Some help with cooling on a 72 vega

[myvega]

Front to rear is the correct way for proper flow. Super Victor intakes have the provisions for the fittings, Victor Juniors must be drilled and tapped.

DSC00069 (Small).JPG

[Gtdhw]

That's pretty sweet! Even though I have no issues with cooling, I think I'm going to do this anyway. Can't hurt, right? And it looks "cool".

[mike00ss]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for the great responses and help! and update everyone on my car.

Iv mad up my mind about ditching the electric water pump mounted to the block. and run a remote electric water pump so I can free up some room and fit a fan and shroud on the engine side of the radiator.
Some pictures so far, where I cut out where I believe the factory battery would be mounted and welded a mount for the pump to the frame, and mounted the pump. Just waiting for the fittings for the block adaptors to arrive. Then run some hoses. Sorry the cars such a mess!
and one picture of my custom radiator frame I built.

[gmagilla]

Here's another way to get hot water out of the heads quicker , you need a filler block on your intake though . The hoses are the ones going from the heads around in front of valve covers into the filler block .

Radiator fan no shroud.jpg

my car no heater.jpg

[mike00ss]

Can you explain that a little bit more? I already have a filler bock on my intake so this should be easy to do?

[Wizeguyrc]

It's the same thing as "myvega" has done at the top of this page. You are running a hose from either the back of the intake, where the water passage is, to the front. Or in the case of the above picture, from the rear fitting in the cyl. head. toward the front of the intake, to the water neck block. Same result, you are getting coolant from the back of the engine straight to the top radiator hose. This puts it straight into the radiator.

[gmagilla]

Can you explain that a little bit more? I already have a filler bock on my intake so this should be easy to do?

With the filler block that you have on the intake , you run the hoses to the fittings ABOVE the stat , that way hot water goes striaght to the radiator , with the hoses on the intake manifold ( back to front ) it's moving the trapped water but it's putting the water back into the block till the stat opens , it helps but if you go above the stat into the filler block it cools quicker , you could run the hoses from the back of the intake to the filler block or from your heads to the filler block , either way will work , going from the back of your intake is easier if you have an intake with four corner water ports . The car in the pics had 13.5 comp. and did not run hot with that machanical fan and no shroud , the pic with the pusher fan was done by new owner I don't know how well it worked . I had a 5 row copper/brass made to fit the car when I first biult it with a shroud and mechanical fan and it would peg the temp in traffic , went to the 2 row aluminum 1.25" tubes no shroud and no over heating just the way the pic shows . Aluminum works for cooling and the bigger the tubes the better .

[MonzaRacer]

OK so why in the heck does everyone break the stock setup then bitch.
I had a 75 factory V8 with AC on it and even running like crap bringing it home the engine was cool and AC WORKED, but traded it off.
Every one of my past Hbodies had the 3 row copper and brass rads and never had major heat issues EXCEPT when racing and having to make a run and come back for another pass.
Now as for the rear intake bypass thats old hat and all you have to do in drill and tap the back ports for pipe thread, install old trans cooler inverted flare fittings, bend up some steel 5/16 line OR use 3/8 size and use 3/8 line. If you use a thermostat riser you can plumb those lines right back into the bottom under the thermostat. As for gutting a thermostat WHY?
Why in heck is everyone so worried about running their engine at 140 degrees, the engine was designed to be efficient at 180-220 degrees.
My God guys you all try to run ice cold engines yet forget heat is power and your running 15 lb caps.
Also its just as important as to how much air(cfm) moves over the core as fan speed (rpm).
From what I have heard fiero radiators work, and you can get an all aluminum one from Ebay. From my research they are now making the copper/brass 3 row(vista pro) also as well as spectre making a single row plastic/aluminum for Hbody (V6 app copper and brass is same as V8s without curved upper neck).
Honestly, I have cooled my own V8s with single electric fans, ran on temp controller controlling a relay.
ALWAYS use relays with fans.
I have alway used 195 t stats on street, and 180 racing only. and 50/50 coolant.
BUT if your having cooling issues how about looking into Evans NPG+ coolant, this is what I am going to run in my newest 77, when the 302 is done. If I can find a decent aluminum on Ebay Ill go that way (speced for Fiero).
Oh and Ill have AC and intercoolers too.
And I have tuned many engines and 160 coolant can cost you in waer AND power.

[Roccosvega]

Can you explain that a little bit more? I already have a filler bock on my intake so this should be easy to do?

With the filler block that you have on the intake , you run the hoses to the fittings ABOVE the stat , that way hot water goes striaght to the radiator , with the hoses on the intake manifold ( back to front ) it's moving the trapped water but it's putting the water back into the block till the stat opens , it helps but if you go above the stat into the filler block it cools quicker , you could run the hoses from the back of the intake to the filler block or from your heads to the filler block , either way will work , going from the back of your intake is easier if you have an intake with four corner water ports . The car in the pics had 13.5 comp. and did not run hot with that machanical fan and no shroud , the pic with the pusher fan was done by new owner I don't know how well it worked . I had a 5 row copper/brass made to fit the car when I first biult it with a shroud and mechanical fan and it would peg the temp in traffic , went to the 2 row aluminum 1.25" tubes no shroud and no over heating just the way the pic shows . Aluminum works for cooling and the bigger the tubes the better .

Correct me if Im wrong but if you do it this way why even run a thermostat at all.Looks like this would completely bypass the thermostat and your engine would never reach a correct running temp.

[gmagilla]

Those are small hoses and only let a small amount of coolant bypass the stat .

[Outlaw660]

Cooling battle…….high flow water pump from Speedway / 25.5”wide triple pass radiator from summit/ 7.3” crank pulley from Amazon /5” water pump pulley from PSC steering components / 3 low profile electric fans from Summit/ 2 10” pullers/ 1 12” pusher/ removed the heavy circle track style mechanical fan / 160 degree thermostat with 4 1/8” holes /put in a 100 amp alternator/ a 1000 Amp Optima Deep Cycle/Starting battery/ new radiator hoses just to cover all the bases…let it idle in the garage for for over a 1/2 hour/ got up to 166.7 degrees on my digital read out / 165 on the mechanical gauge…and a air gap dual plane intake manifold with the 4 corner cooling lines, a 4160 Holley and a drop base 14” air cleaner/ fits under the stock hood..

[n8thenetninja]

I'm convinced the main issue with cooling these little cars with big engines is getting air moving. I have an electric water pump that can run flat out whenever needed (no thermostat, electronically controlled by temperature), and the biggest dual pass radiator I could fit in there. When the car is moving, it's fine and dandy. When it's sitting still, problems arise. I think the low profile fans that came with the radiator are made more for being low profile than anything else. I have a Warr Performance shroud for a big Silverado fan that I plan to install next. I hope that will improve things. I'll try and remember to post the results here. (Lots of other priorities at the moment, including fixing damage a drunk driver did to the car while it was parked...)

[Monza Harry]

Also not mentioned is that my '76 262 had a 7 blade "propeller" and that car was always running on the cold side, a problem in the winter for sure. Our summers do get pretty warm mid to upper 80's with the occasional run up to 100° so with a little work to "emulate " a stock system with an upgrade or 2 victory should be easily obtained! Harry