I took my daily driver to a little road race practice course today. Each lap was only a minute and I'd stay out there for only 5-10 minutes. The first session I just wanted to work on tire temps, then I let it cool down. I actually logged the second session and have some questions.

Water temp: I live in Florida, so I run 100% distilled water with maybe 1-2 bottles of water wetter. After 7 laps, I noticed the coolant temp was at the 3/4 mark so I brought the car in. The scan tool later revealed the temp had peaked at 244*. Isn't that a bit warm? Solutions?

Brakes: In the front I have standard C6 calipers, Trackbrackets, DTC-30 pads, new standard C6 rotors. In the rear I have Powerslot rotors and HPS pads. All stainless lines and using SRF fluid. While it didn't have a problem stopping, the pedal became easier to depress and started grabbing hard closer to the floor. I didn't like the feel of this, how do I remedy it?

The log also shows it was pulling 4* of timing on all WOT sections. I bet I have a knock sensor code

Here's some tire data if someone can confirm my thoughts. 315/35/17 A6's on 17x11 wheels. Link to the track diagram is here. All the outside corners are off-camber.

Corner Out/Ctr/In/Pressure
LF 167/161/161/42.5*
LR 136/145/141/37.5*

Corner In/Ctr/Out/Pressure
RF 156/143/140/42.5*
RR 140/145/133/38.5

Do any of those numbers indicate I should tweak my camber or caster? Because I didn't have a compressor, I started the first session with 35* in all four tires which I assumed would be too high and I could just bleed it off. It seems like dropping 1psi drops the center temp about 3*, so I planned to use these pressures on the third session (which I didn't run because of the water temp concerns):

LF 43.5
LR 35.5
RF 44.5
RR 35.5

The handling was decent for the most part. I used 3rd gear in the increasing radius sweeper and the rear end wanted to slowly slide out on me. After the sweeper it straightens out for before a ~60* right hand turn going into a S-curve. I tried braking late every time for that hard turn and never engaged the ABS, but the soft pedal (which returned to normal on the way home) gave me concern. The pavement in the middle of the S-curve gave me traction problems because it is rough.

I've been there a number of times in the past (when I had a built LS1 instead of a built LS3), and I think I usually used 2nd gear in that increasing radius sweeper because I remember having to shift. I'm not sure what's quicker to the 60* turn...leaving it in 3rd all the way, or using 2nd (which will cause more traction problems and less speed in the sweeper) and then shift as necessary.

Front suspension is Koni DA's with 650# springs and 35mm solid bar. Rear suspension is Koni DA's with 300# springs,UE lowered PHB, 24mm solid bar, UETA, UE LCA's. I finally got around to adding the 1/2 turn of preload Sean suggested last September. I'll check the zip ties today when I put the street tires back on.

The zip ties are maybe 1-1.5" from the botom of the loop, whereas they had been only a few millimeters from falling off before.

I also checked my fluids this morning and something odd about the oil. The dipstick is registering the level at the 'o' after the 'Operating Range' phrase on the dipstick, which correlates to being about 2" too high. They showed me the oil level on the dipstick before I left and it was only ~3/8" above the hash. What would cause the oil volume to increase?

Hot outside on the LF is normal on a right turn course, hot inside on the RF is from camber during braking. Hot middle in the rear indicates too much pressure.

Temps overall seem low for A6's on a road course - was is cool/cloudy? Were temps taken by someone else immediately after stopping the car? Probe type thermocouple or IR?

The folks that I know running A6's on a road course regard them as one hot lap tires, for TT, not continuous lapping. You should be able to by with more on a short course like this one, but if they get greasy all of a sudden after a few laps they need to cool down.

My direct Hoosier experience was with R3S03's of 7yrs ago, I was running mid to high 30's cold pressure and the car would feel good for 5 laps and then go to grease. I took some good advice and dropped cold pressure to 27psi - the car felt a little sloppier on turn in but grip was equivalent and lasted the whole 15 lap race.

It was bright but cloudy, should've been in the mid-to-upper 80's. Temps had to wait until I was parked, which involved driving on gravel and grass, and I took them myself as quickly as I could. Probe pyrometer. I know not ideal, but the best I could do.

