1978 308 GTS cooling tricks?

I would check/recheck all Foam surrounding the radiator. Foam is supposed to be stuffed along the sides and run completely along the top of the radiator (attached under the hood) to completely 'seal' any air gaps. Air flow should only be allowed THROUGH your radiator - if air can escape by going AROUND it, this defeats and greatly diminishes your radiator's ability to keep your car cool at low speeds.

 

FWIW, I installed an aftermarket fan which can be (and on my car is) directly wired off the battery (has it's own in-line fuse). It has a temp sensor you insert into the upper rad hose, and a small control box for which you can set the temp you want it to kick on at. As such the whole set-up bypasses the shaky electrical system, the problematic temp/fan thermo switch and blows a heck of a lot of air.

Of course it's no where near OEM, but that's just fine with me.

I also removed my A/C rad for more air flow which is probably not an option in TX =)

Also I've had good results w/ watter-wetter.

 

I just had my 60k done and my mechanic recommended adding water wetter. Don't know if it really works but he swears by it as a added measure to "help" prevent overheating. I'll bet if you search this site you will fine more on the topic.

 

One important piece of "back up" that every 308/328 owner should have in their car is a short 4" piece of 14 gauge wire with an insulated male spade terminal on each end. For some reason, on each trip I have organized driving from Seattle to Vancouver, BC each summer, at least one car has their thermo switch in the radiator crap out, or one of the fan motors fail. By disconnecting the two female spade terminals from the back of the thermo switch and adding my jumper wire, I have been able to get people back on the road, and keep them from impeding boil over. I still carry the jumper wire in my 355 "just in case" someone needs it....

 

Awesome idea, thanks!

 

I upgraded my fans to 12" hayden fans. I also installed an on/off switch under my dash so I could switch them on earlier than the thermo switch would also if I do have a thermo switch fail I can always bypass it with the switch. I have used water wetter in the past, did not notice much of a difference. I do have another bottle and will use it again, the lubricant is good for the water pump, but didn't notice it keep the temp down. I know that Redline recommends using WW with water only for the best cooling results, I did not do this I added it to 50/50. Since the fans being installed my temp has stayed just a hair below the 90 degree (celcius) mark (middle mark) on my gauge. The hottest temp I have driven the car is 105 and it ran cool the whole time even in traffic.

Terry

 

Replacing the foam is a good idea but don't expect any miracle cure when it's in. I have the same hot running issues from time to time and new foam didn't give it any real noticable improvement.

What you (everyone) should do:

Rod out the radiator
Upgrade the fans
180 fan switch
Replace foam
Replace Tstat (wait until you see how much one of those are)
Water Wetter
Bleed, bleed, bleed, bleed.

 

Dr Tommy is right on. The biggie is to "rod out" the radiator...that was done on my 328 and an amazing about of crap came out of the tubes. As described to me, they basically remove the radiator, cut off the bottom, and run a long brush up/down each of the cooling tubes to removed built up plaque and debris. Then they reweld the bottom back on and paint it. My service tech says this is a big problem with older mid engine Ferraris....the water pump is way in back, and the radiator is way in front...and with all those intervening years....stuff builds up in those tubes, just like your arteries...yuck! It reduces the efficiency of the radiator way down to where it becomes "marginal" in hot weather.

 

Bring extra jug of watter and spare hoses.

 

Yep, Birdman recently battled cooling problems and found his rad was clogged with rubber from bad hoses deteriorating!

I use Royal Purple Ice in lieu of water wetter....it does much the same thing....good stuff.

 

Huh...if you have 'plaque' in the coolant tubes of the radiator, would you also have buildup within the coolant journals of the engine block (if the car has 'sat' for long periods of time)???

 

Also, don't run a 50/50 mix of antifreeze. Water alone does a better job of heat transfer than the mixture, so I would reduce the mixture and add the Water Wetter. It works well here in Las Vegas.

 

Distilled water and water wetter works best for me. I drive my car in heavy 115 degree weather stuck in stop and go traffic more frequently than I like. It gets hot, but does not overheat.

 

Picked up a T-stat from Autozone 6 years ago...said it was for an '80 X/19...cost $6.95.... didn't think that was too bad. Basically $1/y and no problems??

 

308 cooling trick:
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EUGENIO had me put two cans of WATER WETTER in Rachel. If he told me to put a quart of Italian Vodka in there, I probably would have done it. Bottom line, picture the Hollywood Freeway, 4:00 PM traffic jam, 98 degrees, air on and moving inches at a time.-------------temp will not go over 195

Cheers, Hank

 

Someone on here added a fan to their oil cooler with a manual switch, if your car hasn't already got one.

 

Couple of suggestions. IMHO, Water Wetter works. I've used it in a variety of old cars, and I see a marked reduction in running temps with it in. Big issue is the condition of the radiator. If it has buildup, don't bother rodding it out. Replace the core. There are high efficiency cores available today that will substantially increase the cooling capacity of the radiator in the same space (more rows of tubing in the same space increases surface available for heat transfer = better cooling). Make sure your water pump is in good condition (i.e., that the impeller is not corroded), make sure your thermostat is working properly, and make sure you fan switch is working. Also, check your hoses, especially the ones underneath in the front which tend to be forgotten when people change hoses.

As for coolant, the hands down best is 50/50 anti-freeze/water, with a bottle of Water Wetter added for good measure. Water is a more effective heat transfer agent than anti-freeze, but it boils at 212F. You need the anti-freeze not only to protect the engine surfaces from corrosion, but also to raise the boiling point of the mixture. The pressure caps on the radiator only to so far at raising boiling point. You need the anti-freeze to help keep the coolant in liquid form. Water Wetter is a surficant. It breaks down the surface tension of the mixture so that you get better adhesion to the walls of the engine and the radiator as the coolant passes through, thereby increasing heat transfer capacity.

And, last thought, modern fans really do a better job moving air than the old ones. If you can swap out your fans for moderns, or add a couple of pushers, you'll see a difference. Also, installing a "back up" switch to be able to turn them on or override the thermo-switch is not a bad idea.

 

It seems like Water Wetter works for you guys, I tried using it in one of my BMW race cars a few years back and it didn't work for me. I ended up replacing the radiator with an aluminum one from Summit and I have no cooling issues now. I don't see how, but could tracking make a difference when using Water Wetter compared to street use?