High-speed cooling issues

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Dynosoar

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What are some things than can cause an engine to run hot at high speed. It stays cool in traffic and around town but if I drive it on the freeway for even 10-15 min. it gets real hot? Any ideas would be appreciated.

Dynosoar
 
Most likely it is a restriction in the cooling system that causes high temps at speed. I'd start simple and flush out the system and see what comes out. If it's pretty clear and you have decent coolant, I'd start looking at the radiator itself.
 
fan clutch is prob spinning free while at speed the fan is more of an issue around town. Air flow through the rad is really the thing cooling your cruizer at speed.
 
Most likely not the fan clutch.

How hot is it getting exactly?
 
Bradley said:
fan clutch is prob spinning free while at speed the fan is more of an issue around town. Air flow through the rad is really the thing cooling your cruizer at speed.

My experience tells me differently. At speed your engine is required to make horsepower which equals heat. Around town, the engine is just loafing in comparison. My money is on the fan clutch replacement being the fix.
 
Conventional wisdom: Hot at slow speeds= fan clutch
Hot at highway speeds= impeded flow through radiator.
I would suspect the radiator, but not eliminate anything else YET.
 
More info: TPI chey 350 with a turbo 400, trans cooler and engine oil cooler in front of condensor, electric fan, Around town / Traffic = 180-190 degrees, On highway at speed temp = 210-230 if it is scortching hot outside it may reach 240. I am running stock fj60 radiator. It was recored about 4-5 years ago and ran the same even then. I have ran a cadillac seven blade fan (500cid) on a clutch and temp was about the same. I know the small blocks are moer heat tollerant than a 2F but I would like to see it run no higher than 200 - 210 max. Would an AL. radiator make a huge difference? I run 75% water 25% glycol. Thermostat is a highflow 180 and I have a high flow pump as well. I think thats all the info.

Dynosoar
 
Oh. I retract my fan clutch suggestion as it was based on a stock engine problem. :whoops:
Good luck!
 
Get a bigger radiator.

Stock radiator almost never works with a V8 conversion..

Get a AL radiator..
 
If you don't have any leaks, I would second Mace's suggestion to get more capacity. Its possible the High Flow water pump is pushing the water through the smaller radiator so fast that it doesn't have time to dissapate the heat efficiently. Hot in + hot through + hot out = HOT HOT HOT!
Toad
 
There could be a lot of different issues that may cause high heat at highway speeds. Do you have a winch or anything blocking air flow through the radiator? Do you have a good fan shroud? I have seen electric fans block air flow at highway speeds. Look at your airflow, is the air going through or around the radiator? A lot of gaps in the front grill, the air will rather go there than through radiator, oil cooler, and auto transmission cooler. Air is going to move from high pressure to low pressure and if you have positive pressure under the hood that electric fan is not going to pull air through the radiator.

I would start with a proper size aluminum radiator, well built fan shroud, mechanical fan with good pitch, fan clutch. And block off all air passage ways so the air can only go through the radiator.

Some High flow water pumps are fine but some are not. Do it right you need to block off the bypass on the passenger head side. Install a total flow bypass thermostat that returns to the water pump. You can find these on the Evans web site. The water will be pumped evenly into both heads and return out the thermostat housing. Then the remote thermostat will return the flow back to the water pump until the temperatures is reached and opens to the radiator. I tried a high flow water pump from Stewart and I blew a heater hose and would not cool.

What pressure radiator cap are you using? And is it working?

There are a few things to get you thinking.

I've been looking at this site for a year now since I bought a '87 Landcruiser and sold one of my early '80s pickup. And now my first post. I may not post much, but there is alot of good infomation here to be learned.
 

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