Upon dismounting the A6's today, I found I corded both front tires on the inside, and one of the rears has a screw in the middle of the contact patch.

Alan - do you sell any complete cooling kits which will fit on a street car without any problems? For oil & water. I've go the LS3 so there's a few more wires running along the block, as well as the knock sensor harnesses to the side-mounted KR sensors. I'd be interested in kit(s) which include gauges and absolutely all accessories (including tidy gauge mounting, all tubing and connectors, etc). I removed the plastic ducting in front of the radiator many years ago. I don't know if those missing shrouds are part of the equation.

I also replaced the EVAP solenoid Friday night, and I noticed when I got to the site and went to fill up, that when I opened the gas cap it made a PSSH sound, which it never does. Someone on another forum asked if my oil smelled like gas, and it sort of does. Perhaps the EVAP has a role in the high oil level?

Jim - I couldn't do a plug and play system on a modified street car, too many variables that would require customization.

The radiator shrouding, both in front and rear of the radiator, and the chin air deflector, are important parts of the cooling system, need
to be in place to operate correctly.

Does your evap purge line empty into the intake manifold? Why did you replace the solenoid?

I'll have to see what I can find used for the front shrouding. The EVAP line connects to the front of the manifold. The retaining clip on the manifold side of the tube had broken, and I got a good deal on a brand new solenoid and tube. I only wanted the tube, but installed the new solenoid just because mine was 12 years old.

I bought used versions and replaced the upper radiator mount (which had been modified to use the FTRA), the upper radiator baffle (same), and installed a used lower radiator baffle which has been off since probably 1999 or 2000.

I spoke with LGM about the cooling concerns to see what they had used in their WC Camaro. They suggested starting with an oil cooler setup; cooling the oil may also bring down the water temp. But they only sold an adapter as well as the $1300 radiator with an included oil cooler.

Casey posted a parts list for what I presume was an LT1 in this thread: http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/index.php?sho...hl=mocal+setrab

Are those parts compatible & desirable for my scenario? Back in '97 I bought but never used a trans cooler setup from Art Carr, and it included a Setrab 970516 series, P/N 619NPT38. It appears to be an 18 row unit. Could I use this cooler for anything on this car?

How does the Mocal sandwich adapter compare to the Mocal block-mounted adapter? I don't want the filter hanging too low, but I'd also prefer the block adapter to have horizontal in/out to help with ground clearance. I'm also looking to get a mechanical oil pressure & temp gauges easily installed with the cooling solution, suggestions on parts?

Sandwich adapter
http://www.racerpartswholesale.com/product..._Sandwich_Plate

Mocal block adapter
http://www.improvedracing.com/product_info...?products_id=33

I spoke with Marvin at Setrab USA and he says they haven't run the NPT38 (NPT 3/8") fittings in a few years but there's nothing wrong with the unit; just need 3/8"-AN fittings. He says they use the same size unit in upper 400HP 370Z's regulary. If I was starting from scratch he'd probably start me on the next higher model, a 25-row, but he basically said to run it since I already have it and go bigger later if necessary. He suggested I would have a hard time finding 3/8" <-> 10AN fittings (my preference), but thought I'd be okay using 8AN. A bit of searching seems to indicate there are plenty of options for that fitting. Ordered some stuff today...

For the long brake pedal:
Motive 108 power bleeder
Castrol SRF (1L, I have an unopened second litre)
Doug Rippie SS piston inserts
hardbrakes.com Ti heat shims (backordered)
DTC-30 pads (spares)

I don't love 8an for oil coolers, I just think it's a bit on the small side. I'd do my best to run #10 lines (particularly if you may upgrade coolers later and have to adapt them to the smaller cooler...which I still don't love, but it's better for when you change things).

My bad, I meant plenty of 3/8" <-> 10AN fittings. From memory the cooler is ~10-12"Wx~6"H, any suggestions on placement in the front bumper area?

Have you driven the car since fixing the radiator shrouds? Depending on your driving habits, you may not need any more cooling. What radiator are you using now? AC condenser still in place?

If you do need more, use an oil cooler with 1/2" NPT fittings, minimum, and -10an lines.

For a race car, I use a radiator with an integral oil/water cooler, with a remote oil filter. The block adapter depends on the headers being used. For street use I would add a thermostat for the oil cooler.

