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Hey Tom - overheating

5105 Views 18 Replies 13 Participants Last post by  Zenbiker
Hey Tom,

What was your heating overhaul you mentioned?

I have a 2000 BH and think it still gets too hot while in traffic
creeping along. It is the small block.

It will run around 200 - 210. Is this normal in hot weather?
Thinking about riding down to lower Florida this summer, wonder
if I will have problems if it gets that hot already.

I did put on the BB radiator that is thicker. Wondering if I need
a new fan and pump.
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
I went to the new radiator on my 99 and it dropped the temps about 20 degrees. Mine ran about the same as yours. The new rad and the old 502 rad is about 3/4" thicker than the old style. I picked mine up from Mountain Boss Hoss as it was a take off from a 502. I think I paid about 700.00 for the radiator and chrome fan. To me it was well worth the money.
I am running the older stock radiator on my 98 zz4. Temps are running up there and I have had no problem. The only time I felt concerned is in 108 degree temps driving out to Sturgis. Temp guage would hold at 210 as long as I held at 70 - 75 mph.
Glenn
Called and talked to Levi today and ordered a new chrome fan
and pump. Not sure it will be better, but I will feel better knowing
I have the latest and greatest. Will let you know how it works out.
I don't understand all the overheating problems with the 350ZZ4

My 2002 had the 160-on and 150-off thermostat on the fan....At Sturgis in 2002 with outside temps of 100+ my bike never, ever ran above 190 even idling for 15 minutes at a time....at home in 85-90 degree temps in town I run around 160-170 max....Do I just have a good one?
zz4 temps

Barry,

I have a 98 ZZ4 and my temps have never even seen the high side of 200. I haven't rode in 105 degree temps in Sturgis, but I have ridden in 95 degree temps through traffic and I am the weight of two men. Still never overheated. I have wondered if mine is just a "good one" also. After reading about so many running temps around 220 and such. I guess that we should be thankful for our good fortune.


Hoss
Re: zz4 temps

hossman said:
Barry,

I have a 98 ZZ4 and my temps have never even seen the high side of 200. I haven't rode in 105 degree temps in Sturgis, but I have ridden in 95 degree temps through traffic and I am the weight of two men. Still never overheated. I have wondered if mine is just a "good one" also. After reading about so many running temps around 220 and such. I guess that we should be thankful for our good fortune.


Hoss
Four of us were doing main street in Daytona last year, three of the bikes were 502's and one of them was a trike and the other one was me with the 350 and the stock (small) radiator. One 502 was running 180, another 502 was running 195 and the 502 trike and my bike was running 210/220 :( You would think all the 502's would run the same temps seeing they had the same radiator and air flow. Like you said, some bikes just run cooler than others.

I don't think running 210/220 is a real problem and some folks say that is where they should run all the time. I like mine to run around 165/180 and no higher. That's just me.
I am also the weight of 2 men : a 100 lb weakling and an 80 lb midget!!
I was at the Memorial Day Blowout in Gulfport Mississippi last year
and the temp was in the high 90's. The bikes coming is was just
creeping in and stop/go traffic. My bike got up to 210+ range and was
hard to keep running (idleing) and actually died a couple of times, then
little hard to re-start. I think it was vapor locking due to the amount
of heat coming off the engine and under the tank. Pulled over
and drank a few cold ones and let it cool off. It was disappointing
and of course everyone was watching...
Could the timing cause the temp to escalate? What is the proper
timing or best timing for a stock zz4? I think it is around 12 degrees
with out the vacuum advance hooked up, but I will have to recheck.
I know they do a conversion on the 502's that adds a crossover
hose (or pipe) on the back of the manifold to eliminate a dead area
for the water to accumlate on the back cylinders. Could this be done
on the small block?

