill the radiator, and away I go!

So...what is the correct "filling" procedure?
Don't want to make the same mistake with my Firebird - although I did notice that hose is too high as well...

[GT182]

Originally Posted by 67blackcherry

I mean really, who'd of thought...put the new engine in, fill the radiator, and away I go!

So...what is the correct "filling" procedure?
Don't want to make the same mistake with my Firebird - although I did notice that hose is too high as well...

Don't know how correct this is.

Make sure upper hose is lower than radiator cap. That we've found out. Add antifreeze mix and start engine when radiator is almost full. Turn on heater to run coolant thru heater core. Add more coolant if needed. Run engine till temp gets to 180 or whatever thermostat is set to open at(if you remember or know). Make sure rad is full, and if you have an overflow bottle, the coolant is to the hot line. Listen for no gurgling sound... no air in system. If there is, bleed it off with radiator cap, or the bleed screw in some systems on the intake.

Hope that answers yer trick question BBC. Only kidding on the trick part. LOL I guess that's how it's done. It's worked ok in the garages I've worked at years ago, at home on my cars, and the cars of friends that I watched do it too.

At least I've always done it that way. Well, except this last time after I got the car back. Hey, I was in a hurry to take baby out for a spin. I hadn't had the chance to really drive it for a year after I bought it because of the smoke and oil coming out of the oil breather cap in the valve cover.

BTW.. I bought a new upper hose from NAPA yesterday..... Part# 7718. It's 31 inches long and you can trim it if need be. It's the closest I've seen for a correct upper hose on a 66 GTO.

[GT182]

I just swapped out the 160* thermostat for a 180. No leaks and no overheating.... so far.

New antifreeze catch pan:
The other day when I trimmed down the upper radiator hose I needed something to catch the antifreeze, seeing I didn't have anything handy. I took one of those 5 gallon water cooler bottles and cut it about 10"s from the bottom. It slips under the radiator support just fine. The top I can use as a super funnel for something else. The bottom seeing it's that light weight plastic can be squeezed to make a spout. It's a breeze to pour the antifreeze back in the radiator. And I never spilled a drop. Honest injun.

[kate`s67gto]

GT 182:

Thanks for the tip. Why did you swap stats? car running too cool?

[GT182]

Originally Posted by kate`s67gto

GT 182:

Thanks for the tip. Why did you swap stats? car running too cool?

Yeah, for this time of year it is. I've been taking it out for a drive even with the colder temps and it gets a bit nippy. At 180* I know I'll be warmer. And I want to see if it will over heat too. I don't think it will and I figure the 180 thermostat won't hurt. 180 is also the one that was in them from the factory I believe.

[GT182]

I had the Goat out yesterday for a run with the 180 thermostat. Ran nice and even with getting on the gas reall hard. She didn't heat up a bit, stayed at 180 the whole time. Even while sitting in traffic waiting for lights to change she stayed at 180.

[67blackcherry]

Originally Posted by GT182

I had the Goat out yesterday for a run with the 180 thermostat. Ran nice and even with getting on the gas reall hard. She didn't heat up a bit, stayed at 180 the whole time. Even while sitting in traffic waiting for lights to change she stayed at 180.

Sounds like cutting that hose worked, no?

[GT182]

Originally Posted by 67blackcherry

Sounds like cutting that hose worked, no?

Worked... yes, I believe it solved the problem.

[67blackcherry]

Originally Posted by GT182

Worked... yes, I believe it solved the problem.

I know the temps have cooled down considerably since fall, but my LeMans has yet to run much over 190* even in stop and go traffic, or running a bunch of small little errands.

And I'm loving premium down around $2/gal again!!!

[GT182]

Hey, Premium is 2.08 here at our WaWa just down the street. Regular is 1.729 Regular was 1.699 last Friday but went back up to 1.729 Saturday. Has gas gone up any out there?

The lowest I've seen Regular here is at a Citgo... 1.649.

[67blackcherry]

Originally Posted by GT182

Hey, Premium is 2.08 here at our WaWa just down the street. Regular is 1.729 Regular was 1.699 last Friday but went back up to 1.729 Saturday. Has gas gone up any out there?

The lowest I've seen Regular here is at a Citgo... 1.649.

Haven't seen gas going up...premium @ Costco is $1.87!

[Mark C.]

After reading what screaminchief had to say. I rerouted my upper hose on my 70 Bonne too. Behind the alt instead of over it. Seems to be running cooler. But the hot weather isn't here yet. I'm optomistic though. The temp gauge needle is reading lower than it use to on the gauge. Even in this cooler weather.

[GT182]

Sounds good Mark. I'll bet it does the trick for you too. We had 60/70* weather here the other day and I had my GTO out... didn't heat up at all, knock on wood. And I'm now running a 180* thermostat.

[Mark C.]

Ya know, if this upper rad hose fix is the fix. Then why/how did the engineers miss this? Didn't they know about it? Did overlook it, just never dawned on them?

Any thoughts?

[67blackcherry]

Originally Posted by Mark C.

Ya know, if this upper rad hose fix is the fix. Then why/how did the engineers miss this? Didn't they know about it? Did overlook it, just never dawned on them?

Any thoughts?

I'm sure that I have no idea...I think perhaps the repro upper radiator hose is slighly longer than the original...

[67blackcherry]

TTT...

Also - it helps to run the correct cap. There is a difference between "vented" and "non-vented" ......I mean, I heard that some other guys were a bit confused on that issue, and may have been running a vented cap on a non-vented system....not me of course, I would never do something like that...

BTW - if you switch to a non-vented cap you also don't have the "loosing all your anti-freeze cause it keeps getting puked out" issue going on, either.

Again, that's just what I've heard...

[77birdman]

After reading the thread I see no reason why mine would be running hot on the highway and ok in town. I do have a 3.73 rear and around 3200 rpm at 65-70 mph. The motor has around 3K miles on it, the cooling system was flushed 4 times one day last summer. Coolant is at 50/50 mix with a good cap. I also have a Taurus electric fan hooked up with a 160 d thermostat controller and a 160 degree thermostat. When I get going first the temps go up to around 170 then the fan kicks in and the temps drops to 145-150 is seconds. It is a good fan

Around town is fine, but once I get going on the highway 65+ mph it starts getting hot. This happens if temps are over 75 degrees, the gauge (it is accurate) starts climbing over 200.

[TheMonkey]

Originally Posted by 77birdman

... I see no reason why mine would be running hot on the highway and ok in town....

check out your tune. AFR & ignition timing at highway speed/load might be whacky.