I do not recommend putting an air/oil cooler in front of the radiator - you are likely to have coolant cooling issues, again.

I've daily driven it since re-installing the shrouds, but I've not driven it in anger. I have the stock LS1 radiator & AC condenser. I do have headers and I am not anxious to play adapter roulette to find a physically compatible system.

If required: The Improved Racing Mocal block adapter has an internal t-stat. What are the options for cooler placement if not in front of the radiator?

Something I thought about ordering for the brakes: proportioning valve. I read somewhere that if the front of the car is dipping too much during hard braking then I could use better braking in the rear. I'm using DTC-30's in the front and HPS's in the rear and it does seem to dip more. Should I consider the valve and if so, recommendations?

More feedback from Improved Racing regarding the oil cooling and the high oil level:

---
The 3/8” NPT port would definitely be the restriction in your system, and having that restriction would result in a larger oil pressure drop. The ports on the pan are 12mm, or 0.47”. So -8AN or -10AN all around would be best. If you have 5 feet of -10AN line, for example, there would be a 0.5 PSI drop in your oil pressure through the lines. With 3/8” lines, the pressure drop would be 7.5 PSI. However if your lines are -10AN and you just have those two ports that are 3/8”, the pressure drop won’t be that significant.

As far as the oil level, you brought up a good point. It takes a lot longer to drain the oil with our baffle installed. You should let it drain for about 20 minutes, until oil stops dripping out. Otherwise, there will still be some oil trapped inside the baffle. Maybe this is what happened with your last oil change. You may have ended up with around 7 or more quarts in there. That said, it is a good idea to overfill the sump by as much as 1 quart when you’re tracking your car, however. Also, when you have too much oil, you will typically see some blue smoke coming out of your exhaust as that excess oil gets burned off. I never saw any smoke coming from your car at the Gainesville road course, so even though you may have overfilled the sump, it was probably okay.
---

So my thoughts at this point are that the baffle significantly slowed the oil draining process and nobody knew to allow more time to get all of it out. So I bet I have at least 7 quarts in the pan now. The owner was at the same event, as well as my friend Jeff(94TA). While I'm happy I wasn't spewing oil out the exhaust, shouldn't it have been doing so?

What does the dipstick read now?

Especially with the AC condenser in place, I don't recommend putting anything in front of the radiator. I've install oil coolers behind the radiator, in the flow off of a fan. The warm air off the fan will still cool oil. Keeping coolant cool is #1 priority, oil cooling is #2 priority.

What headers do you have now?

The Mocal block adapter does not look to be header friendly: http://www.improvedracing.com/images/aogtm...379af5aa6513cba

This is the Canton LS1 remote filter adapter, does this look like it would clear your header?

I haven't even checked the oil since the day after the race, I can either check it hot tonight or cold tomorrow morning. I have American Racing 1 3/4" headers. I don't look at the underside of my car very often so I don't recall what the clearance looks like. I'll try to take some photos soon, but maybe this interim photo of the 1 7/8" size on a local LS1 car is useful.

Does your car have any add on bodywork on the front of the car? If so you need to extend the air dam under the radiator down. It is blocking the flow of air under the car.

The factory air dam is too short to pick up air. Extend it down.

http://www.rksport.com/main/part_detail.as...d=1&catid=4

My car came with the factory appearance package, so it has a two-piece ground effect on the front bumper. If that RKSport air dam is taller than my OEM one, all it's going to do is get torn up over speed bumps. I just replaced my original air dam a few weeks ago with a nice used unit.

heh - you've been running with essentially zero forced air flow to the radiator. In street driving the fans can do most of the job, but you need direct airflow on track - I suggest that you remove the front ground effect for your next track day. If everything else in the cooling system is operating to OEM specs then it will provide a baseline for oil and water temps.

FYI, instead of getting ripped off from rksport or a chevy dealer, you can order a 10' roll (they have longer rolls also) of black plastic from Speedway Motors for around $20 and have plenty of material for spare air dams. Then you can make them any length you want.

Alan - So you're saying that although the air dam was installed since the day I bought it new, the air dam wasn't forcing air into the radiator because of the ground effects (installed by GM at the factory)? Or it wasn't forcing air into the radiator because I later removed the baffles?