Thanks,
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overheating

hey guys,
i have spent a huge amount of time and $ solving my overheating problems. i finally was covinced by some pretty smart guys in the buisness that you can only get so much **** in a 5 lb sack. meaning since i built my karger radiatorand now am moving 3800 pluss cfm across the coils of that new radiator cooling is not a problem anymore. and i dont have the cooling loop on my 572. im sorry to say that the myths bout drilling the head gaskets,16 inch fan, etc etc. just wont get the job done. if i knew how, i would post a pic. this deal works although it's not an easy thing to do, but in traffic i will not be roasting my motor or my ass.

tom :
Re: overheating

tgbreedlove said:
hey guys,
i have spent a huge amount of time and $ solving my overheating problems. i finally was covinced by some pretty smart guys in the buisness that you can only get so much **** in a 5 lb sack. meaning since i built my karger radiatorand now am moving 3800 pluss cfm across the coils of that new radiator cooling is not a problem anymore. and i dont have the cooling loop on my 572. im sorry to say that the myths bout drilling the head gaskets,16 inch fan, etc etc. just wont get the job done. if i knew how, i would post a pic. this deal works although it's not an easy thing to do, but in traffic i will not be roasting my motor or my ass.

tom :
Tom

If you want send the pictures to me in e-mail and I will either post them for you OR will send you the URL so you can post them yourself. In the e-mail "subject line" just write TGBREEDLOVE PICS

Don
cooling

yeah Ive started doing the"Big Block" style pulbing upgrade on the warmer runnig bikes single speed clutch bike and added engine oil coolers. This sunday will be the first long ride I take and it has been snowing every other day. Even with various other mechanical upgrades, cam, roller rockers,roller lifters, and a port polish, it has not even hit 180 yet. will advise after sundy. I gotta go deliver a bike to a Sumo wrestler in Tokyo on a TV show. *%'ckin tough job, riding around Japan on V8 bikes for TV shows and Sumo wrestlers. HA Ha.
Paul Japan
I've been kinda quiet lately trying to do more riding and wrenching than computering but...I'm going to sound off on this subject.

I'm involved in a "project" with a few guys and at their request, we weren't going to go public with our results until they've been thoroughly tested. It centers around cooling and the bigblock and there are a few things I can tell you without betraying my promise of confidentiality with the other participants. It was also not my idea and don't feel I should be the one to publish the results unless asked. Here's what I can tell you.

You can buy what I consider the best alternative radiator direct from the mfg. who's making them for BH. Boss Hoss, Inc. is putting a new and different radiator on the '04 bigblocks and it is definitely an improvement. Unlike another available, it DOES NOT require modification to install and is exactly the same height. Slightly wider and significantly better cooling capacity. Cost is appx. $600 which also is less money than most alternatives. The mfg. will have to modify the filler area to clear the crash bars on pre '04 bikes which is included for the same money.

Check your fan as the blade assembly will definitely wear. I replaced mine with a black 14" available at most auto parts stores for $60. Tired of the damn chrome coming off every time you pressure wash the chrome model it and the chrome paints do the same. The black looks pretty good and no more wear worries.

The remark about a head gasket mod being a "myth" is incorrect. I can tell you firsthand it is highly effective and the science is sound. Not going to say any more on this one. It won't be practical for most as it is an extremely labor intensive job. My gaskets have been modified and replaced and it does indeed make a real difference especially under way.

In conclusion, there is a relatively inexpensive, highly effective way to lower your operating temps available to you. Anyone is welcome to email me direct for further discussion about this.

Elliot
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Has anyone tried using (wet water ) or (40 below ) as addatives for the cooling system and if so what was the result.
Bill
I am going to Kansas to pick up my bike tomorrow and will try the addative on the road . I got the info from a motorhead site and am very interested to find out if it works .
Bill
Bill,

Have a safe trip to Kansas and back...look forward to hearing how the ride back was...all 3 guys that have bought new bikes from me are thrilled to death about their bikes and now rate thier Harleys as a 1 on a scale of 1-10...got to love it...later
Tic- Toc switch

How about this tic-toc switch for overheating, has anyone tried it?
http://www.shogunindustries.com/cgi-loc ... m=TT020593
Ray
I am in the DFW area and had a 502 until I bent the rod but I have been using the "Purple Ice" from Royal Purple and it took 10 degrees off of mine. I pulled into the drivewayand the outside temp was about 90 and I added the bottle and drove up the same streach of road and lost 10 degrees! I then added a couple of bottles to my Duramax and to my wifes RX300! Curtis at Texas Boss Hoss keeps it there for the Texas riders.
Not sure I understand what the big deal is with 210 temps. The same engine in a car runs at this temp all the time. If you make sure your fuel lines are not laying on the intake manifold you shouldn't vapor lock. I have a 383 ci small block stroker with a stock 2000 small block radiator and have been in 107 temps and 210 degrees water temp with no problem whatsoever but my fuel lines are held above the manifold.
Joe
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