550 overheating issues blown out of proportion?

Most common problem is the hose under the intake.

 

In socal we get to 100*f inland but stay under 85*f by the coast. There is no generalized complaint of overheating issues around here. If you look at the number of Complaints vs. the size of the fleet at best it would seem the most complaints come from the hotest killer relentless hot spots. That makes sense. Diagnosis is so important on these issues. These cars are 15+ years old and really the only way to clean out a radiator/condensor/oil cooler from head on road debris is to remove them flush them and manually clean each fin. Has anyone ever done that? With out that cleaning you are just not getting all the airflow you can get. The cooling system efficiency starts there and then there are all the other parts water pump etc.. Then there are things that can effect the cooling system like engine function and integrity. A 500hp V12 is quite a heat pump. It could heat a 4000sq ft. house! Everything in the engine bay is subject to high heat and heat kills component lifetime. That goes for cooling hoses as well as electrical wiring. It appears that changing hoses as part of the 5 year major is all that is needed. Hoses taken off at the 5 year look like they have never been changed. SRI hoses are the best. Best does not come cheap. SRI has custom made no expense spared designed and american manufactured. Iirc they were a lifetime hose but don't quote me on that.

 

yes. I also do annual coolant and brake fluid changes/flushes even if using extended life coolant. I'm not a big fan of draining blocks. Access is rarely that good and the penalty for a drain plug coming back out is catastrophic and even with a block drain there is still coolant left in there just a whole lot less. It would take many radiator drain and fills to dilute out the entire cooling system volume. But if you change annually with a couple of drains and refills I feel pretty good about that. I bet there are some cars with minimal miles on 10 year old belts and 10 year old coolant. That is what is really nasty. A cooling system is pretty robust even with minimal attempts at maintenance.

 

My 550 overheated more and more gradually after time. The fans were going on and off so I thought they were working as they should. Both fan relays clicked and both fans ran. BUT The truth is that the fan relays are actuated by signals from a separate fan ECU (control module) which uses two regular temperature sensors to monitor the coolant temperatures. These sensors will be worn after some years, and give false signals and the engine overheats. By replacing these sensors (intake manifold must come off) the problem was solved. This should be done every fifth year in my opinion. The 550 temp needle goes up and down a lot when driving. About 70 deg C at cruising or high speed, and 90-110 while in heavy slow traffic. About 220 deg. Fahrenheit max. Mine went one time up to 125 deg. C but the engine made it without blowing the headgaskets (luckily!).

Buy one!

 

I don't think you can generalize to that degree. It also depends on driving conditions and ambient temperatures.

If Carl brought one of his non-overheating Cali 550's to Houston, and had to sit idling in our gridlocked traffic on a 105 degree day, with the A/C going full blast, he'd see some overheating, just as we do, and the converse is probably true too.

I took delivery of my 550 in November or December of 2010 and drove it without any overheating issues until early April when the ambient climbed up to the mid 80's. Then it became nearly undriveable until the weather cooled back down in the Fall. Out on the road, with plenty of airflow, it still did OK in high ambient temperatures, but as soon as traffic slowed to stop & go, the temp gauge would start climbing and not stop.

Your weather in FL is similar to ours, so don't be surprised if you do all the aforementioned work and your car still overheats in August when you're stuck in traffic.

 

I have Dave's steam vent line on my 550, but it didn't help. The only thing that worked for me was running a minimum amount of antifreeze, along with purified water and a well known corrosion inhibitor. This dropped my top tank temps about 10-15 degrees.

I have a new, upgraded 550 radiator waiting to be put in service as soon as I put my engine and car back together I got a little carried away with the major and wound up taking the engine completely apart.

 

What about the effect of heat on the fuse box? Have you come up with a solution?

 

Not a chance Here's what was done over a period of two summer seasons:

Radiator removed & professionally cleaned by a radiator shop, fins straightened and all debris removed from airflow.

System was flushed with an aggressive, but aluminum safe product from BG Products

Dave's steam vent line installed

New fans installed

New fan sensors installed

Water pump overhauled & belt replaced, and impeller upgraded to 575M impeller

Drive pulley for water pump changed from stock 550 (102mm) to 575M (93mm)

Thermostat replaced

All coolant hoses replaced

None of the above made any discernible difference until I changed the coolant from 50/50 to basically pure water and corrosion inhibitor, with just enough antifreeze to avoid our occasional dips to 25 degrees F. My garage is attached to the house, but it's not heated and I didn't want to take any chances.

Another FChatter, wbklink, had similar issues and similar results when he changed his coolant from 50/50 to pure water & corrosion inhibitor.

 

John- Now you need to try the new shroud.

 

You may have a more temperate climate in Florida than we do. Here, the heat is just plain brutal, especially out on the freeways where the concrete stays heat soaked for hours and the "cool" air being pulled into the radiator is already heated from the concrete, and the exhaust of the car in front of you. That, and the A/C condenser is dumping a considerable amount of heat directly into the airpath of the radiator, as it's trying to get rid of the heat from the car's interior.

 

Yep, along with the newly rebuilt heads, and bottom end of the motor. Wonder if it'll still want to overheat with all the changes?

One would think it would run more efficiently with some top compression rings that are actually sealing. Perhaps I'll see a little more power to the crank and less wasted heat into the coolant.

 

Or you could just get a 575M.

 

Go ahead Taz, rub it in Well, I guess it's a really good thing I enjoy working on this car instead of driving it......

Besides, I have too much of an emotional attachment to this 550 to do anything but keep it. Not to mention all the blood, sweat (and money) I've sacrificed to the Ferrari Gods.

 

Bite your tongue

 

Could not resist.

 

Taz's comment was pretty funny.
John we do owe you a huge Thank You for all your cooling research, know that doesn't pay the bills but it saves a bunch for many of us in efforts to cool down our cars.
Not having any problems with the 575 in this regard as its still a fair weather car. I do look forward to taking advantage of your new shroud and possibly the radiator once you've signed off on them. Florida weather in the summer is very much like Houston and I'd be a little more brave with that insurance during the summers.
Thanks again for all your efforts.
Bill
FL

 

Cheers Bill; it's been an interesting journey for sure. We'll see how the engine does with its rebuilt heads and lower end, and possibly new intake manifold with ITB's (oops, did I really say that? )