If I recall correctly, the OEM front ground effects use rivets and hangers to attach to the bumper. Having removed most of one on a autox cone and the other original manually to make it match, I can say they don't come off very easily, and don't re-attach very easily. When I was in a later accident I had new ones installed. And the car looks like complete crap with part of the ground effects package missing. I won't choose to remove the ground effects again unless it becomes a dedicated race car - but I would be interested in replacing the front ground effects with something like a hard rubber vertical piece so when it scrapes it won't change color. It would need to look decent on a street car and also have the desired functionality.

In this photo you can clearly see the air dam below the ground effects :


Photobucket is causing me grief getting a couple photos up, but here's one from the front showing the air dam is not blocked:

Thanks for the pic, Jim. I've been getting little bits and pieces of info regarding your problem, and the pic really clears things up. The ground affects are OK - I've not seen this setup. The old RK stuff dropped the nose low enough to block airflow to the radiator intake, but this one doesn't block that area - leave it on.

When you said this I took it to mean the deflector had not been on the car for the last 10 years. It's on there in the pic, so good. Was it in place at your track session that started this thread? I believe you said that the rest of the shrouding was not in place, but now is.

At this point, if the entire cooling system is back to OEM specs, I would try another track day, monitor oil and coolant temps, and see where you are at. If coolant is under 235 and oil under 290 with a good synthetic and you only do a few track days a year you don't need to spend a bunch of money on cooling.

If it's higher, or you'll be tracking it often, then the solution will get expensive given the need to retain A/C. There are a couple of companies that make a drop in radiator with integral oil cooler. BeCool and Ron Davis, at least. That, with a remote oil filter and thermostat and plumbing could run $1500 or more.

Yes the air deflector was on during the track session that started this thread. The lower baffle was completely missing, and the modified upper baffle was allowing air to come up from direct in front of the condenser to the air filter. The replacement baffles are completely unmodified.

I don't have any non-OEM gauges or monitoring equipment installed. I would like to run the equipment to monitor oil psi & temp, but it seems like doing everything at once, including the cooler, adapter, lines, fittings, etc, would prevent me from having to re-arrange things later even if it's more up-front cost. How can I install a manual oil pressure & oil temp monitoring solution on the car as-is?

I'll check the C5 Z06 motor I have in the shop and see where they pick up the oil temp - won't be able to get back to you till Monday.

The OEM oil pressure gauge is probably adequate for checking for drops

In your OP you said you had a scan tool that would log highest coolant temp - do you still have that available?

I have a Windows software application which can reprogram the PCM calibration & scan/log the OBD2 stream for playback. The interface to the OBD2 port has a feature, which I've never used, to log without the laptop. Either way it won't be safe to review the real-time readings until after I park the car. But I could just monitor the OEM ECT gauge and if it gets close to 3/4 then slow down, etc.

Almost overheated yesterday. Added water and it seemed to be dripping from the driver side of the radiator. Dealer confirmed with a pressure test that the radiator is leaking. Right now I'm using distilled water & water wetter (although it's seriously diluted at this point). Should I use some radiator stop leak and then start shopping around for a LT1 radiator (that's better than the LS1, right?) Else it gets expensive for the aftermarket radiators... Ron Davis seems like >$800, LGM was over $1000, etc.

Don't use stop leak - that crap will clog up the block and everything else.

Park it and put a radiator in it, $160 ish.

I have a stock radiator that is used for say 40 bucks. ITs in a good box for shipping but don't know what that would cost. Check azone or 1800radiator. Or get a regular aluminim from a roundy shop or jegs and fab up some tabs to mount it.

Dennis at Ron Davis recommended a product called AlumaSeal, does that have the same concerns?

Some options I found:
Ron Davis unit 11-16CA0002 w/o any coolers from Ron Davis: $771
"" w/ oil cooler: $871
LG Motorsports (Howe Racing?) custom with oil cooler: $1125 + accessories ("3X the OEM volume")
Griffin 6-898AE-JXX $625
1998 LS1 radiator (GM PN 52471356), RockAuto, $345
pre-97 LT1 radiator (GM PN 52466004), GMParts Giant, $224
SLP 52466 $290
Repair current unit

Any recommendations?

