Engine cooling down quickly

[mqdirtracer57]

I have an all-aluminum 430 SB2 engine that I have a hard time keeping warm. I can have it at operating temp. before I go out onto race track,by the time I get a couple of warm up laps engine has cooled off down to 165-170 and never gets over 180 while racing. Does anyone have any suggestions on keeping heat in it?

[soonersublime]

Are you running Alcohol or Racing Gas?

You can take a small piece of cardboard and cover a portion of the radiator, what is your oil temp as well?

[mqdirtracer57]

Racing fuel with a water restricter

[Egoracing]

Agree, Robertshaw racing T stat!

[lovinlatemodels]

T stat to me not a good idea if it sticks that it your done temp is going up then. What fan blade are you running 4 or 6 blade are you running shrouding and what are your pulleys you runing. We run alky with no shrouding and a 4 blade fan motor will run cool idleing and 210 racing in the middle of summer. When we switch to gas we make some minor changes and still maintain 180 to 200 temp racing.

[hpontap]

Go down to nest size smaller reestrictor until you keep some heat in the engine.

[Egoracing]

T stat to me not a good idea if it sticks that it your done temp is going up then.

Racing T stats fail open so you would end up running cooler not hotter. Cheap parts store T stats fail closed. You are not running a street car so don't put a street car thermostat in it.

Go down to nest size smaller reestrictor until you keep some heat in the engine.

Restrictors are 40+ year old crutch, go to Stewart components web site and read up on cooling systems. Then remember that Stewart pumps are on almost EVERY Nationwide and Cup car that races. http://www.stewartcomponents.com/

[Buhr Racing]

Lots of different ways..

Smaller water restrictor
single pass radiator versus Double if running one
Hot'r plugs
card board on radiator- as mentioned above
change fan less pitch or less blades
Thermostat
Water heater additive, at automotive stores they have an additive to increase heat versus cool (forgot the name though)

Just a few ideas to consider along with all the mentioned above..

[Kwaz-13]

__ Just wanted to add my two cents. As suggested above there are several options. I would go with thermostat as a few have said, as that's all I've run in the past.
__ My opinion is the other methods are crutches (also stated above.) If you change things such as fans, restrictors, radiator design then you will be changing them back when whether warms up. Certainly not a big deal, but if you hit a warm spell on a day when you weren't expecting it and don't have time/parts at the track, then you are screwed.
__ Also I think boarding over radiator is bad idea. If you run a track that holds water at the bottom of the all night, one idiot in front of you could cover the radiator in mud. Normally not a big deal, however you already had ~15% of your radiator taped up.

[soonersublime]

Can someone give me a link to a failsafe thermostat for SBC?

[Headhunter]

Consider it a variable restrictor. It will open as much as it needs to to reach it's set point. if it needs to cool down it opens a little more if it needs to warm up it will close a little. People do confuse a t-stat as a on/off device but that is not how they work. they open and close gradually to maintain it's set point.

[mqdirtracer57]

Fixed the problem with changing pulley ratio