Quote:
Originally Posted by bhill86
I do not have the idle solenoid yet but I’m going to order one. Just haven’t yet. The “tests” I’ve done at idle have been with the rpm either set or held by my foot a little higher.
I’ll have to see if I can find a 7 blade fan. I didn’t realize in my short attempt to find one they don’t seem to be readily available unless I wasn’t looking in the right place. Any advice on where to find a fan would be appreciated.
I should look at my receipts I got with the car to see if I can tell when the radiator was purchased. It’s at least 11 years old. Coolants been changed a few times over the years from pulling the motor. The most recent time the motor was out was 2017. I’ve never tried flushing the radiator though. Like I said I’ve never had an ounce of an issue until I added AC into the mix.
I can look into the coolant mixture thing too but my garage is uninsulated and detached to it is quite cold. I’m in NW Ohio so we’re normally not too far into the negative but it does happen. The google shows 6 years ago being -20 for an all time low that year and 2019 was down to -10.
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ok just checking on the solenoid, sounds like you mimic that with raising the idle though so that probably wont change the results.
pretty sure most places like our host ames sells the 7 blade fans but not positive. pretty sure i have a couple off of 2nd gen firebirds i would sell if they are the same size as yours, i will check & let you know.
-10-20 is pretty cold, im in northeast iowa & we see the same temps here but its usually for a long time in the dead of winter, set a record last year of -30 & was -teens to -20 lows for a week or more straight... i hate winter! but i do have a insulted garage that stays at or above freezing during those cold spells so i keep mine at about a 40% concentration & use hyper cool just because its cheap. never had any overheating issues with my cars, even back in the 90's with a partially clogged 4 core & a mild built 455. but each car/engine is different.
as for the flushing or cleaning, sounds like your radiator is new enough & you keep up on replacing coolant... i doubt its dirty or clogged enough to require professional cleaning. you can usually see the top few rows to see how much residue is on them or if they are filled with debris. i would just try a back flush if its close to time for a coolant change & see what comes out, im guessing you wont see any real signs of sediment or dirt to worry about flushing chemicals or cleaning it but always good to check. i have a stock 4 row in 2 of my cars that are 20+ years old & no signs of sediment or clogging & thats with probably less than suggested coolant changes but they dont see too many miles like a daily driver would.
chances are your radiator cleanliness isnt causing or contributing much to your cooling issues, its the new ac & condensor & possibly the 5 blade fan. & the temps you mention arent really that big of an issue, factory t-stats were 195 in most cars & they got up to 210 regularly in summer temps with ac on, as long as the temp drops pretty quick when moving you are probably fine... or shut off the ac for a few minutes if they get too high for your comfort.