engine heating issue

  • OK, absolutely nothing to do with the SlingShot, just a curious happening that I would share. Justina got her 1972 Chevy C-10 pickup 10 years or so ago and it has always had the issue when first started and ran, the engine temperature would climb to around 220 degrees, suddenly drop to around 160 degrees and then fluctuate up and down a few more times until ultimately settling in steady. Well, I say steady, but going down the road it would continue now and then to fluctuating. I replaced the thermostat a couple of times which made no difference. Now, the truck came with an aftermarket, one size fits all, aluminum two row radiator, why is this significant? Because it started leaking like a sieve so I replaced it with a "stock designed" three row radiator and guess what, the engine now gets up to temperature and holds there, just like it supposed to, no fluctuating.


    What-cha-all think?


    Bill

  • Yeah, that aftermarket radiator probably had some trash in it blocking flow or would move around. Sounds like you fixed the issue with the replacement.

    My thoughts were leading me to possible bad thermostat(s), or trapped air some place in the system, though I suppose that debris in the radiator could have been causing this intermittent problem but I am having kind of a hard time imagining it? :/


    Bill