404 Stroker keeps trying to overheat.

**Ls1Bandit02ws6** · 08-01-2009, 09:01 AM

Ive had it done since last friday on the highway it sits at 210 in town if I let it would start blowing coolant out. It has a 160 thermo in it eletric pump new stock radiator. Any ideals on how to keep it around 200-210?

Also I have a buddy with a trans am with heavy mods also and he said on his he had to drill a few holes in his thermo to let it flow? Ive heard of people also taking their thermo out. Would these help in my case?

**c5z28** · 08-01-2009, 09:04 AM

Do you have a second thermostat (I mean oine other than the original dummy one) and are the fans kicking on, if you don't have a manual switch? Who tuned it?

**Ls1Bandit02ws6** · 08-01-2009, 09:29 AM

The old is not in the housing we took it out. I just got a fan switch from a buddy but im not sure which plug the big plugs go in. tsp tuned it

**Ls1Bandit02ws6** · 08-01-2009, 09:32 AM

As far as the fans kicking in .. my ac is not charged right now so I dont turn the ac on.. (i know fans are on high when ac is on high). When it was at tsp and they where tuning it they found out my passenger fan was out it never ran hot before with the ls1 with h/c/i so i never knew but I went ahead and put a new fan motor on it.

**Ls1Bandit02ws6** · 08-01-2009, 09:58 AM

Anyone heard of a small block chevy cooling unit? My dad was talking to a guy he works for about my car and he said he uses them on his 406 strokers and it drops the temp on them 15-20 degrees?
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Small-...Unit,1856.html

**5abivt** · 08-01-2009, 02:36 PM

Check your wiring for the ewp. When I built my 388 LT4 I had a similar issue the relay the shoppe had wired the ewp was a chop job so the pump would be on and with vibration it would shut off. When your car gets hot confirm that the pump is on. You should hear it or feel it running. Also confirm the wiring is correct and that the pump isn't backwards wired. That could easily be the issue here.
Other ideas are to check the rad and between it and the condenser to make sure theres not a lot of debris. The stock rad should be sufficient but if it's not able to perform 90%+ then it wont be enough for the extra heat the stroker generates.
Some other possibilities are timing. Are you using the right octane and does the tuner have a good rep at tuning? Too advanced timing can cause it to overheat.

Does the car perform well?

**chuckie669** · 08-01-2009, 02:49 PM

I probably misread, but you do have a 160 thermo, right? your second post mentions taking something out, and it seems like you are saying you don't have a thermostat currently and I know the first said you had a 160.

Just wanted to clarify.

**Ls1Bandit02ws6** · 08-01-2009, 03:38 PM

Alright on the pump can anyone explain the how it should be wired or the flow of it? Should it be pumping into the block or out of the black tube where the thermo sits in the pump. Radiator is new and everything else is clean. TSP tuned it so.. on the timing im guessing it should be right. As far as gas pump 90-93.

I have a 160 thermo it sits in the pump. What I was refering to taking out was the stock thermo that is connected in the thermostat housing. So I wouldnt be runnig two of them.

Car runs awesome I love it if it would just stay around 210 degrees!!

**0rion** · 08-02-2009, 08:16 AM

sounds to me like your fans aren't working correctly. It runs at 210 on the interstate but overheats in cruising or idle conditions. I would watch your temp and make sure that your fans are kicking on. A/C or not once the car gets to like 230ish both fans should be running. Check your fan relays also and make sure they're good. If both fans are running and it's still overheating I would then make sure there's no air in the system.

**Ls1Bandit02ws6** · 08-02-2009, 09:08 AM

How do you check the relays I pulled them out yesterday and switched them around and had ac on full blast to see if my fans would come on... They wouldnt come on. So im guessing the relays or the fuse is out.

I know you can hard wire your fans to be on constantly when the key is on. How do you do this so I can make sure my fans are working.

**Ls1Bandit02ws6** · 08-02-2009, 10:21 AM

Alright I think I found the problem. The 10 amp fuse in the fuse box under the hood with the fan relays. The one called cool fan. The fuse is good but im not getting any power to the metal peice in the fuse box like i am with the others. So now how do I hard wire my fans so theyll be on all the time until I can get it to shop to get my fuse box fixed right?

**0rion** · 08-02-2009, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by Ls1Bandit02ws6

Alright I think I found the problem. The 10 amp fuse in the fuse box under the hood with the fan relays. The one called cool fan. The fuse is good but im not getting any power to the metal peice in the fuse box like i am with the others. So now how do I hard wire my fans so theyll be on all the time until I can get it to shop to get my fuse box fixed right?

don't hardwire your fans....it'll burn them up. Find out why you're not getting power to that fuse. Swap that relay out with another relay there and see if that's the problem.

**Ls1Bandit02ws6** · 08-02-2009, 10:30 AM

Let me go try it out.

**Ls1Bandit02ws6** · 08-02-2009, 10:39 AM

Switched the relays around to check them and still nothing. Tried a fuse that I knew was good and nothing.

**Hi-Po** · 08-04-2009, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by Ls1Bandit02ws6

Switched the relays around to check them and still nothing. Tried a fuse that I knew was good and nothing.

If the fuse is good, its the wiring. Everyone in the world needs to buy a Power Probe. It is the single greatest electrical diagnosing tools ever made. They are roughly 180 bucks from Matco. You can apply power to anything you want. 12V/24V. Apply ground to anything. It really makes for quick work of electrical issues. If your fans are not turning on, and you do not have 12v at the fuse, you have wiring or grounding problems. (Where the Power Probe comes into play

) Check your grounds, ecspecially since you just had some major components remove.

**Ls1Bandit02ws6** · 08-04-2009, 07:56 PM

If I can get of work at a decent time imma pull the fuse box off so I can check the wires below it.

Ive looked around and searched a bit but I cant find no where there is a diagram or something showing what wires to splice into to put in some manual fan switches. They would be good for long lights in town and staging lanes.

**Ls1Bandit02ws6** · 08-07-2009, 09:38 PM

Anyone??...

Anyone know what relays to jump or which holes/ports to jump on the DLC to make your fans run constant?

**Mr. Luos** · 08-07-2009, 09:44 PM

What temperature gauge are you getting the reading from?

**JaycenK** · 08-08-2009, 12:47 AM

You would get a CEL but I did this on my LT1. Locate the realays in the engine bay and you have to figure out which terminals are the triggers and which are the load. I fooled the computer by using the exact resistance the PCM sees when the fans are to be off but to test over heating just run a wire from either the battery with a toggle switch to the trigger side of the relay, or find key power and run it to the trigger side of the relay. this will provide the relay with power and activate the relay sending the load voltage to the fan motors. they will now run either by the toggle or the key power. To be safe I would pull the relay and make short leads that run from the terminals on the fuse block to the relay ecept for the one that is the trigger from the PCM. This way you don't back feed power to the circuit in the PCM and damage it. This also by passes any AC fan controls and will throw a CEL but it can be cleared after you return the wiring to stock.

**Ls1Bandit02ws6** · 08-08-2009, 11:05 AM

Im reading the stocker but.. once I stop somewhere and kill the car im usually always spitting some coolant out after driving through town to meet somwhere. If I stay on the highway all is good.

How do you know which side is the trigger and load?