Yes I am pleased. Cooling is no longer an issue for me even running a small supercharger at about 480hp.

Had the same problem and went through the process of elimination Flushed the radiator and block with a two part powder flush (Prestone) that you can only buy at a Chevy or Buick dealership as none of the local parts store carried it.
Installed new fan clutch, high flow water pump,and thermostat (180),Aluminum radiator and cap,radiator seals,a new bottom hose with the spring inside.Now the temp needle does NOT go past 180 and that is in Florida 90s temps..Just a process of time,$ and persistence..

Roy

PS Before I started all this I had the old radiator upgraded to a four core and still ran hot..

|UPDATED|5/6/2004 6:33:10 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

ive never really had a problem with the cooling on either of my two 69's... either in street or highway driving. the only cooling mod ive made was a high volume water pump on each...

havent done any radiator mods, or fan mods.

I live in AR... where our summer temps hover near 100.. 110 heat index.

but tangentially on this subject.. has anyone used an electric water pump on a street car..

everyone i know running one has it on a race car..

it like to save a few HP by dropping the belt drive water pump.. anyone done this ??

Be careful of high performance water pumps. They can move coolant too fast and cause cavitation resulting in overheating. This seems more likely in a car with an old, restricted cooling system. A new or upgraded system shouldn't have a problem. The cooling system is no better than its weakest part.

Before upgrading to a Hi Flow pump I did a lot of research on the various manufactured pumps and the cooling system itself..Stewart Components makes several different pumps from a Stage 1 -Stage 4 depending on your application . I spoke with Jack Wilson (tech support) from Stewart numerous times before making my decision to go with a Stewart Stage 1 pump.I too had reservations about high water flow.. I immediately saw a 10 degree drop in temperature with a high flow pump and thermostat..I would highly recommend a high flow pump and if you have questions call Jack Wilson at Stewart he is very informative.
For more information on cooling:
http://www.stewartcomponents.com/html/tech_support/advanced_cooling_system_basics.asp

Roy

I was also considering the option of ele H20 pump but was told by tech. support at summit racing that they did not yet have a good one that supports your heater core, so if you never plan to use your heater it could work..

Hi flow electric pumps can work fine. Oddly enough, you still need the thermostat to keep fluid from flowing TOO fast. It does not always happen, but sometimes without the t-stat, fluid goes through the radiator so fast, it does not have time to cool, and the car overheats. With a good clean system and the proper t-stat, cavation should not be a problem. Let a bit of air in the system, and cavitation can hurt you big time. So you may need and overflow bottle and a good radiator cap. Heck, you need that anyway, but it's now more important.

But the pump AND correct t-stat will do a fine job. The electric pump takes less power to operate than the mechancial pump, so more power to the wheels. It does create an additional drag on the alternator, but not as much and the mechanical pump.

This also means you need to check the amperage draw. You may need to upgrade the alternator to handle the increased constant current.

Tradionally, the electric pumps have a shorter life than the mechanical pumps. Racers were not usually concerned with 100,000 miles. This may not be true with some of the newer ones.

one quick question guys, can't you cool your temp too much? isn't there an optimum temp range and does anyone know what it is for a stock engine? I'm sure it would change with any mods.
Hank

I know that when my fan clutch locked up, my car ran absolutely cold sometimes, I loved it. Now with the new clutch 190-200. I would love it to run cooler.

what about getting rid of the clutch fan and running a lite weight flex fan