lt1 overheating

[Italian Stallion]

97 lt1.. ive been driving it for about a month and it suddenly started heating up, ive had my water pump changed along with a couple hoses that were clogged from the car sitting. my mechanic put new coolant in and said he burped all the air out.. so idk what it could be maybe the thermo? itll run for about 10 minutes before going into the red, and my black plastic airduct thing under the bumper is still there. any help would be appreciated. thanks.

[WildBillyT]

Could be the thermo but I would bleed it yourself to be sure. LT1s have a specific coolant bleed procedure that many people botch- even the pros.

[LTb1ow]

If its really quick and every time, I would guess he forgot the waterpump coupling.

[Italian Stallion]

Could be the thermo but I would bleed it yourself to be sure. LT1s have a specific coolant bleed procedure that many people botch- even the pros.

alright, ill get on it today after work.. you think thats all it could be?

[Italian Stallion]

If its really quick and every time, I would guess he forgot the waterpump coupling.

the day i got the car back i drove it around town for about 25 minutes before it started to watch the needle rise. but after that its been about 10 minutes.

[WildBillyT]

Also, check the fluid level in the radiator, too.

[LTb1ow]

A just be wary, a SBC thermo, is NOT the same as an LT1 thermo, no matter how much the parts jockey may want to tell you.

Also, there is no advantage to getting a colder than stock rated one if you do not plan on tuning to run the fans sooner.

[Italian Stallion]

Also, check the fluid level in the radiator, too.

flued level in the radiator is good. i check it

[Italian Stallion]

A just be wary, a SBC thermo, is NOT the same as an LT1 thermo, no matter how much the parts jockey may want to tell you.

Also, there is no advantage to getting a colder than stock rated one if you do not plan on tuning to run the fans sooner.

i want to eventually make the fans kick on sooner, one of them wasnt turning on for some reason so had it directly hooked up so when the car turns on so does the fan.

[WildBillyT]

i want to eventually make the fans kick on sooner, one of them wasnt turning on for some reason so had it directly hooked up so when the car turns on so does the fan.

Stock fan activation temps are high. You need to get your PCM programmed to turn them on sooner, and then run a cooler thermostat with that.

[Italian Stallion]

Stock fan activation temps are high. You need to get your PCM programmed to turn them on sooner, and then run a cooler thermostat with that.

yeah thats what i plan on doing.

[Blackbirdws6]

Is it heating up when on the move or just sitting and idling? If this is happening at low speed or idling, I would make sure both the fans are coming on. During the summer, my car would get toasty pretty quickly when the one fan was not working and the other was barely functional.

[Italian Stallion]

Is it heating up when on the move or just sitting and idling? If this is happening at low speed or idling, I would make sure both the fans are coming on. During the summer, my car would get toasty pretty quickly when the one fan was not working and the other was barely functional.

its heating up when i drive, i havent let it sit long enough to see if it would overheat at idle. and im pretty positive both fans are on, the one is wired to turn on as i turn on the ignition.

[Blackbirdws6]

As mentioned, I would follow the proper procedure to make sure the air is out of the system. We have bleeder screws to help with this so if the mechanic just opened the rad cap, that likely wouldn't fix the issue.

This is a good read.

http://shbox.com/1/4th_gen_tech2.html#cooling

[Italian Stallion]

bled the lines again, yet still over heating took it to a new mechanic..just want to make sure its nothing like a cracked head or anythnig..

[S.J.SLEEPER]

i want to eventually make the fans kick on sooner, one of them wasnt turning on for some reason so had it directly hooked up so when the car turns on so does the fan.

sorry for stupid question, but I ve seen it done before....Did you make sure fans that you wired up are wired to correct polarity? if not, than one could be pushing hot air from engine back towards radiator instead of pulling it through as it should.

[BonzoHansen]

one of them wasnt turning on for some reason so had it directly hooked up so when the car turns on so does the fan.

there is no reason for this. My experience is correct the issue and make it work as the engineers designed it.

if a mechanic just did all this cooling system work, why not just take it back?

