Champion Radiator Install Question

[Frank Enstein]

T-Stat;

FlowKooler 330-195 FlowKooler Robertshaw Series High Performance Thermostats | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - FlowKooler Robertshaw Series High Performance Thermostats with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Thermostats, Mechanical at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

Hoses;

Summit Racing SUM-390048 Summit Racing™ Stainless Steel Flexible Hoses | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Summit Racing™ Stainless Steel Flexible Hoses with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Hoses, Radiator at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

Coolant additive;

Red Line Synthetic Oil 80204 Red Line Water Wetter Cooling System Treatment | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Red Line Water Wetter Cooling System Treatment with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Coolant Additives at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

Make sure the coolant freezing protection is 0 degrees F or 10 degrees F colder than the truck will see. Do whichever is colder. Too much antifreeze will interfere with cooling. Water transfers heat 4 times better than antifreeze.

The stainless hoses help a little with cooling. 304 stainless is a terrible insulator.

The T-Stat is high flow and is pressure balanced.

The additive breaks the surface tension of the coolant, lubricates the water pump, and prevents corrosion.

Have the pressure cap tested. New means nothing.

As long as the engine is running normally and had good oil pressure you are o.k. to 230 degrees F.

The engine is most efficient @ 215 degrees F. I sold my 2003 Chevy with 453,000 miles on the original engine and it ran 210 F summer and winter.

At that temp you get the least cylinder wear and modern oils have less friction running that hot.

In a perfect world you would run within 5 degrees F of the thermostat opening point.

You are o.k. the way it is unless the oil temp drops or the engine runs funny.

 

[BBslider001]

T-Stat;

FlowKooler 330-195 FlowKooler Robertshaw Series High Performance Thermostats | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - FlowKooler Robertshaw Series High Performance Thermostats with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Thermostats, Mechanical at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

Hoses;

Summit Racing SUM-390048 Summit Racing™ Stainless Steel Flexible Hoses | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Summit Racing™ Stainless Steel Flexible Hoses with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Hoses, Radiator at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

Coolant additive;

Red Line Synthetic Oil 80204 Red Line Water Wetter Cooling System Treatment | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Red Line Water Wetter Cooling System Treatment with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Coolant Additives at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

Make sure the coolant freezing protection is 0 degrees F or 10 degrees F colder than the truck will see. Do whichever is colder. Too much antifreeze will interfere with cooling. Water transfers heat 4 times better than antifreeze.

The stainless hoses help a little with cooling. 304 stainless is a terrible insulator.

The T-Stat is high flow and is pressure balanced.

The additive breaks the surface tension of the coolant, lubricates the water pump, and prevents corrosion.

Have the pressure cap tested. New means nothing.

As long as the engine is running normally and had good oil pressure you are o.k. to 230 degrees F.

The engine is most efficient @ 215 degrees F. I sold my 2003 Chevy with 453,000 miles on the original engine and it ran 210 F summer and winter.

At that temp you get the least cylinder wear and modern oils have less friction running that hot.

In a perfect world you would run within 5 degrees F of the thermostat opening point.

You are o.k. the way it is unless the oil temp drops or the engine runs funny.

I really appreciate this input and education. I am very familiar and well versed in diesels, but BB gas engines and the 454 are new to me, so nuances and quirks are things I don't quite know yet. Thanks for the solid info. It REALLY helps and gives me more confidence in what I am dealing with. My 7.3 runs so cool all the time (185ish) that 210-220 has me wondering a bit, but if it's normal for my application, I can wrap my head around it.

 

[tayto]

7.3L was actually designed to run a 203* stat FWIW

 

[0xDEADBEEF]

210-215 on a very hot day with AC going sounds pretty normal for any gas engine to me. I wouldn't be worried unless it doesn't stop climbing.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

My L31 always liked 180F at most, any more and it lost power and drank fuel. My 383 also likes running cool. By 210°F it is down nearly 30 ft/lbs from 185°F. Alot of the LS engines I tune have 160°F thermostats and run about 170°F. The cylinder bores on my L31 were perfect when I pulled it apart. K&N air filter and 170°F thermostat should have had them worn out according to the so called internet experts.

 

[BBslider001]

210-215 on a very hot day with AC going sounds pretty normal for any gas engine to me. I wouldn't be worried unless it doesn't stop climbing.

It stays fixed.

 

[BBslider001]

7.3L was actually designed to run a 203* stat FWIW

Yeah, but if you want cooler oil temps while towing, the 203* is not the way to go. I ran one once and won't ever again. I run 180* in my PSDs and have for years. With the 203 t-stat I got funny idle wonkiness and hotter oil temps, which don't do well for the oil driven injection system.

 

[tayto]

I ran a powerstroke 96 E350 cube van with 203* stat and high pressure oil crossover line. no high oil temps or idle "wonkiness". got better milage than with the ford tstat too. only mods were using the later e350 intake elbow, even retained the silencer plenum. also removed the mechanical fuel pump and ran a later year PSD external fuel pump and frame mounted fuel filters.

 

[BBslider001]

I ran a powerstroke 96 E350 cube van with 203* stat and high pressure oil crossover line. no high oil temps or idle "wonkiness". got better milage than with the ford tstat too. only mods were using the later e350 intake elbow, even retained the silencer plenum. also removed the mechanical fuel pump and ran a later year PSD external fuel pump and frame mounted fuel filters.

Hook a 14k gooseneck on it and hit a 6% grade and tell me your oil temps then. Been there done that too many times. The 203 vs. 180 argument is like the oil argument. Do what works for you.

Back to our scheduled 400 talk LOL

 

[BBslider001]

Small update, the Champion is working well in these hot Texas temps. It never gets above 215* idling and stays at 195* cruising with the A/C on. I am pretty happy with it. I still need to change the T-Stat, which I may do today with the oil change. I am going to run Mystik 15w-50 HD oil in there and see how it does. I have been running Motorcraft 15w-40 since I always some on hand for my 7.3 and it works well, but this Mystik has great numbers and is much more available than the MoCo. Should be good for the cam protection and hotter temps. I'll report back.

On a side note, I would really like to visit getting the exhaust doen and maybe putting in a new EGR valve. I have tuned it up recently, fixed all vac leaks, new sensors, but i still have abit of exhaust smell. Evn has a new CAT, but it's a little "rumbly" and louder than I'd like for having a muffler and cat on it. The exhaust guy who instaled the new CAT said I had no leaks, but I am beginning to doubt him. Anyone else dealt with this?