Edit: Didn't see the prior two replies before posting. It's my daily driver, so while I don't mind buying the Ron Davis unit, he said it usually takes 2 weeks for it to arrive. I just don't want to risk overheating while I'm waiting for it.

The LS6 has a small casting bolted just above the oil filter - very similar location as the LT1 block. That port/bolt boss doesn't exist on the Fbod LS1 or the LS3.

The LS1/3 (Kens pictured here) has a port forward of the drv side motor mount - it has a round plug at the far left bottom of the pic. Is this port buried under your alternator?

My alternator is in the OEM location, so it'll at least be a challenge to use that port.

The water isn't leaking that quickly at this time. I'm making a point of carrying a couple of gallons of distilled water in the car and 1) checking the level before every time I start the car and 2) not driving too far. I'm leaning towards getting the Ron Davis unit with the built-in oil cooler. It'll have the provisions for the heater, water level sensor & -10AN oil fittings but takes ~2 weeks to build. Any concerns with water vs. air oil cooling? Since it's custom, would there be any benefit to effectively getting rid of the long water line behind the radiator by moving that fitting to the driver side? I'm not sure yet if this radiator is single- or dual-pass, but the fittings are in the OEM locations.

I'll probably buy a new level sensor, new heater lines and new water lines also. Any benefit to getting non-OEM water lines? I may just plug the oil cooler plugs until I replace my chipped oil pan, and do the oil cooler stuff the same time as the pan.

I put a radiator based oil cooler in my car (a custom Afco racing radiator) and I've had water temp issues. I was seeing 242 degrees at nashville with oil temps north of 300 degrees (coming from the pan...which was getting cooked by the cross over pipe on the exhaust). Anyway, your issues may be different than what I'm fighting with the 3rd gen, but I'm going to move to a stand alone air cooler for my oil to take the extra thermal load out of the coolant. That's my only concern with using an oil to water cooler (if you're not having cooling issues, they work great, but if you are, I'm not sure we want to dump all of that oil heat into the coolant).

This assumes that the oil cooler isn't going to cause other temp/airflow problems that cause radiator cooling issues.

Hmm, wouldn't I also have more to be concerned with if the seals ever leak and I mix oil & water?

Yes, there is a risk that a oil/water heat exchanger could leak and mix fluids. That potential exists in any OEM app that has an automatic trans cooler in the radiator - ie most passenger cars and trucks on the road. I accept that risk because of the huge advantage in efficiency of thermal capacity vs space required. Before I installed the Setrab tube cooler on Kens car I pumped the oil section up to 100psi and let it sit for a few days with no leakdown.

Assuming no manufacturing defects and proper installation (ie not overtightening connections), any mechanical disturbance of the oil cooler section internal to a radiator has likely already destroyed the radiator.

I haven't used a Ron Davis product, but I see that they are popular with the Vette race crowd. Their street car apps are expensive, moreso because of the extra tabs and fittings for the OEM mounts and plumbing and sender. A race radiator would require fab work to fit and plumb so at some price point you are money ahead with the plug & play.

I'll mention again that a trans cooler is not usable for an engine oil cooler - not enough flow capacity.

The 3rd gen needs both the bottom breather and the front breather inlets left open. It looks very much like a 4th gen but is enough different to need both. On Schotz' 3rd gen I blocked off the front breather openings with aluminum panels taped on to mimic the 4th gen layout, and Dave had to unblock them in his first shakedown with the car.

Also, the 3rd gen bumper covers get droopy with age, and the bottom is not well supported, can shroud the bottom breather inlet.

Distance/insulation at the crossover is essential on a race car - when I replaced the SLP shorties on my LT1 with Canton pan with long tubes my oil temp dropped 40deg under race conditions.

Putting an oil cooler in front of the radiator without solving the crossover issue may not net any improvement.

RD offers either a tranny or an oil cooler, but not both on the same unit.


Tell me about it!

I spoke with Anthony at LGM again, and he clarified the previous information given by someone else. They still have the SuperCool radiators in storage, @$795 with the built-in oil cooler. The block adapter & line kit is an additional $450. He seems to think it's no more risky than having a new vehicle which has the trans coolers in the radiator (like the new Vette's). He said that the oil pressure is almost always higher than the water pressure, so if there was a failure oil would be added to the coolant, unless maybe you were idling and then you'd have to see the oil pressure drop.

