Big Green has a new heart!

[69boo307]

I've finally got the new engine in, and after some issues early on I'm starting to get it dialed in. It's really running good right now! It will turn out to be a solid 12-second engine I think. So far I am quite pleased.
Looks very similar to the stock 307, but looks are decieving ;). it's a 357 with 10.6:1, Dart Heads, and a nasty flat tappet solid cam. :D There are 1.6 roller rockers hiding under those stock valve covers... and the 'stock' distributor and coil are MSD units. The distributor is the new digital e-curve. It's topped off with a Q-jet, built by Sean Murphy. All stock accessories down to the old mechanical fan. I may have to move to a better cooling setup though, at the cost of not looking stock any more. Needless to say, I'm a proud dad now, this is the first engine I've built myself from scratch, and surprisingly it ran! :D

some eye candy:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[Travis B]

Killer car.........SLEEPER
I like it

[astroracer]

Looks good but I think I would have used a brighter orange... :smoke:

[vanzuuk1]

Very nice car , exactly what rims are those?

[trapin]

I love the direction your going in with that car.

That engine would have fetched you some nice grass back in Detroit's street racing hey day.

[Bill Howell]

Looks like you are running a shroud, do you have a factory 7 blade fan and fan clutch? That usually does the trick. Only addition you may need would be a small electric fan, but that would not take away from the stock appearance. I love the stealth thing myself. It is so much fun when they realize too late it is not as it appears. Great job!

[69boo307]

thanks guys!
The rims are Vintage Wheel Works V40, 17x9.5" all around, 5.5" BS.

The fan is actually just a 4-blade, with no clutch. it's literally the same shroud and fan that the car rolled out of the factory with. It doesn't work very well, the engine runs too warm for my taste, and will totally overheat in traffic.

[yody]

just get an aluminum radiator and paint it black with radiator paint, a good workign clutch fan should work just fine

[TPI Monte SS]

Wow, that motor looks great! The sleeper stock look is my favorite. Get a good 6 or 7 blade fan with a clutch and it should be just peachy. Also run a good thermostat. My former '87 SS ran at 180* on hot days with the AC on with just a HD clutch fan and a good 3-core radiator.

[indyjps]

i was able to run a stock 69 camaro radiator ( 307 air car) with 400+ hp 350, same type of sleeper setup. boiled the radiator, ended up using an aftermarket fan in factory shroud and 160 thermostat, ran a gm marine water pump, probably any good pump will work. never ran over 200.

[69boo307]

The car is getting to hot at speed on the highway, which makes me wonder if my old radiator isn't inadequate. It's a stock replacement for the original, it's probably 10 years old. The 307 that was in the car before ran hot too.
Last night I drove it in probably 75 degree temps, at about 60-65 mph it was running around 215 degrees on the highway. Got in a d@#% traffic jam, it shot up, and I had to pull over and shut it down before it overheated. when it cooled, I got off on the nearest exit and took backroads home, and it maintained around 210-215 the rest of the way. I'd like to see it running 190-200 on the highway though, and not get about 210-215 in traffic.
Weird thing is, I can make 'passes' up and down the street trying to tweak the timing, andthe car won't even hit 210. It seems to run cooler when I'm dogging on it than when keeping a steady speed.

I'm gonna install a 180 degree thermostat, and try to get a good GM fan at the local auto salvage place, and see what difference it makes. If that doesn't work I guess I'm just going to pony up the big bucks for a nice radiator. :(

[CAMAROBOY69]

If your car is getting too hot on the highway you need a new radiator-period. So to answer your question--Yes that stock radiator is inadequate.
You can get an excellent ALUMINUM radiator for $150.00 unless you really want the original bolt in radiator. All you will have to do is make brackets to bolt it up. Very easy.
Now if you really want to do it right get the radiator for $150 and the Mark VIII fan for around $150 and I guarantee you will never post in the cooling section again. For around $300.00 you would be set.
For now you could even try the new radiator and the fan you have. Then if that fan isnt enough get the Mark VIII later.
You get the new radiator and your car wont get above your thermostat temp when your on the highway.

[69boo307]

Hmm. There are a couple of radiator shops local to me, maybe they could hook me up something decent that still looks somewhat stock. As long as it's black, most people won't know the difference anyway.

I can get a set of Ford Windstar fans from a local auto salvage place for $50, probably with wiring and relay and all that along with it. I'd thought about going that route if I totally abandoned the stock fan and shroud look.

[CAMAROBOY69]

I didnt ask the obvious question. Is your stock radiator 2 core 3 core or 4 core. I see you are really trying to stick with the stock appearance as possible so just look at my previous thread as the last resort with the Mark VIII fan. Let us know what you come up with from your local shop.
Im sure you would be much happier with an aluminum radiator.
Congrats on your first engine build too. :cool:

[Hacker Joe]

look on the chevelles.com site for the gm bolt in radiator. I belive it is from a 89 full size blazer (not positive though) they have black plastic tanks so it is hard to tell from stock. they also give you a list of hoses that work. i am using that in mine and have not had any overheating problems

[todd8541]

I have a 66 chevelle and had a 427 big block that was a beast. All I did was install a stock big block radiator, shroud and regular 5 blade fan ( no clutch) 180 degree thermostat and it never ever got over 180 even on the hottest of days and would sit there and idle all day at 180 degrees.

The hottest it ever got was 190 and that was 3 or 4 runs down the dragstrip back to back.

That should do the trick for you and maintain the stock appearance.

