The V8 Vega Cooling System:

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The V8 Vega Cooling System:

Postby h-bot » Sat Jun 30, 2001 2:22 pm

From: twelve_second_vega_REMOVE_129143_THIS_@yahoo.com


When anyone mentions the cooling system, we must
remember that much more than the radiator and fan are
involved. V8 Vega's pose many problems with respect to
their cooling systems and I will address those issues
in this message.

First, you should make sure
that the Water Jackets in the engine block are clean.
Many times I have received a block back from the
machine shop to find rusty scale 1.5" deep in the
jackets.

Secondly, be sure to run a drill bit through the
cooling ports around the spark plug holes in the cylinder
heads. These often get plugged with silicon sealant and
scale.

Once you have your engine assembled, block the
bypass hole in the water pump with an 1/8" pipe plug.
This prevents the bypass from dumping hot coolant into
your 'Cold Hose.'

When performing this
modification, you MUST DRILL AN 1/8" HOLE IN THE THERMOSTAT OR
REPLACE IT WITH A RESTRICTOR DISC. The modification is
worth 15-20° temperature drop on a properly functioning
cooling system.

Add a 'Brass Works Flow Kooler
Disc'to the back of the water pump impeller. This
encloses the impeller and allows it to push the coolant
instead of just stirring it up.

I have tried it.
Beleive me, at $5.99 from Summit, it's cheap and it
works. The part number is 3500-01. The water pump plate
gasket is
available from Fel-Pro under part
#13032.

As far as radiators go, the minimum it will take
to cool a V8 is the stock Vega size (13" X 21") with
an aftermarket 3 or 4 row core. The radiator shroud
is a very important part of your cooling system and
should be used at all times. A short air dam, like later
Camaros, aids cooling at low vehicle speeds and is easy to
make or adapt.


The best radiator to use is
the V8 Monza style 3 row (15" X 21") with modified
inlet/outlets to accomodate your individual engine. Many have

had good luck with a Griffin Aluminum Radiator (15" X
27.5") but it requires more modifications to make it
fit.

The best fan you can use is the Flex-a-Lite '400
Series' Nylon (6) blade. It's flat profile gives you the
needed room to clear a 4 row core and it pulls a
tremendous amount of air. I have tried them all (including
the Ford Pinto D8EE-8600 AA) and this fan is the
best.

Electric fans are also an option, but you
will need at least 2000 cfm to properly cool the
engine. Keep this in mind when shopping for a
fan.

When adding coolant, use only distilled water.
Mix the water/coolant in a jug on the bench and add
it at the proper concentration. Use only
enough
coolant for your local climate. The more water you have
in the system, the better your heat exchange will
be. Never use less than 30% coolant to maintain
proper corrosion protection.

Although we haven't
discussed every possible option on the V8 Vega cooling
system, we have established some minimum standards and
provided information on proven combinations of
parts.

Next week, we will discuss engine performance and
tuning techniques. I will show you how to get the most
out of your current combination without spending a
fortune on parts you may not need.

Best of luck
on your project...Robert Herndon


[This is message #5 by user twelve_second_vega on Yahoo! Club V8 Vega Conversions: http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/v8vegaconversions ]
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