So they're less expensive for the actual radiator, in stock, and apparently the same units they used on their World Challenge Camaro's? Is there any reason not to go with the SuperCooler? Since I'll already be in the area, is there such a thing as an aftermarket condenser which would make the A/C work even better?

I found this old thread on Tech, isn't 140* too cool?
http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/road-racing/...l-radiator.html

I forgot to mention there seems to be a conflict in opinion on cooling solution between Dennis @ Ron Davis & Anthony @ LGM. When asked for the recommended coolant solution for their radiators, Dennis says it is OK to use green coolant, but said pure distilled water works better with a lubricant/anticorrosive additive. He said that although coolant raises the boiling point, that's not necessarily beneficial.

Anthony at LGM said race teams would prefer to use coolant on the track if they were allowed to do so because it works better, but they do not use coolant due to track rules. He said he's not had a problem with DexCool and it's fine to use.

I found a couple of thread which talk about the chemistry... but my lab partner got me through chemistry LOL
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem03/chem03987.htm
http://www.fordmuscleforums.com/all-ford-t...ter-better.html

How is raising the boiling point beneficial to a motor?

Is the LGM radiator plug and play with your OEM AC condenser and fans? I could get an AFCO radiator with integral oil cooler to your door for about $400, but it would require fab to install. With either the LGM or RD solution you are paying a premium up front to eliminate the fab work. This is probably a good value if it is truly plug n play, but if your car ends up in a fab shop anyway - not so much.

Will the block and line kit work with your headers and motor? That link is Pre-LS3 old, I'm pretty sure you need an adapter that comes off the filter pad. If that $450 includes the filter pad adapter and a remote filter mount and bracket that will fit your motor in your engine bay and the premade -AN10 lines that tie them all together with the cooler then that is a good deal. Caution tho - buying race parts for a street car can be a crap shoot - we don't know what EXACTLY is in your engine bay.

Yes, 140deg is too cool. Yes, controlling engine temps with a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator is a PITA, btdt. For a mostly track car, it works kinda, if you remember to pull the cardboard before your first session. For a mostly street car it would suck, so I recommend budgeting for an oil thermostat: add $200+ with hose ends http://www.racerpartswholesale.com/product...Oil_Thermostats

Also, esp if the radiator cooling system is operating well, you can use a higher temp coolant thermostat to warm the system up faster, and keep it warmer under lightly loaded conditions.

I think/hope that they all agree not to mix the yellow with green. I had a local customers car in that had a LS6 swapped into a LS1 WS6 - it had green coolant in it and a huge amount of brown sludge in the radiator and recirc tank and had been running hot. The orange and green, when mixed, combine to form a sludge that clogs the bottoms of the rad/tank and presumably the heater core and engine block. The sludge will inhibit thermal transfer.

All the coolant in a system is not at the temp that the gauge indicates - that is only one spot in the system. Other areas are hotter, others cooler. A boiling fluid loses most of its thermal transfer capacity, so if any part of the system starts boiling it will tend to raise the temp until more parts are boiling, and the resulting pressure rise pops the cap. The boiling point of a fluid is higher at higher pressure, so when the cap pops and lowers the system pressure, all of a sudden the whole mess starts boiling and you're parked.

So our goal is to prevent boiling from starting: the chemistry of coolant additives + water improves thermal transfer on a micro level, and the radiator pressure cap raises the boiling point of the entire system. Racing systems typically use a 20+ psi cap to operate the system at a higher pressure than a street car.

With a leak in the system, the pressure is lower, ergo the boiling point is lower, and you are operating closer to the point of thermal runaway.

Go to a GM dealer and buy the sealing tablets, you crush them up and pour them in, works pretty good.

Alan - LGM claims their radiator is completely plug'n'play with the other OEM parts with just some minor trimming of the upper radiator mount. It includes the heater & level fittings. I'm pretty sure Anthony said the $450 kit includes everything needed to attach the radiator to the oil pan. The radiator has 1/2" NPT fittings and they use -10AN on the adapter. I want to ask them if their kit includes an oil thermostat... if not, it might be less expensive to use the Improved Racing adapter earlier in the thread.