Todd

[69boo307]

Im sure you would be much happier with an aluminum radiator.


Yeah, but my wallet wouldn't :(. I'm already WAY over budget on this thing, and it's still costing me money even after I have running in the car... I need a radiator...then a converter(the car is difficult to drive with the stock converter, and it lugs the engine)...then a good exhaust system...then it'll be blowing through tires pretty quick with the new converter... the list goes on :)

Anyway, the local shop quoted me $240 for a new big block radiator that should have very close to the stock dimensions and should bolt right in the car. I'm probably going to go with it, I just want to drive the car without having to check the temp gauge every 5 seconds. I dunno how many 'cores' my current radiator is, I don't know how to tell. The guy said the one he quoted me was a 3-core.

[CAMAROBOY69]

I know you mentioned your budget but im a little confused. An aluminum radiator is less than the stock 3 core your about to install. I honestly dont know if the "stock" 3 core would even be enough for your car. Im almost certain it would not out perform the aluminum radiator. Hopefully that stock 3 core works for you.
To tell if you have a 2 or 3 row take your cap off and look inside. Thats the easiest way. You will see 2 or 3 rows. Let us know what you decide. I would be interrested in seeing how well that 3 core works.

[69boo307]

I know you mentioned your budget but im a little confused. An aluminum radiator is less than the stock 3 core your about to install. I honestly dont know if the "stock" 3 core would even be enough for your car. Im almost certain it would not out perform the aluminum radiator. Hopefully that stock 3 core works for you.
To tell if you have a 2 or 3 row take your cap off and look inside. Thats the easiest way. You will see 2 or 3 rows. Let us know what you decide. I would be interrested in seeing how well that 3 core works.

To be honest aluminum radiators worry me a little, particularly inexpensive ones. I question their durability for the long run. Then there's the issue of corrosion when you add an aluminum component to a system that is otherwise totally made of iron. There is alot of flexing force too in that location on an A-body. The radiator is almost a structural piece of the chassis sitting up there on one of these old cars.
I don't have any tubing/roll cage type stuff up there to stiffen the front end. Not yet anyway.
A nice aluminum radiator costs $500 at least. I don't want to buy a 'universal' one and have to try and make it work, I want something that will just bolt in behind my factory shroud and radiator cover plate, and look like it came from the factory that way.
I'd rather spend $240 on something that will last 10 years, instead of $150 on something that may need replaced at least once in the next 10 years.

[Roadrage David]

hi there very nice car. lololol i happend to have a "big green" car myself prodject full metal jacket with a green heart in it. not to worry tho im in europe ...

[69boo307]

An update on my cooling issues. I bought a new 3 row brass/copper radiator from a local place called Performance Radiators. I believe it was originally for a chevy van. We looked at some they had in stock until we found one that was approximately the right dimensions. I was mostly concerned about the height, I had plenty of extra room width-wise. the one I ended up with is about 18"x31". It fit in my radiator support just fine, and my transmission lines bolted up fine. I had to get a different upper hose because it's wider than my old stock radiator. My stock shroud and upper support cover are a bit too narrow, the radiator sticks out on either side, but it doesn't look bad. I think I'll need a new shroud for optimum cooling, but I'll probably just wait until I eventually do an electric fan setup to worry about that.

Anyway, the end result, still with my stock shroud and stock 4 blade fan, the car doesn't go above 195 on the highway cruising at 3200-3500 rpms, and it maxxed out at about 210 in stop-and-go traffic and 90 degree heat. That's still a tad warm, but definitely acceptible.
This tells me that my fan still sucks and doesn't pull enough air when I'm idling, but I have enough radiator to handle the engine now :). Grand total, $134.

[CAMAROBOY69]

Congrats on the update. Im glad you got that radiator for only $134 and its cooling your car good enough when moving. :icon996:
Now get yourself a great electric fan and you will be all set. Like I always say...."You cant go wrong with the Mark VIII" fan. :naughty:
Just noticed one small problem with Mark VIII fan. The mark VIII fan is 21.75 wide x 19 high x 5.75 deep. The height might present an issue. yep too high.

[69boo307]

maybe one day I can afford a nice $500 aluminum radiator setup... but this will get the job done and should last several years.

The Mark VIII or Windstar fan is on the horizon next...a local salvage yard quoted me $50 for a Windstar fan. It sounds like the Mark VIII is too tall though. The radiator is only 18" high on a chevelle.

[CAMAROBOY69]

You will never need a $500 aluminum radiator set up if that radiator is working just fine.

[Kenova]

Hey Boo, congrats on the new engine. Feels good to put one together and have it actually run, doesn't it? :bananna2: I'm guessing this means a slight change in driving style :drive1: , as compared to the old 307.
If you get any performance figures, make sure you post them.
Ken

[69boo307]

Yeah, it was really cool when it fired up! I'm in the process of getting a good converter and a decent exhaust system. After that is installed I hope to get to the track before too long. :)

[USAZR1]

The Mark VIII or Windstar fan is on the horizon next...a local salvage yard quoted me $50 for a Windstar fan. It sounds like the Mark VIII is too tall though. The radiator is only 18" high on a chevelle.

The Mark VIII shroud will barely overlap our radiator,Boo. I'm going to buy one of these and install it,soon. Right now,I'm running an 18" reverse-rotation six blade fan w/clutch on my 355 sbc with the stock three row rad and it never gets over 190 degrees. And,the ambient temps have been over 100 degrees pretty consistently here,lately.