How hot is to hot SBC 355 with steel heads ina pure stock car?

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  • twizted
    Member
    • Jun 2009
    • 83

    #1

    How hot is to hot SBC 355 with steel heads ina pure stock car?

    I was just wondering what yall consider to hot for a 355 with stock cast iron heads aluminum intake very mild motor small cam. It will hit 220 sometimes 230 in feature,guy that built the motor said run it as long as it aint pushing water out.
    Car has new radiator, tight fan shroud, checked timming, straight water in radiator, 21 pound cap, pump gas 93 octane - tried race gas no real change. Thanks for any imput
  • fast_crew
    Senior Member
    • May 2007
    • 844

    #2
    If it's not pushing water it should be ok. I would still try to get about 20-30*s out of it. How do the plugs look(not lean)? How much timing are you running and is it locked out? How open is the front end (grille area)? Are you running a restrictor in the T-stat housing? What fan are you using? With this info we should be able to help you get it alittle cooler.
    Josh K.

    Comment

    • ggp127
      Senior Member
      • Jul 2007
      • 171

      #3
      you should be running 1 to 1 pullys,and make sure your hoses are'nt sucking shut.

      Comment

      • twizted
        Member
        • Jun 2009
        • 83

        #4
        Plugs look a lil rich
        Timming is at 34 with distributor lock
        Grill is cut with 12 2" holes about and 1" apart with a row or 6 3" under the grill
        no air (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) built under it or anything like that
        new 28" radiator (metric chassis)
        bottom of Monte Carlo nose is about 9" off the ground in front
        there is a 1" washer in T stat housing ( that will be coming out this week cause I have a race pump on now,
        No one I race with is having cooling issues like I am some dont even have any holes in their nose?, Motor has like 10:1 compression small cam and run it on 93 octane tried race gas no real difference other than wallet thinner.
        I got desperate and put Water wetter in today to try that and plan to pull washer from T stat housing next week I have been trying something diff every week and still pushing 230 at the end of feature. She will cool back down when you pat the gas under caution or if your not dogging it but run her hard and she climbs to about 220-230 by last lap of feature.

        Thank for any help!

        Comment

        • fast_crew
          Senior Member
          • May 2007
          • 844

          #5
          If the watter wetter and pulling the restrictor don't seem to help, not sure what fan your using but the GM high pitch 4 blade or a replica will be your best bet for max cooling.
          Josh K.

          Comment

          • twizted
            Member
            • Jun 2009
            • 83

            #6
            It hit 230 last night but I was running it hard had a caution with 4 to go and she cooled down a lil and I finished was gonna pull of but got it down to 210 I think and stayed out. Restrictor is coming out if that dont help water pump is getting swapped out and the fan with a gm cause it is supposed to move more air.

            If that dont fix I am about out of ideas. Thanks for advice

            Comment

            • docbolton
              Senior Member
              • Jan 2012
              • 265

              #7
              only want half ur fan in shroud try big gm 4blade fan

              Comment

              • Egoracing
                Senior Member
                • May 2007
                • 4852

                #8
                Soak out your radiator! Use a kiddie pool and a few drops of Ivory soap and put enough water in to cover teh fin area without filling the water tubes. Let it soak and move it up and down a little,then change the water out and let it soak again. Keep doing this until the water stays clean.

                Comment

                • Driver88
                  Senior Member
                  • Sep 2011
                  • 104

                  #9
                  You only want your shroud to cover half of your fan blades all the way around. If you have to rev it under caution to cool it off you prob dont have 1to1 pulleys on your water pump which you need. Also I would would take the 1in washer out of your thermostat housing but I would go back with a smaller one(½-¾). If your car is continuing to get hot the longer you run but cools off when you slow down the water isnt staying in your radiator long enough to cool off before it goes back into your engine. A smaller washer will help with this. When you slow for caution your pump slows down so the water is in your radiator longer so it cools down then when ya rev it a bit it pumps the cool water thur your engine.
                  I hope this helps.

                  Comment

                  • 918 Racing
                    Member
                    • Nov 2011
                    • 82

                    #10
                    19 in 4 blade

                    that will fix it had same problem put 19in 4blade on dont get over 210 now.

                    Comment

                    • Dirtrunner35
                      Senior Member
                      • May 2010
                      • 632

                      #11

                      No holes in front, make a shroud in front of the radiator, so the air goes under the front bumper and into the radiator

                      Comment

                      • Egoracing
                        Senior Member
                        • May 2007
                        • 4852

                        #12
                        All a restrictor is for is to create pressure in the block, If you have a 1/2 decent water pump you do not need the restrictor. The miss information that is allows water to heat soak faster is not true. Go to Stewart Components web site and read up! www.stewartcomponents.com No BS, and this guy sells pumps not radiators but he will tell you how to cool your car PERIOD. Before anyone wants to argue, this is the person that has his pumps on about 90% of the CUP, Nationwide and Truck Series engines along with a BUNCH of the top teams in dirt racing. If we can cool a iron block 850+hp and a 604 crate all with a single pass radiator and use his information anyone can and save a bunch of money.

                        Comment

                        • 918 Racing
                          Member
                          • Nov 2011
                          • 82

                          #13
                          $$$

                          Originally posted by Egoracing View Post
                          All a restrictor is for is to create pressure in the block, If you have a 1/2 decent water pump you do not need the restrictor. The miss information that is allows water to heat soak faster is not true. Go to Stewart Components web site and read up! www.stewartcomponents.com No BS, and this guy sells pumps not radiators but he will tell you how to cool your car PERIOD. Before anyone wants to argue, this is the person that has his pumps on about 90% of the CUP, Nationwide and Truck Series engines along with a BUNCH of the top teams in dirt racing. If we can cool a iron block 850+hp and a 604 crate all with a single pass radiator and use his information anyone can and save a bunch of money.
                          sounds expensive 4 blade fans about 40 bucs and i guarantee it will fix it !

                          Comment

                          • Egoracing
                            Senior Member
                            • May 2007
                            • 4852

                            #14
                            Originally posted by 918 Racing View Post
                            sounds expensive 4 blade fans about 40 bucs and i guarantee it will fix it !
                            PLEASE tell me how reading something is expensive? Stewart says point blank. good fan, single pass radiator, a good pump, no restrictor or a good T stat, and to keep the pump about 6000 rpm. Simple, cheap and it works.

                            Comment

                            • usafracer
                              Senior Member
                              • Jun 2010
                              • 554

                              #15
                              Where is your temp sender located? Had a guy that I built a motor for kept telling me it was overheating. He had the sender in the head.
                              My sarcasm is a pre-emptive strike to your stupidity!!

                              Comment

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