I've previously been told the outside dimensions/design of the LS1/LS6/LS3 shotblocks are the same, so if that's true I would just need to worry about making it fit with other items LGM can't see (headers, harnesses, etc.)

The guy who mentioned the 140* replied to me in a PM. I have the LS2 water pump & a 160* thermostat:

---
that was becuase at the time I was running the meziere electric H2O pump at the same time along with the SLP fan switch. If I put the fan on "hi" and the electric pump running like it was at a sustianed 3750rpm it would cool like it was no ones buisiness. the problem i ran into was that as soon as I ran sustained RPM over 3750 temp would climb way high because the pump couldnt keep up.

If you run a stock pump with the LG radiator, you will be golden. The pump will match cooling ability of the radiator. But when you cant move enough water at high RPM, it doesnt matter how much radiator you have. There in, lies the problem with electric pumps. Low RPM (street driving) they are great. You start really spinning the motor for more than 10 seconds, you got issues.

I did use their block adapter. It worked great on the LS6. I have zero experience with the LS3 motor so I cant comment on it.

When the car was still being street driven I used antifreeze with a little water wetter. When it went dedicated race car I was using distilled water
---

So I'm inferring that you recommend using a Dexcool/distilled water mix unless otherwise required on the track? While I have seen water temps in the 240's, it hasn't blown the cap. Maybe 5 years ago I blew a head gasket on the interstate and it all came out the overflow cap.

A couple more threads in the past from Mitch & Glenn:
http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/generation-i...-installed.html
http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/generation-i...experience.html

I have no preference green vs orange for a street car, as long as they don't get mixed. For race cars I use distilled water and Water Wetter. For HPDE you should be OK using antifreeze on track - OK with NASA, FWIW.

The LG radiator looks like it will work for you.

Is there room with your headers for the Mocal pan mounted thermostat? In the pic of the AR headers it looks like no.

If the Mocal piece does work, you don't need the $450 LGM kit - you just need 2 lengths of -10AN hose of the proper length and termination. A local race shop can make them up for you.

If the Mocal piece does not work, IMO your best choice is a remote filter and thermostat like the one I linked - pushing the oil filter lower with a filter pad adapter may make it the lowest point on the car, and vulnerable to damage. I like using a real, manly sized oil filter anyway.

I would run a 170deg thermostat, at least.

Mitch sent me links to some old photos of the LGM radiator install. It looks like at a minimum one needs to cut off the left and right sides of the upper radiator mount and re-use the bolt holes for brackets. Mitch indicated that at that time a thermostat wasn't included.








Since Improved Racing is local to me, I may ask the owner if he can meet me at a lift with one of the Mocal block adapters, and we can directly see if it'll fit without me having to buy and possibly return it. They don't have a shop nor do they install their products. I won't use a sandwich adapter and risk breaking off the filter.

I always felt that local shops didn't truly know what they were recommending with the 160* thermostat. The reasoning was always "get the coolant flowing through the radiator as soon as possible". Another shop, since out of business, recommended a higher temp closer to the OEM stat for fuel economy and burning any water residue out. Tuners don't seem to have a common theory on where to have each fan turn on/off either.

Hard to say if the Canton remote filter adapter works, the 90* rotation may offer the needed flexibility. Where are you placing the remote filter?

Looks like it fits fine with the AC condenser. You'll want to seal up all those gaps in the corners.

If you replace the heater hoses, prepare for a reaming, or skin grafting if you do it yourself. The last few I've done I just used heater hose from the pump to the firewall, zip tied up to a STB to keep it away from the header. The OEM metal sections are swaged to the rubber, and all of them are about to fail in the next few years. EVERY one of the LT1 cars I've seen has some leaks at those swages. The metal part under the shock tower can't be removed with the engine in place with out a sawzall.

Canton block adapter:



remote oil filter:

Cutting off the edges of the mount like that was a bit more than I thought I would have to do. I don't have the tools to make that look pretty like Mitch. Are the corners you're referring to the gaps between the mount and the upper corners of the radiator? If so, why?

I ordered OEM replacement heater hoses late last week not knowing how to replace them. Not happy about having to pull the motor to replace them.

How do you perform a proper oil change to get the oil out of a remote filter/cooler setup?