81 Camaro 350 overheating inside of 5 minutes!

[drummerguy77]

Good afternoon! It's me again with another mystery from the camaro! This car has had a mildly built 350 put in it with the heater core removed and an electric water pump. I was told that 2 weeks before I got the car the radiator was leaking and he brought it to the radiator shop and had it "rotted out". I drove it a few days ago after getting it legal and it started to get above 200 sitting in a drive thru and then when I shut it off, it was making a gurgling sound. I let it cool and checked and found there was no coolant, just straight water and no thermostat. I put a 180 in and dropped the water and added fresh coolant/water 50/50. Fired it up and inside of 2 or 3 minutes, the radiator water was already steaming and rising in level, but the upper hose was still cool, and the temp gage read 130 (minimum). With a temp gun I was reading 145+ on the water in radiator and around 110 at the water neck. I let it run a few minutes longer then the temp gage shot up to around 220 and water wash shooting out of the radiator (no cap on). Shut it down and letting it cool. Started back up and I can see water flowing through the radiator, but the gage is reading below 130 again. I checked the wiring to the water pump and it shows red is hot and black ground, so it should be sending water correctly. This sounds like the water is reversed though, so I am not sure how to tell if the water pump is pumping the right direction.

This appears to be the water pump installed




Any clues would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

 

[sandlapper]

common --- Instead of "rotted out" --- it's "rodded out" because the rad shop pushes a thin rod thru the flues (aka tubes) to help clear them of obstruction(s). Of course we know what you meant --- just sayin'

direction --- open the pump up & post some pics of its impeller within its housing but Do include a coin in pics so we Confirm pics not flipped. Many here Know how it should be configured/look.

Also suggest go thru standard steps to rule-out/in a blown head gasket.

If system was so dirty that it needed rad to be rodded out, there's a likelihood the entire system is dirty w/ scale or sediment or sludge --- and that will Require a true Cleaning in addition to any flushes. Rodding out does Not dissolve the crud; only strong chemicals will and they are NOT on flaps' shelves; Not any longer. Google Oxalic Acid + Radiator.

If system's loaded up-coated with crud --- YOU can fix it right --- that DIY requires the correct approach and a half-day of work on stationary vehicle + rubber gloves & goggles.

caveat emptor ! --- you may choose to trust but Must verify

 

[drummerguy77]

OK, will pull that pump apart and post pics. I was told the engine and trans only have about 10-15 miles on them, it is a brand new engine with the stock radiator. Thank you for the advice, I really hope it is not head gasket related. I am not seeing water in oil, oil in water, oil in tailpipe and the car seems to run as it should.

 

[krabben1]

Any fans on the car?

 

[drummerguy77]

It has a single electric fan, but it seems to have got hot too fast and long before the thermostat opened.

 

[sandlapper]

the aforementioned Oxalic Acid procedure (and GM TSB 99-06-02-012D for same) is described in my prior post linked below

The referenced & long-discontinued Prestone AS100 aka GM 12346500 was a 2-part canister that contained 9 dry oz of granular Oxalic Acid crystals (DAP or Savogran wood bleach found at local hardware store) + (the neutralizer) 2 dry oz of Sodium Carbonate which is Not baking soda (Not sodium bicarbonate --- Sodium Carbonate is found on grocery laundry aisle as Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda. I've successfully done this procedure several times. Be safe, alert and use common sense. Don't drain this stuff onto your grass/lawn --- Be advised, those mixed solutions WILL kill it ! T shirt. Caution: It will burn your skin and your eyes.

Like MOST chemical reactions, BOTH ample Time and ample Heat are required to drive the reaction toward completion !
YOU provide the time and your hi-idling motor provides the heat. A pre-procedure I suggest is a simple plain water flush of entire system --- But then the real work begins with the Oxalic Acid sol'n. I also did a plain water flush After the Oxalic was drained But Before Neutralizer sol'n was introduced. Then, After the Neutralizer was drained, I followed with another plain water flush. Then I fill my systems with a proper concentration mix of DI-water and Antifreeze. When done right, your cooling system (including block and heads' water jackets) will be clean enough for a colonoscopy.

Drain Coolant

How do I drain the coolant from each side of the block on a 350? I removed the bolts on either side of the block right above the oil pan but nothing came out. Im positive that it has coolant in it, do I have to turn it over to pump the coolant out?

nastyz28.com

 

[G72Zed]

Personally, the only place I use an electric water pump is on the dyno or a fully dedicated 1/8-1/4 mile drag package. And it's a Meziere around $535 USD.

I would remove that POS 90$ Speedmaster electric water pump ASAP and go with the typical mechanical water pump with correct pulley ratio and functional thermostat.

Unless your timing/cam/fuel curve is out to lunch, I believe that will cure your over-heating issues. JMO

 

[drummerguy77]

I resolved the issue today. I rented the tool to check for the head gasket leak and no leaks, bought a new radiator cap to to be safe and on closer inspection of the old radiator cap, the bleed back valve was gone. refilled with water to test and ran a good 30 minutes with no over heat. Shut it off and no gurgling in the overflow. Now to figure out why it does not want to stay running when the temp is above 200 without some pedal. It idles at around 2k in park. It does have a 2800 stall on it. If I give it some gas and put it into gear, it will run fine, but die as soon as I go to idle in gear. Probably needs some carb adjustments. It is a new Edelbrock 600 manual choke straight from the box onto the car.

Thanks for the help and ideas! Wish I would have seen that radiator cap sooner, my kid pulled it off to fill the car and I never even looked at it lol!

 

[G72Zed]

I would still keep a close eye on things like temps/variations and detonation......., seen more than enough customers f#$k up there engines with electric H2O pumps, even good ones,
....just saying.

 

[sandlapper]

even good ones