T/A overheating

  • Thread starter Thread starter dafeutz
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dafeutz

79 trans am, 400 4-speed, just got a rebuilt radiator, the water pump is good, and we cant think of anything else that could be wrong. If anyone has any ideas i would love to hear them.
-Dave
 
Its common

I sold my 1979 T/A last summer, Those motors are NOTORIOUS for overheating, What I did was get an oil cooler, and an aluminum 4 core rad, dont cheap out on this or youll pay for it in the end. It really works wonders to do those 2 things on an olds 403 or a pontiac 400. Try it, you wont be dissapointed.
 
the guy who rebuilt the radiator said that it would me much better than a new one that i could buy ( he said the new ones are cheap and will end up breaking) do you think i will need a better radiator than the one this guy built for me? he said it would be exactly like the ones that came with the 400.
 
Thats the problem, the ones that came with the 400 was a piece of junk. Of corse he wanted you to build that one, he makes more money from charging laubor than from ordering you a new one, I had this same problem before, I got a new one, that was the only thing I found that fixed it.
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Besides, you get a warrenty with a new one, probably only a 30 day with a rebuild. Remember, go for an aluminum 4 core high flow rad, dont cheap out on it, I know from experience that youll regret it.
 
Ok, so we figured out the radiator is ok, but the water pump isnt exactly pumping water. we took off the hose leading out from the thermostat to the radiator and water wasnt coming out. eventually it started to gush for like 4 seconds, then it quite again. their was plenty of water in the radiator as well as the reserve it just stopped pumping. We just had the water pump apart and it looked fine. any ideas?
 
If you are still useing the stock fan then the fan clutch could be bad. You are not going to get a full flow of coolant out of the top hose untill the thermostat opens.
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If you are still useing the stock fan then the fan clutch could be bad. You are not going to get a full flow of coolant out of the top hose untill the thermostat opens.
Click to expand...

EXACTLY! And also make sure your fan shroud is in good shape along with the air dam under the car. If you are missing either one or both, it will cause problems. Make sure the fan shroud is sealed to the radiator. Just for reference, I ran a 500hp Big Block Olds with a copper 2 row radiator and it ran 180 degrees all day long. So your radiator should be fine.
 
ok, we took the thermostat out for the time being, and how can i tell if the fan is good? The fan spins real fast and stuff. the fan is up tight to the radiator. Also the air dam is in great shape. I'll be gone for the weekend and a new water pump is coming tomorrow, so my dad will put it in this weekend but i'll check the forum on monday. thanks.
 
'85 T/A cooling problems

Recently bought an '85 T/A, (305, 4bbl, 5 spd) and have also been having cooling problems. Just bought a new brass and copper 3 row on eBay, and it actually runs hotter than the plastic and aluminum POS originally installed. My shroud and air dam are in good shape. Judging by the coolant flow through the radiator, my fan and water pump look OK. I live in southern Arizona, so efficient cooling is of prime concern to me. Any thoughts or suggestions greatly appreciated.
 
When you look at the fan from the side, the width of the blades should be half in and half out of the shroud. If it is to close to the radiator it won't do much of anything. To check the fan, warm the car up, then shut the car off. Spin the fan by hand. If it spins freely the fan clutch is toast. If it barely spins it is good.But sometimes the fan blades lose their pitch and start to cavitate. This will not blow a whole lotta air. Time for a new fan.

85T/A, I would try a lower temp engine thermostat and maybe a heavy duty fan clutch. You also might want to try an aftermarket fan like a 7 bladed flex fan.
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