Unique-ish Cooling Issue on my GTP?

[WarStryker13]

ratchet strap works too, so you don't have to hold the prybar and try to thread a hole...

I tend to do things the hard way, my apologies. lol

[Scottydoggs]

socket and a 3 inch extension to a ratchet works like a charm.

the plug blocked by the o2 sensor, slide the socket on the plug, then you can get 1/2 the tip of the extension in the socket and crack it free. or use a open end wrench on the spark plug socket you should be using.

un bolt the dog bones from the engine, pass side coil bracket has two holes in it, put the bolt in the dog bone pull the engine forward and put the bolt in the other hole in the bracket, this gives you 2 inches of room.

[sambroom]

thanks for the strap idea. My biggest issue was being able to turn the tester hose to thread it in. I wised up and made a duct tape 'handle' at the top of the hose to give myself more turning power. So I got all the numbers now:

1: 120 dry, 135 wet
2: 145 dry
3: 125 dry
4: 120 dry, 145 wet
5: 130 dry
6: 145 dry

so per head I have:

front 120, 125, 130
back 145, 120, 145

I retested the two lowest cylinders wet as well to help determine if piston rings might be more to blame... Maybe?

the biggest margine is about 17% on the back head.

Is this a cause for concern for the heads?

and the big question: Am I going to want the build this one?

I didn't get around to the water pump yet (pending my decision on whether or not to sell), and the LIM has the black stock gaskets, though I didn't see any puddles around the LIM bolts. A bit of grime, but not puddles.

[Fivefingerdeathpunch]

Compression seems alright, is it perfect no but it's not going be a huge cause for concern in my eyes.

People throw down 300+ whp in 200K mile blocks they snag from the junkyards. If it's got a solid bottom end and the pistons ain't chipped it's a good running engine to me.

[sambroom]

Compression seems alright, is it perfect no but it's not going be a huge cause for concern in my eyes.

People throw down 300+ whp in 200K mile blocks they snag from the junkyards. If it's got a solid bottom end and the pistons ain't chipped it's a good running engine to me.

I hope the bottom end is solid enough, though piston rings seem like they might be an issue on at least cyl 4, since the wet test compression was so much higher.

Also, when I went for a shakedown drive after replacing the plugs last night, I found another top-engine noise that didn't go away after warmed up. Coming from the injector area for sure, but seems loud for injectors. Maybe I never noticed it before because you cant really hear it with the hood shut. Here is a link to the sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u6gBWBFc1Y

[Scottydoggs]

it kinda sounds like every other 3800 lol they all tick and makes sounds that would make you concerned.

[Scottydoggs]

mines got some ticking going on, i got roller rockers and new ish springs, and 42 lb injectors and had just had them all in my hands and reinstalled on this new engine. its all pretty normal sounding to me at this point lol

[idrivejunk]

Wow, that ticks more than a Pontiac V8, Scotty!

[Scottydoggs]

i dont even notice it no more. i pop the hood and fire it up and people are like its so quiet, then if they see the headers they are like are those HEADERS? its so quiet lol

roller rockers are tick monsters for sure. the 42's might tick louder then stock too.

[idrivejunk]

It sure sounded zippy when you blipped it.

[Scottydoggs]

i think that was the 3.0 pulley over winter time, ic was just installed. you need to play a little bit right, sc takes on all sorts of sucking and whining sounds with the little pulleys.

[sambroom]

Geez, I just looked over your mods. She get up and go Scotty?

[Scottydoggs]

some what lol its way better feeling then stock of course, my best track pass was a 14.3, so ive lowered the shift points hoping it gets me into the hi 13's. thinking the wasted extra rpms are slowing it down. i only need to find 1/2 a second. that run ws in 90 degree heat, if i can get a cooler day i can turn up the timing.

i did spank a charger r/t on that 14.3 run lol

[sambroom]

Nice! Bet that late-model Charger owner loved getting beat by a 98 Regal.

[Scottydoggs]

thats my running joke, how his friends will never let that loss go, wtf was that thing anyways?

[sambroom]

Update on this initial issue:

I pulled the water pump and it looked fine. No leaking and the blades looked good. No obviouse wear. It wasn't noisy before, so I bet the bearings are ok. I reinstalled it. While I had it out, I sprayed high-ish pressure water into the hoses that go to the heating coils. It pushed plenty of coolant out, but no gunk. I put everything back together, filled and bled (and bled warm multiple times). Then I did my stress test by running the engine at 3,000 RPM in park for a few minutes. Same thing happened, gauge climbed and climbed, fans kicked on around the 210 mark, but the needle kept rising with no sign of slowing down. The purpose of the test is to simulate long slow hill climbing, which there is a lot of here in Utah. I'd say the cooling system is still failing the test. Should I just not expect to be able to hit mountain roads in this car?

The last thing I can think of that could be causing the cooling issue would be grime/blockage from the LIM gaskets. Does that sound about right? I figure I will do the LIM gaskets soon, at the same time I do the rocker arms, lifters and valve cover gaskets. When I do it, is there any reason I shouldn't try cleaning out all the coolant ports with high-pressure water and compressed air (after blocking off the intakes of course)?

[sambroom]

I'm still trying to figure out if my cooling condition is normal or not. I got the torque app and bluetooth. I have been watching my actual temps for the last two days. Under normal driving conditions (85 degrees outside, on flat surfaces without heavy traffic), my temps sit at 212-215 degrees. Parked at 85 degrees, same thing. In heavier traffic at 85 degrees outside, the coolant temp rose and fluctuated between 220 and 230. I drove one long hill for the sake of testing, and I ended up turning around when the app read 238 degrees, with no signs of leveling off. However, driving to work this morning (a 40 minute drive) it was about 57 degrees outside, and the coolant temp never went above 180. I have a 180 T-stat in there... So I'm wondering, do these actual temps seem normal? Or is it simply running too hot?

[Scottydoggs]

that is to hot. 215 ish to 220 is somewhat normal with the stock fan settings. past that id think somethings up.

make sure both your fans come on with the a/c on. if one is off you might have a bad relay or a bad fan. temp sensor can also mess up the fans. but that usually disables the fans from working 100%.

[stocker]

Just a random idea. You could check the condition of your radiator. We once had a crown vic that had a radiator clogged with dirt and dust that couldn't provide enough cooling.

Also, I heard there are coolant system cleaners you can use to clear out gunk in your system. I suppose you could have some blockage that won't budge with just a system flush with a hose. Could be worth a shot.

Also, why are you running a 180*? I've read on here numerous times that doesn't help anything unless you have mods and a tune to account for that.

[Scottydoggs]

180 t stat is no help especially with the stock fan settings.

i got my fans tuned to 180 and still run a 195 t stat, i run 195- 210 ish but it holds there, that traffic hot.

rad cleaning, spray it and the a/c condenser core with de greaser, then hose it out form the fan side out. if its clogged up with dirt and leaves and bugs you'l see the crap coming out.