Thread: My 350 Isn't Overheating.

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That's right, I don't think my engine is making enough heat. It's a slightly warmed up 350, Vortec heads, cam, 9.25:1 comrpession, etc... The trouble is that it takes forever to get up to temperature. My electric choke pulls off too soon and then my truck starts bogging down every time I step on the gas. The cooling system is working properly but I still tried replacing the thermostat just to see what would happen. There was no change. I would like to think I am losing a lot of heat through the heater core, but I'm not. It stays fairly cold in the cab as well. When I'm cruising down the highway, I barely make enough heat to open the thermostat. I guess I'll just put a resistor in line with my electric choke to slow it down. Oh yeah, there is no exhaust crossover in the intake manifold which probably has something to do with bogging down.

No heat crossovers in the intake will cause a bog on cool days, But I'd put a 195 thermostat in it and see if that helps......

It is a 195. I think delaying the opening of the choke and enriching the adjustable part throttle mixture will help, but I was hoping there was a way I could get it to warm up quickly. Also, I'm not big on making changes to the carb because I have to sneak this thing through California smog. If I give it a little too much fuel here or there, I will fail.

if you have a 195 thermostat, then the motor should be running 195 degrees. if its not then the thermostat is bad or its installed wrong, or its not sealing inside the thermostat housing like it should(water is seeping around the outer edge). if you have a 195 thermostat then the water should run close to 195 or its not working right. is it an elec. choke?

It is a 195 thermostat and it does reach 195, it just seems like it takes too long to get up to temperature. I just replaced the 180 degree thermostat to see what would happen and there was no change. I had to convert to an electric choke because there is no provision for a divorced choke without the exhaust crossover on the manifold. I am not satisfied with the electric choke and would prefer a divorced choke, but I don't think that is going to happen. I knew this was going to be a problem with the Vortec heads, but they torque they make is well worth it. It runs a 15.3 in the quarter at over 90mph with the new heads which isn't bad considering I'm only using 2 of my 3 gears and it's in a 4200 lb truck.

Maybe it is time to move out of Antarctica. Kidding, just kidding.

I guess what is confusing everybody, if you put a 195 thermostat in an engine, it keeps the water trapped in that engine until it reaches 195, and it doesn't take long to heat the small amount of water that is contained in the cooling passages in a small block chevy. You should start seeing the temp gauge rise within a couple of miles. When you mention too big of a heater, that may be your problem. Perhaps you are turning the heater on too soon. Let the truck come up to temp before you turn it on. After all, a heater core is just another radiator, so if you are diverting water through it too soon, you are effectively bypassing the thermostat.

The other issue is choke. You mention it is opening too soon. Adjust it. There is no reason why your engine should be doing this if everythiing is adjusted right and you are running the 195 thermostat.

I looked at your public profile to see where you live, but it isn't there. Where do you live? Here in Florida we have just the opposite problems with cooling.

Don

my engine barely gets to 150 after driving for 15mins... I dont know what to do about that. =(

Originally Posted by Uptown83

my engine barely gets to 150 after driving for 15mins... I dont know what to do about that. =(

here again, if you have a 195 thermostat in your motor working right, its not gonna take 15 mim. to warm up. sounds like some water is getting passed the thermostat some how.

Itoldyouso, heater water shouldn't by pass the thermostat if its hood up right. until the thermostat opens there shouldn't be any water movement.

Dido on what Mike is saying. If you have 180 or 195 degree thermostat, your engine will heat up to that temperature and then your thermostat should open. You gotta have a bad thermostat. Is it staying open by chance which would push the water through at a cold temperature and might reach 150 and get no warmer?