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BBC Guys- What temperature do you run at?

Ryan B.

Ryan B.

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What is your setup: cid, compression ratio, cooling system, fans? and what temperature does your BBC run at?

Lots of people that i talk to agree that big blocks have some cooling issues, they create a lot of heat.
I can't get my camaro to stop overheating, when stopped in bumper to bumper traffic or cruising on the freeway it makes a lot of heat. It will get up to 220. A few times it has hit 230 and i'll coast to the side of the road.
It is a 454 .070" over, 11:1, 284/294 duration .578/.608 lift, 240/252 duration @ .050", perfomer rpm aluminum heads, dart manifold, holley 920, hooker 2 1/8" super comp headers.
195 thermostat, Victor Jr. Water pump, BeCool aluminum radiator, just added Shrouded electric fans pulling 2500cfm and its sealed up good on the radiator. I need to add another bottle of Redline Water Wetter since its been a while, but it didn't seem to help.
What gets me is the beCool setup im running is rated for 700+ ~ 1000 HP engines. /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
With 25% drivetrain loss i'm pushing ~ 550 HP 550 TQ
The timing is about 11 BTDC inital, 32 total.
I thought it might be running lean so i just jetted it richer +1 primaries, +2 secondaries and it didn't help the overheating, except for maybe picking up a little power.
Some friends say it could be too much backpressure with 2.5" and needs 3" exhaust and ceramic coating the headers should help a lot.. Theres a ton of heat under the hood... Yet i've driven around with the hood off before and it will still get HOT. Is ceramic coating and then maybe even heat wrapping the headers the cure?
My big block seems unstreetable. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif


Suggestions are appriciated about how to cool this thing down. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
 
maybe try a lower thermostat or a better quality one. i've heard that some of the cheaper ones wont open up til they are 10-15 degrees hotter than advertised. i would try a premium 180 unit and see if it helps.
 
I might try that. I drilled a hole in mine so there is always a little circulation.
Some guys say going from a 195 to a 180 thermostat might help.
Other guys say since its already running hot the 195 thermostat is its best chance of opening and closing to cool the coolant in the radiator.
Seems like it will stay cool for a while, but after 20 minutes of driving and creating heat, the thermostat will open all the way and then ALL the fluid will get up to 210+
...Driving at early morning or late night or on a cold day helps quite a bit, usually staying 205-210.
 
Is the radiator getting enough air flow to it? I know that could cause some pretty bad cooling problems, and are you sure that the coolant is staying in the rad. long enough to cool down?
 
Yes the radiator is getting enough airflow. even on the freeway at 65 mph it will eventually get up to 220.
No the coolant probably isn't staying in the radiator long enough to cool. That could be my issue.. or the engine and the headers just make a ton of heat. How do i check that. Whats the fix!? Try a 180 thermostat eh?
 
I have a 180* stat and it is usually around 190-195*. ON really hot days, it will see about 205*. This is without a fan shroud too.

Chirs
 
Maybe try a good thermostat, like a GM one. Maybe the waterpump is just pushing too much water through too fast and causing the water to leave the radiator too fast before it has a chance to cool down, but I would think the thermostat would fight that unless its a cheapy getting pushed open, but I dont know if thats possible.
 
My 70 Camaro has an issue with cooling too maybe try electric fans hooked to a switch to help cool it down when it runs warm, mine with a mild 350, t350, stock radiator with shroud runs wot freeway speed 180, traffic lights will creep up 200....thats on the 70 degree and higher days (doesn't get driven on rainy days). That is with a 160 thermostat.

My Blazer with the 472 and stock radiator for that engine runs at 170 at freeway speed, traffic lights will creep up to 190, thats with a 160 thermostat too. I also have electric fans on this too on a switch for those bad times of hot days and long traffic lights.
 
When my 402 .030 over was running, it never really ran higher than 190. It'd get to 195 if I was doing some slow speed wheelin kinda stuff...When that happened, all I'd have to do was stop and give it some RPM's to get the flex fan goin and it would cool down. Had a good 180 thermostat, huge 4 core radiator from a 6.2 diesel and the flex fan. It had a stock manifold, mostly stock 427 heads with Harland Sharpe full roller rockers. And some barely above stock specs Comp Cams cam. Every thing else was pretty much stock. /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif
 
In your truck it would run to hot so you should give me your BBC, it will run cooler in my truck. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
I have run three different BBC's in my truck and not a one of them had cooling issues due to lack of coolant air flow or capacity - in all of them I ran the same cooling set up :
A LARGE 4 flute radiator
a seven blade GM fan
a HD fan clutch that was specifically for a 4.56 geared application
and a 195* thermostat

The first motor was bone stock

Motor # two was a healthy roller 468 w/ 10 to 1 compression a descent size cam ( .595/.615 lift - 238/246 durration @ .050 - gound on a 108 centerline ) with a redline limit at 7200 RPM's. This motor would get up to 210* durring a DEEP & long mud bog but it would recover and cool right back down at idle afterwards and never ran hot while four wheeling.

Motor # 3 was a mild 454 10 to 1 compression a hydraulic cam ( .533/.533 lift - 226/226 durration @ .050 - 108 centerline ) and reved to 5500 ALL of the time while in the mud and this motor had the same cooling response as the roller motor did .

I contribute the no cooling issues to the good air flow and capacity of the cooling system.
NOTE : Motor # 3 was ran in NEVRENUF's truck for years with a four core radiator and had cooling problems ALL of the time until we switched to the seven blade fan and the badass fan clutch ( it is really worth the money !!! ) .
Good luck on the over heating problems - I hope it is just a lack of capacity/air flow and not something real serious . Tom
 
Hey RB
When I was researching BBC cooling, I wfound some info I didn't think of much.
All engines have two cooling systems. Water and Oil.
So what I read is that especially in BBC applications Oil Coolers are recomended. Duno if your badass SS has room for a cooler but you may want to consider it?
Go here and read some of there tech stuff.. http://www.perma-cool.com/
Hope this helps and good luck /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif

By the way.... That is one SWEET rig you have there /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif
FIRST GENS RULE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABBC! /forums/images/graemlins/whistling.gif
 
My setup is 489ci, almost 10:1 compression, stock 4 row radiator, stock fan w/clutch, and no fan shroud. When I had the 180 thermostat in it, she ran around 175. When I installed 195 thermostat, she stays steady at 200. My only cooling modification is a Moroso (or Milodon?) hi flow cast iron water pump. I would recommend a fan shroud, and if I could find one for mine, I would use it. I just haven't gotten around to making one, and it doesn't appear to much of an issue. Good luck!
 
If you jetted it richer and picked up power you may still be too lean. Have you checked your plugs. Are they black tan or white? White means way too lean.
 
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