First of all would like to say hi to everyone and say I have enjoyed the web site for some time now. I bought a 69 Camaro fom my nephew and he has spent the last year gettiing it in the shape I wanted. I drove it to California from Kansas last week and had a great time. However it is running a little warmer than I would like (350 engine, 350 tranny). I have been watching the guage get to about 210 around town.

My question is this. I have an external transmission cooler as well as the one that circulates through the radiator. They are connected together so the trans fluid runs through the radiator and then out to the external trans cooler. Would bypassing the radiator and only use the external transmission cooler help eliminate some heat buildup in the radiator? I can't help but think it will but am not sure if it would be enough to notice a drop in the coolant temperature.

Any thoughts?

I have done both...didnt make a scape of difference to the water temp.
Pull the radator, send to a radiator shop, have the tanks removed and cores cleaned.
This is as Std in NZ as rebuilding and engine and putting in a new water pump and oil pump, regardless of how new.

210° F around town isn't that bad for stop and go traffic. You could swap over to the big block cooling system which would not only increase your cooling capacity (longer, with more cores), but the fan and shroud would draw in more air in town to keep it right on the thermostat temperature.


Larger Dave

If its never been cleaned as mentioned, have it removed and cleaned up and use a 180 thermostat. My 350/th350 combo purrs along at the 180 mark on my guage and thermal gun shows me 180 +- as well except when I run the A/C then it bumps up to around 200 in town but on highway maybe 190. Yours should do the same if the system is clean and efficient, pump flowing right etc.
I do not have an external tranny cooler either.
:)

Thanks Guys,

Will take the radiator down and have it cleaned up. I appreciate your input! It makes sense since the car had been sitting for a while due to the restoration process.

Thanks again!

Stonekold69

Post back how it goes
I believe too often in these forums ppl say "running hot" "got to get a bigger aftermarket radiator, when all the problem is crap in the cores like broken/coroded wire support coil from the lower radiator hose.
The stock 1st gen radiators are over built...a mild engine on a good stock radiator and 160 thermostat will run a engine between 160 and 180 deg.
(dont use a 160 thermostat unless u have a very good reason.)

First of all would like to say hi to everyone and say I have enjoyed the web site for some time now. I bought a 69 Camaro fom my nephew and he has spent the last year gettiing it in the shape I wanted. I drove it to California from Kansas last week and had a great time. However it is running a little warmer than I would like (350 engine, 350 tranny). I have been watching the guage get to about 210 around town.

My question is this. I have an external transmission cooler as well as the one that circulates through the radiator. They are connected together so the trans fluid runs through the radiator and then out to the external trans cooler. Would bypassing the radiator and only use the external transmission cooler help eliminate some heat buildup in the radiator? I can't help but think it will but am not sure if it would be enough to notice a drop in the coolant temperature.

Any thoughts?

As you were thinking and others have stated .. no it wont bring the temp down .
think about this though ...as many have by/passed the t.o.c in the rad
its there for a reason ...fact heat disperses 45 times faster trough water then air ... the external cooler is there for a little additional cooling before the oil returns to the trans .. like a towing package on trucks from the factory .
the T.O.C .. (trans oil cooler) is there as a warmer also to bring up temps with the engine and avoid high cold presures on the trans .. ok enough said .
Don

Just a follow up post in my endeavors to fix my problem. I was going to take the radiator down and have it cleaned out, so I called the local radiator shop and he said he does not do that anymore but could sell me a new radiator for cheaper than cleaning it out. I thought that was a little far fetched but whatever..... Anyway after talking to him for a little bit he told me that he could not get me a radiator like I wanted and I would be better of going to Summit and ordering one there.

The radiator I had in the Camaro was a 3 row and the way it mounted in the car seemed kind of odd to me. The tank on the right side of the radiator as you face the vehicle was visible in the radiator support opening. It looked to me to be too small. Not being an expert on the design of the Camaros it may very well have been made that way. As anal as I am sometimes, I decided that I would not be happy unless I got a radiator installed that looked like it was supposed to fit in the opening provided. So I took the advice of my local radiator man and ordered a Griffin from Summit.

I installed it this weekend and went out to try it out. 100 plus degrees outside and I was giving it a pretty good workout and it barely got over 200. Before it would jump upwards toward the 230 mark if I drove it like that. Coming to work this a.m. it barely broke 180. True it was nice and cool but with the old radiator it would not have operated at that temp.

Going to be 102 today and I will drive it home in Sacramento rush hour traffic so it will be a good test of the new radiator. But from what I have seen so far I believe it will handle it well.

Thanks!!!!

Stonekold69