360 Overheating Issue - Heat Exchanger or something else?

I replaced mine (preventively) through the engine access panel. It’s filthy but doable. Most likely less time than taking the intake plenum off.


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Is it just me, or does there seem to be a few of these failures being posted of late?
Good luck to the OP, hopefully you've caught it early and before any damage done

 

I replaced mine preventative-ly a couple years back and posted the following thread...these things really should be a regular maintenance item IMO, they get super nasty.

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/want-nightmares-heres-a-look-inside-a-55k-mile-heat-exchanger.574936/

 

The cars are getting older and it's going to happen.

 

When ever I do a belt service on a 360, I remove the thermostat cover/thermostat and inspect the condition of the heat exchanger with a borescope camera. You have to drain the coolant and remove the coolant hoses for the belt service. It only adds another 15 minutes to inspect the heat exchanger, so I don't understand why other shops don't look at it during a belt service. I have saved a couple of owners the agony/expense of a heat exchanger leaking on them.

It must have started leaking after the belt service, or the technician surely would have seen the coolant in the transmission oil when he drained it.

Brian Brown
San Francisco Motorsports

 

What are the tell tail signs to look for on the heat exchanger core ? Or do you remove and pressure test ?

 

My understanding is the heat exchange fails due to corrosion. You could do a pressure test, it passes, but if corroded could still fail the next day or next week.
If it fails a pressure test meaning it is leaking then you should see oil in your coolant reservoir tank, and will see your gearcase oil look like a milky coffee when you drain it

 

Getting the gear box clean is the easy part. Getting the cooling system clean is another matter. Typically 3 or 4 flushes with cheap oil in the trans will do it I just run it on the hoist for a couple of minutes each flush.

 

Instead of flushing my coolant I just drove the car a little bit. When the system heated, the sludge would become loose and float to the top of the coolant resevoir, then I'd pump it out, take off the resevoir and spray it out, top it up, and drive some more. Mine failed before I got the car so there was a bit to get out. There is still a 2 foot circle in my yard where the grass doesn't grow from rinsing it out. It's probably not the fastest or most efficient way, but it was easy and got the job done.