Engine too cold for sniper??

[codfish]

Just finished Holley sniper install. Started first click of the key. Whew!!

Now, I can’t get the darn thing to run warm enough for the efi to do the self learn thing. I thought it had a 160 thermostat in there, as the engine would not go above 160, according to the sniper display. So i bought a 180*. Turns out it had a 195* in there. I put the 180* in anyhow, thinking the other may be bad. I’ll have to check it in boiling water.

Anyhow, it still runs right around 157-159*, and of course the Holley efi needs more than 160* to go into the learn mode.. Even with cardboard over the grill it barely hit 161. Saw it go into the learning mode a couple of times for a minute or so. And of course the temps here are hovering around freezing.

I guess a guy could put the cardboard directly on the front of the rad tomorrow and see what happens.

I need this truck now lol, not next summer.

Any other ideas??

Gary

 

[crazy4offroad]

Bad radiator cap?

 

[codfish]

Just put a new 16 lb one on this morning. The old one fell on the floor and exploded into 4 pieces lol.

 

[crazy4offroad]

What about your fan? Direct drive or clutch? If clutch is it locked up?

 

[codfish]

Clutch.

By locked up do you mean like a fixed fan? I don’t believe so. I can move it when it’s not running I’m pretty sure. I’ll have to check that out as well just in case something changed.

 

[crazy4offroad]

Only other thoughts would be a high-flow waterpump, or antifreeze types mixed. I even wondered if the crossover in the intake being blocked would help or hurt the issue.

 

[crazy4offroad]

If you think it is getting warm enough, there may be an air bubble at the temp sensor and it needs burped.

 

[Bextreme04]

Where do you have the sniper water temp sensor installed? Is it at the water neck or in the head? If it is in the water neck and reading lower like that, I would suggest moving it to the passenger side cylinder head(the drivers side should have the stock gauge sender).

 

[SquareRoot]

Sniper. Ouch

 

[codfish]

The sniper sensor is in the driver’s side head. Stock sender in the thermostat housing.

 

[Frankenchevy]

Are you just idling or driving around? My truck will take quite a long while to get to temp in the winter just idling.

 

[Radiohead]

Jeez, he's in Newfoundland FFS, I bet it's cold.

Put cardboard over the front of the radiator and try again. My money is on the cooling system working like gang busters and it's too cold out for this pu$$yfooted approach.

Make some heat!

 

[Grit dog]

Assume you’re not driving it and just trying to get up to temp in the driveway or shop? Which will be tough in cold weather.
Couple ideas.
Add a heat pad to the oil pan. You’re in Newfieland anyway so could make use of it in the future.
Remove the fan
Keep the 195 stat in it.
Hook the heater hoses together not thru the heater core.
And if all else fails take the radiator out of the equation. Dump the coolant, lose the cooling fan and hook the upper and lower rad hoses together and spoon feed the block full of coolant thru a heater hose.
I did the latter on a demo derby car once. So I could smash cars with the front end (no one expected it) without losing the radiator and coolant “water” lol. It worked but it ran HOT. (I ran the heater on high during the race to pull some heat off)

 

[codfish]

Ya I’m driving it. It’ll come up to temp in the garage, but cools down as soon as I start driving. I guess the cooling system is doing its job.

I’m gonna take the cardboard off the grill this morning and put it it directly on the rad.

And yes it’s cold ish here. 31 Fahrenheit give or take.

 

[bluex]

You can lower the temp setpoint for learn to enable. You could change it to 140 if you want.