I'm running a Rmajet 350 in my 88 GT and it's overheating often (built it last fall) and shutting down per the old MEFI3 system which I'm going to swap out this fall with a Holley Dominator EFI. For now I'm looking to buy a better or bigger radiator and a new electric water pump.
Anyone have suggestions? I've seen some 3 core aluminum for cheap on fleabay but I've read some horror stories about the cheap ones and I'd like to avoid those. Also looking to buy a dual or high flow single fan setup when I do the radiator.
(I have a Moroso 35 GPM on there now but I'd like to increase that to a 50-55 GPM from Summit. The electric water pump is old, I used it on another build so it's time for a new one as well.)
All suggestions are appreciated!!! I don't post on forums often unless I'm stuck and not sure what to buy and I'd like to get this right the first time. Thanks!
I had a RamJet intake on my SBC Fiero from 2005 to 2009. I tuned a 7730 GM ECM to run it. You could also do a 24X conversion and use an LS1 ecm to run it as well. I just finished a HSR/SBC/Fiero using one. Sorry, no experience with the crate engine controller or the Holley setup.
As for your cooling issues. First make sure the fiero has the lower air dam and all the seals around the radiator are present and in good shape (these help force the air through the radiator). Stock fan with the stock shroud is best as many aftermarket fans do not have the proper shrouding and lead to low speed cooling issues. 35 gpm is really border line for coolant flow with an electric water pump, so I would get something that is street rated and flows more - maybe a meziere one.
I'm going to look into a summit high flow pump this week and see if that fixes it and go from there. I'll post some pics once I get them loaded on the computer. I may grab a new rad as well since it is stock so a Champion 3 core might give me the extra cooling I need on top of the newer water pump.
yea I checked that Bob, it's flowing well but seems like not enough to keep up with the motor heat. Nothing kinked or bent along the bottom that I can see either so far. That's why I'm thinking to upgrade the pump and flow even more coolant or upgrade the rad.
Fieroguru has been helping me with cooling issues on my LS4 swap and I have concluded that replacing the stock fan with two 10" fan may look trick but it was a bad move by the original builder of my car. I have the Champion 3 core rad but they do not make a shroud for it so the former owner didn't bother with doing it correctly. I get great cooling on the highway but in town I run very, very hot and have overheated more than once. On Guru's advice I am switching back to a stock single fan and shroud and will add vents to the front compartment to shunt hot air that has passed through the radiator.
While adding vents, an extractor hood, rear deck scoop and vented side scoops individually won't aid cooling, combine they have to be better than none of them.
What are people's thoughts on a drilled thermostat as well? I know of at least 3 people now that have done it with great results. Again, individually probably not a big difference but along with other cooling mods, better cooling.
Dr. W.
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hey FieroGuru I see you've done a lot of v8 swaps in the past. Have you found any headers that will work besides the RamHorn types? I am currently running cast RamHorn manifolds and I hate the way they look and want to upgrade but don't want to buy something unless I know it will work.
how do you upload pics to this forum? Do I need to do a link instead of a upload?
If they are already stored/uploaded somewhere on the web, then just put the URL inside the image brackets like so: [img]URL[/img] You can "quote" my post that has a picture and see the code for how it was done. If you don't have your pictures in a web location, you can use PIP or photobucket (or others) to upload them.
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Originally posted by infinitewill: What are people's thoughts on a drilled thermostat as well? I know of at least 3 people now that have done it with great results. Again, individually probably not a big difference but along with other cooling mods, better cooling.
I put at least one 1/8" hole it the thermostat for every swap I do (I use four 1/8" holes when running an electric water pump). Main reason it it allows you to better fill/burp the system as air can't be trapped under the thermostat (also lessens the load on the electric pump when the thermostat is closed). The only downsides are the car then can run a few degrees below the thermostat setting on the interstate and in winter months your heat won't be as hot. I run 180 thermostats in all my cars in the summer, the ones I drive in the winter I swap in a 195 degree one with a single 1/16" hole to get better heat.
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Originally posted by JasonPaul:
hey FieroGuru I see you've done a lot of v8 swaps in the past. Have you found any headers that will work besides the RamHorn types? I am currently running cast RamHorn manifolds and I hate the way they look and want to upgrade but don't want to buy something unless I know it will work.
Speedway motors Tru-Rams work better than the Ramshorns and look better too. They are available in cast stainless steel or polished stainless steel. I ran the cast stainless ones on my Ramjet setup. Make sure to use copper exhaust gaskets and safety wire them (use cheap header flange to head bolts with the safety wire holes, and thread them into the flange of the Tru-Rams) - once you do that you will have leak free exhaust for years. Don't use aluminum gaskets, they will melt and push out. http://www.speedwaymotors.c...-Stainless,5425.html
You can also use Sanderson CC90 headers, but if you daily drive it in the rain, over time they will crack the primaries at the collector. These do flow the best of the available headers.
My V8 car was a carbed 383 auto without AC. It ran just fine all summer on stock Fiero 4 cyl auto radiator with a 160* stat. I put over 4,000 miles on it like that. I also used Archies toothed belt water pump drive with a 57 Chevy PU water pump. I simply dont like or trust an electric water pump. It never had a problem, but I carried a spare belt and could put the new one on in 3 minutes without any tools. I also used the old school ramshorn manifolds with dual glass packs.
[This message has been edited by rogergarrison (edited 08-10-2014).]
I think I found a problem with the RamJet that is causing the issue. The motor requires a Coolant bypass from the intake to the water pump. Now I have to check and see if my electric water pump has the bypass fitting or I can find a adapter from the large port to a 3/8s fitting so I can route a line to the intake and see if that fixes it before I throw any money at the issue. It might also work if I use a thermostat with a bypass built in or drilled holes in it but I'd rather do it right.
I think I found a problem with the RamJet that is causing the issue. The motor requires a Coolant bypass from the intake to the water pump. Now I have to check and see if my electric water pump has the bypass fitting or I can find a adapter from the large port to a 3/8s fitting so I can route a line to the intake and see if that fixes it before I throw any money at the issue. It might also work if I use a thermostat with a bypass built in or drilled holes in it but I'd rather do it right.
I ran one of these intake for 4 years and put about 40K miles on the swap and taking it on 2 Hot Rod Power Tours. In Fiero swaps, the coolant bypass is the heater core loop. No need for any bypass from the intake to the water pump.
When I use electric water pumps, I drill a few holes in the thermostat to help with purging air from the engine block (causes hot spots and cooling issues) and lessen the load on the electric pump when the thermostat is closed.
I ran one of these intake for 4 years and put about 40K miles on the swap and taking it on 2 Hot Rod Power Tours. In Fiero swaps, the coolant bypass is the heater core loop. No need for any bypass from the intake to the water pump.
When I use electric water pumps, I drill a few holes in the thermostat to help with purging air from the engine block (causes hot spots and cooling issues) and lessen the load on the electric pump when the thermostat is closed.
That's what the bypass is meant to do with the vortec heads and this style intake. It develops hot spots and needs a relief, the heater core loop doesn't fix that issue. I've reworked a temp bypass to see if it fixes the over heating issue and sure enough it does. I might just run with no thermostat instead since piping into a electric water pump is such a pain. Either that or I may get a higher flow pump that has a input for the bypass and make life easy later on down the road.
just an update: ran with no thermostat all day today with no issues, I'll probably keep it like this for now. I don't drive in the winter so it's not like I need heat and it stays around 160-180 all day.
