Need to fix 2 problems before core!

shane416ex · May 16, 2010

I have a 79 toyota body and frame with 1-ton chevy running gear. SBC 350, turbo 400, dual cases, D60, 14FF. Problem #1, I can not keep the motor from over heating, I have a Summit Racing aluminum radiator, two summit fans with the relay kit, and I am running a thermostat which I have replaced a couple of times. I have checked all the dumb stuff... One fan is pushing the other is pulling, there is no air in the system. Could it be something with the motor itself? Something wrong with a head, or the water jackets? I am my wits end!

Problem#2 My power steering keeps overheating also. I have the Chevy power steering pump running into the the toyota ifs box. I have gone through a handfull of power steering pumps so its not the pump. I ran an auxillary cooler for the power steering and still no help. Is the chevy pump just too much for the steering box? Could it be something in the steering box itself? It's nothing dumb like a pinched line. Any other thoughts? All input is aprecciated.

jeepmauler · May 16, 2010

What are the dimensions of the rad? Is it up front or behind the cab? I would try and get both fans PULLING if @ all possible! Does it have a shroud for the fan pulling? Have you tried to run it without a thermo?

Bunk1 · May 16, 2010

Ive always heard having fans on opposite sides of the rad is not a good idea(they fight each other when running) Pulling is ideal as mauler said. Is your power steering fluid getting aerated? What klind of fluid are you using? How much does it hold?

shane416ex · May 16, 2010

I was running with one puller fan and that didn't work. The push/pull combo has kept it cooler a little longer but still overheats. The fans are too big to have both pulling from the one side. The power steering res holds the normal amount I guess. At least a quart I would say. And no shroud on the radiator. Radiator is 19tall X 22wide X 2.25 thick.

leadfoot067 · May 17, 2010

ok whats done to the motor? how much compression? where is the timing? how much on the tab and how much total? have you pulled a spark plug to verify its not running lean? do you have a serp belt setup with the wrong rotation waterpump? have you tried wheeling with the hood off? sometimes no matter how much air you get thru the radiator if it cant escape the engine compartment it will still overheat. ide like more specifics on the motor...it may not be the cooling system..

Corey Y · May 17, 2010

Pictures could help us help you.

shane416ex · May 17, 2010

Haven't had a hood on it yet so thats not the problem. I don't know the specs on the motor but I did have it in a chevy blazer and ran it for a couple years in that and never had a problem. That had the big factory chevy radiator in it of course. And I can get some pics tommorow. Also has two seperate belts not a serpentine set up.

Bunk1 · May 17, 2010

What kind of electric fans do you have?

shane416ex · May 17, 2010

Two summit racing fans. 14" inch fans, about 1500 cfm.

Binder · May 17, 2010

shane416ex said:
Two summit racing fans. 14" inch fans, about 1500 cfm.

**** can them and get a single Ford Taurus fan. :awesomework:

Bunk1 · May 17, 2010

My trans cooler has more cfm!

leadfoot067 · May 17, 2010

seriously...have you pulled a plug out? if when the motor swap happened you came up with a vacuum leak causing a lean condition it will run hot no matter what.too much timing or too little timing will cause the same thing..

JAWS · May 17, 2010

How many cores in ur rad? cross flow or up Ndown flow. Remember the stock chevy blazer/pick up rad, Are huge they hold a large amount of water, The water may not be having enough time to cool..

shane416ex · May 17, 2010

Cross flow. And I will check out the plugs for running lean, I'm also on propane now if I didn't mention it, but this problem has been on going since before when I was running on regular gas. This is the radiator I'm running. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-380331/

I should also mention that I know a guy the is running a small block in his jeep with this same radiator and the same single fan with no problem, but I'm not sure he has every really lugged it off road which should be where the worst overheating problems occur.

JAWS · May 17, 2010

shane416ex said:
Cross flow. And I will check out the plugs for running lean, I'm also on propane now if I didn't mention it, but this problem has been on going since before when I was running on regular gas. This is the radiator I'm running. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-380331/

I should also mention that I know a guy the is running a small block in his jeep with this same radiator and the same single fan with no problem, but I'm not sure he has every really lugged it off road which should be where the worst overheating problems occur.

Their is way less grill air flow on a toyota than a jeep. Im just saying

shane416ex · May 18, 2010

JAWS said:
Their is way less grill air flow on a toyota than a jeep. Im just saying

No grill. I cut the middle of the core support out.

almost not done · May 18, 2010

maybe your water pump went bad in the process its happen to me before.

FabHappy · May 21, 2010

Maybe your exhaust is too restrictive. There is a good thread over on pirate very similar to this. I think it was on the Rockher. The switched to a different muffler (magnaflow I think) and that cured all the running hot issues.