Coolant temp differential help

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superdart

superdart

Shade Tree Tinker Gnome.....
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Can someone with an IR temp thermometer do me a favor?

I am curious to see what the temperature differential is between the upper and lower radiator hoses at idle. Please note what type of radiator you have.

I'm just trying to see how much heat should be dissipated under normal operation. My friend is getting a 100+ degree temp difference at idle. His car is running hot on the highway, but not at idle.

My thought is that his radiator is plugged. The restricted flow is keeping the fluid in the radiator for an extended time, allowing it to REALLY cool off. But, the restriction is simultaneously keeping the fluid from transferring heat out of the engine when spinning at highway speed.

He has a 440 with a 3 core 26" factory radiator (In a Belvedere)
 
wow that much i always thought it was around 30 or so. i could be way off but that seems like a lot
 
Yeah, that was my thought. My car shows around 30 degrees at idle, but I wanted to compare that to some other numbers.
 
It's been awhile since I tested mine so I'm not positive but I think it was around 30-35 degrees diff. Can you see down into the radiator to see how the tubes look?
 
If you have a clogged radiator you should be able to just pass your hand over the surface of the core and feel cooler spots where it is plugged.
 
superdart said:
Can someone with an IR temp thermometer do me a favor?

I am curious to see what the temperature differential is between the upper and lower radiator hoses at idle. Please note what type of radiator you have.

I'm just trying to see how much heat should be dissipated under normal operation. My friend is getting a 100+ degree temp difference at idle. His car is running hot on the highway, but not at idle.

My thought is that his radiator is plugged. The restricted flow is keeping the fluid in the radiator for an extended time, allowing it to REALLY cool off. But, the restriction is simultaneously keeping the fluid from transferring heat out of the engine when spinning at highway speed.

He has a 440 with a 3 core 26" factory radiator (In a Belvedere)
Click to expand...
No way is it 100 degrees
 
Turns out he had a very clogged radiator. It was able to flow just enough water to keep the heat under control at idle, but any road speed generated too much heat. He has a new radiator, and all is well.
 
First shot of fifteen minutes of idle at the top radiator hose...

Blurry but 163 degrees..

IMG00415-20100702-2154.jpg


Not so blurry...137 degrees at bottom

IMG00416-20100702-2154.jpg
 
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