[ar0ck]

Definitly check the Thermostat, had a few lower temp ones fail on me, reverted back to the original, no issues.

[Italian Stallion]

there is no reason for this. My experience is correct the issue and make it work as the engineers designed it.

if a mechanic just did all this cooling system work, why not just take it back?

the mechanic i brought it to had my car for about a week and a half. i didnt feel like having no car again.

[Italian Stallion]

there is no reason for this. My experience is correct the issue and make it work as the engineers designed it.

if a mechanic just did all this cooling system work, why not just take it back?

well the problem was one of the fans wasnt turing on at all. so it was wired to run as soon as the car was started..but i brought it to a new mechanic today who said hes had much experience with f bodys before.

[zraffz]

Did you fix it yet?

Kinda off topic but what'd ya buy that's LT1 powered? Been seeing a white TA floating around.

[TheV6Guy]

Did you fix it yet?

Kinda off topic but what'd ya buy that's LT1 powered? Been seeing a white TA floating around.

I've been wondering this same thing. Haha. I've seen a red mid 90s formula a lot and there's a white anniversary lt1 in newton all the time. Also a white firehawk but that's the ls1 style. Lol

[zraffz]

I've been wondering this same thing. Haha. I've seen a red mid 90s formula a lot and there's a white anniversary lt1 in newton all the time. Also a white firehawk but that's the ls1 style. Lol

White Firehawk (I believe, might be a WS6 though) sits at that gas station (Exon or w/e) on 521, right past Muffler Dan's in Newton.

See this white LT1 Trans Am floating around Stillwater all the time. I was patching potholes on Middleville Road and it went past on Friday. Guys at worked asked me if I had a chubby when it passed. I can't tell if it's a guy or a girl driving :kneeslap:

[TheV6Guy]

White Firehawk (I believe, might be a WS6 though) sits at that gas station (Exon or w/e) on 521, right past Muffler Dan's in Newton.

See this white LT1 Trans Am floating around Stillwater all the time. I was patching potholes on Middleville Road and it went past on Friday. Guys at worked asked me if I had a chubby when it passed. I can't tell if it's a guy or a girl driving :kneeslap:

Yea that's the car I'm talking about. Been sittin at the gas station on a donut for the past few days

[Blacdout96]

i would do the old boiling pot of water trick. take out your thermostat, and drop it in a pot of boiling water, see if she's opening up. also as LT said, the SBC and LT are different.

Worst case scenerio, could have intake or head gaskets that went bad. check your oil/coolant, see if there's any oil in the coolant, or the oil is tan.

[Italian Stallion]

Yea that's the car I'm talking about. Been sittin at the gas station on a donut for the past few days


yeah lol thats mine. its a 97 with an ls1 front bumper, fenders and hood.

[Italian Stallion]

just got a call back from the mechanic, said the heads are bad and will cost around 2 grand to fix..not too sure what to do right now?

[WildBillyT]

just got a call back from the mechanic, said the heads are bad and will cost around 2 grand to fix..not too sure what to do right now?

Ehhh. Get a second opinion.

For a double head swap at a mechanic that seems kind of low, too.

[Italian Stallion]

Ehhh. Get a second opinion.

For a double head swap at a mechanic that seems kind of low, too.

well my father is good friends with the mechanic so he doesnt charge me as much.. but thats the 2nd mechanic who told me it was the heads.

[Blackbirdws6]

def get a second opinion. Did he say specifically how the heads were "bad"?

[sweetbmxrider]

LT1's are pretty notorious for blowing head gaskets. If you drove on the car with the temp wayyy high, you warped the head. Both gaskets being bad at the same time is unlikely, nevermind the heads. Though if you ever wanted to go fast, this would be the time to do heads/cam etc.

[Blacdout96]

Find yourself a set of cast iron LT1 heads from an old police car. You add weight, but they flow a little better stock then the camaro LT1 heads, cheaper to get a set, and less prone to head warping compared top aluminum heads.

