Boy howdy, it's hot out here! Been 115 for several days, and not expected to get cooler. Sure is a lot of fun geting the car ready to paint in my non-airconditioned garage!

This is my first summer with the Elky, and I wondered how hot the temp guage should go beffore I get worried and pull over. It normally runs a little under 220 ( maybe 210). But in this heat it is running about the same over 220 ( maybe 230). I'm running an electric fan, an did have the AC going. I turned the AC off, and got about a 5-7 degree cooling, but still right at 220.

What is your experience?

I wouldn't feel too comfortable with anything over 200 personally. In my 355 I don't even run a thermostat. Moroso makes a set of water restrictor plates that fit in the water neck that have various diameter opens that allow you to play with the flow to control temp. Of course I'm using an o ring type water neck so I'm not screwing with gaskets all the time. Just a thought! :cool:

A LOT OF CARS AND TRUCKS COME WITH 210 DEGREE THERMOSTATS.
YOU MIGHT CHECK YOURS TO SEE WHAT IT IS.

190 to 210 is a normal operating range for SBC. If you just feel uncomfortable with that you can go back to a 180 thermostat. I don't think that will compensate for the ambient temps of 100 to 115 you're still going to run a little warm in that climate.

You probably already know this but the 180 will only open sooner it doesn't keep the temp down in really hot environments much more. Well maybe it will help some. You could add a 5 or six blade fixed fan, but you'll loose a little HP with those. GM says in a service bulletin that the Flex type fans must be replaced every 30,000 or so Miles. I am not positive but I think they had a recall on the flex fans. I wouldn't put one on my cars or trucks they brake and cause a lot of damage.

Have you considered an Electric fan(s)? Possibly add an additional pusher to the front to help compensate. Just throwing out ideas.

you could even try adding some water wetter, i know it wouldn't completly fix the problem, but it should make a difference

you could maybe try a bigger radiator. or a couple of eletric fans. Iknow down here in florida summers are real hard on cooling systems. my 400 has a hard time keeping cool in stop and go traffic.. try a bigger/thicker radiator..

Might also be helpful to determine just how hot you actually are. I bought one of those "radar" or "heat" guns to check my cars. I had installed a temp guage that I bought on ebay and was a bit concerned whether it was right or not. According to the gun I'm running just about the same as the guage shows 180-200 on my 348 with a 165 thermostat. :cool:

I go with 'check the gage'. I know my fac temp gage runs about 215 here in Arizona during Jul and Aug but my addon mechanical stays at 185. I've put in the biggest 4 core I could find, with a 180 thermostat, run my a/c constantly and haven't worried about it since adding the mech.
'83 in the works. '69, '72, '73', '75 in history.
Joe

Water wetter does help. It not that hot here but with a 170 stat I never see 200 on the gauge . I have been told that the factory gauge is not that accuate but as long as its consist I don't worry. The run a iroc electric fan & a rebuilt 3 core rad.

Pete's right about the flex fans...very dangerous. I know of a couple of people who've seen them turn loose in person...not pretty. Make sure you're flushing the rad every year and replace the thermostat as well (they're cheap). Running 220 is normal here in the Texas heat, but 230 and I get nervous.

I do not like flex fans. I bought a 69 SS396 that had a heating problem. The guy I got it from put on a shiney new flex fan but could not understand why it would overheat. I cleaned the rad & changed fluid but still had a problem. I had a old clutch fan laying around if I tryed it. I was always cool after that. I put a electric fan from a IROC on my 78. It made a difference in performance & driviblity. It always runs cool too.