Cooling Questions and Concerns

[SquareRoot]

Well here are all my temps on all the hoses at idle and warm. Again. Not overheating but I was told heater core hoses shouldn't be that hot.

Why wouldn't they be that hot? It should be the same temp as the rest of the system. Mine has a solenoid valve that blocks off the heater core completely unless I want heat inside. If piping hot means 200 degrees your worrying about nothing. Those temps are actually pretty cold, partly because your reading surface temp of a rubber hose not the temp inside the hose.

 

[Grit dog]

^Ditto
All signs are leading to no issues, but only you know what conditions you’ve operated the engine under and how it performed temperature wise.
And fortunately these vehicles have radiator caps that release pressure when things get too hot. If you have a good rad cap and it ain’t letting out the steam when your cobbing on a heat soaked engine or idling in traffic that’s another good indicator that everything is ok.

 

[85K304SPD]

The factory GM serpentine systems('88-90 ish) that I am currently using on my Big block and my small block require reverse rotation water pump, fan clutch, & fan blade. The reverse rotation water pump will not have the mount for the power steering pump that the standard rotation has, the blade will be with opposite pitch as well and will "suck" towards the engine. not blow away from engine.

 

[hogdaddy]

It looks to me like they used the whole GM serpentine kit like mine which comes with the correct water pump, ac compressor and power steering pump.
The kit includes all new bolts like you have.

I painted my WP black so it wouldn't rust.

 

[rich weyand]

Couple things.

- 350s usually run cold. Cooling them isn't an issue. The big blocks typically run hot, and it can be an issue. I closed off the bleed hole in the thermostat, which lets some coolant circulate all the time, and drilled a smaller one. Winter engine temps went up and mileage improved.

- I took the propeller off the front of the engine and put a single electric fan on the front of the radiator. It only turned on in the summer when sitting for a long light or in the bank drive-up lane. Even ten to fifteen mph moves enough air the fan wouldn't run while driving even on hot days. It wouldn't run in the winter at all. Again, winter engine temps went up and mileage improved.

- The round-eye SBs run water through the cab hot box all the time, so the heater hoses are always hot. (Not sure about the square-eye SBs.) This is uncomfortable in summer in the passenger seat - cooked feet - so I put a ball valve in one of the heater hoses and shut it off during warm weather.

 

[JBswth]

Well here are all my temps on all the hoses at idle and warm. Again. Not overheating but I was told heater core hoses shouldn't be that hot.

Your temps look fine to me. Overly hot heater hoses would be much more than 143 degrees. I don't think you have anything to worry about.

J. B.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Well here are all my temps on all the hoses at idle and warm. Again. Not overheating but I was told heater core hoses shouldn't be that hot.

They have to be hot to deliver heat to cabin, so they'll be just as hot as the radiator hoses