[LTb1ow]

Find yourself a set of cast iron LT1 heads from an old police car. You add weight, but they flow a little better stock then the camaro LT1 heads, cheaper to get a set, and less prone to head warping compared top aluminum heads.

This is lame advice, no offense.

Iron impy heads normally mean press in rocker studs, a heavier head, and less timing you can run before detonation. Just not at all worth it for the marginal cfm gain, that with a stock cam, won't help anyway.

With LT1s in the very bottom of the barrel in terms of appeal/want, a set of good aluminum heads can be found for dirt cheap.

[Italian Stallion]

This is lame advice, no offense.

Iron impy heads normally mean press in rocker studs, a heavier head, and less timing you can run before detonation. Just not at all worth it for the marginal cfm gain, that with a stock cam, won't help anyway.

With LT1s in the very bottom of the barrel in terms of appeal/want, a set of good aluminum heads can be found for dirt cheap.

alright..i really dont have alot of experience with the motor but is there anywhere or awebsite i could get the stock heads for cheap?

[Italian Stallion]

LT1's are pretty notorious for blowing head gaskets. If you drove on the car with the temp wayyy high, you warped the head. Both gaskets being bad at the same time is unlikely, nevermind the heads. Though if you ever wanted to go fast, this would be the time to do heads/cam etc.

i never let the needle go into the red, but if i didnt just do the whole trans re build i would be all over the heads and cam, my buddy just bought an e303 cam fox his foxbody and it sounds awesome.

[WildBillyT]

alright..i really dont have alot of experience with the motor but is there anywhere or awebsite i could get the stock heads for cheap?

Try here in the classifieds, somebody may have something.

[zraffz]

Too bad my motor isn't going to be done for another month or so... I'd give you the heads.

[Italian Stallion]

Too bad my motor isn't going to be done for another month or so... I'd give you the heads.

damn:-x

[BonzoHansen]

damn:-x

wait it out?

[zraffz]

I know the mechanic who's going to do the head gaskets. Confirmed it, both gaskets are certainly blown. The mechanic isn't a slouch.

[sweetbmxrider]

So how are we buying heads for this then? Blown head gaskets means check the heads, not throw some used ones on and hope for the best. Decking your stockers won't cost much if its needed.

[S.J.SLEEPER]

So how are we buying heads for this then? Blown head gaskets means check the heads, not throw some used ones on and hope for the best. Decking your stockers won't cost much if its needed.

:stupid:

[Pampered-Z]

1) First look and make sure the radiator isn't blocked, like you plastic bag got stuck in front of the radiator.

2) Run the car with the rad cap off as well. Make sure your not just dealing with a bad cap.

3) Take the thermo completely out, run the car and see if you have coolant flowing. You should see a nice stream coming from the head vent tube which dumps back into the rad about 2" below the cap. Since the thermo is in the water pump it could haqve been the wrong one or bad, or even people have gotten them in there upside down, not sure how they did this, but it's been done. Check the hoses and make sure they are all getting warm, so you know if there is a blockage somewhere, could even be in the radiator.

4) Keep bleeding the system until you only get fuild. Putting the car on ramps can help as well. bleed it cold and when hot. Some times you have to do this 5-6 times until it's all out.

If you have blown a head gasket, you should be getting allot of bubbles in the coolant or it smeals like exhaust? I would also expect two blown head gaskets to push the coolant out the overflow and you would see fuild loss in the radiator. So it dones't really sound like 2 blown gaskets?

[Blacdout96]

/\ sounds like a good cheap set of test to do.

As for the cast iron, I just said that so he could get it back on the road cheap, if there was any modding he was going to do, he could purchase aluminum heads down the road, while keeping the vehicle on the road. but if aluminum heads are going for almost as much as cast iron, then no point in getting the impy heads. Just make sure what ever road you take, when you take those heads off, have them checked by a machine shop.

[sweetbmxrider]

Stock aluminum castings are worth about $200

[Blacdout96]

That's pretty damn cheap.