308 overheats while tuning in garage

I am a Ferrari Newby so bear with me, I bought a 308, I am installing EFI on it, and tuning it in the garage. Seems like it runs hot, but when the fans come on it does not cool off, the temp keeps climbing, like the fans were not even there. They seem like rather lame fans.

Given how big the fan motors are, the blades seem really hokey, they don't move much air. But the radiator seems quite large for such a small car. Should be enough radiator area.

Before I ran the engine, I did a through-put test of the radiator and the 3" hoses in-situ, with the garden hose, It did not seem restricted at all. So I think the radiator is fine, it looks fine, no hanging chads in the fins, no rust or leaks that I can see.

Is this typical for an original 308 ? The radiator does not leak, the hoses are all holding water OK, but still it gets really hot, the temp goes up to 220, per the computer, sitting in the garage. at 220 I get worried and shut it off.

Even though the stock fans are on, and running Still overheats.

I drive it around the block and still it does not cool off.

I see that some have added better fans, does this make a big difference ?

 

But, start here:
-Are the fans turning in the correct direction. Use smoke in front of the fans to verify that smoke is blown through the radiator. I've seen more than I can to admit that the fans were wired "backwards"
-Bleed the air from the system
-The fans should turn on before 190 dF. Verify with IR scan or gauge. If not, replace the thermo-switch

 

I have no idea of your specific application but your problem is indicative of a thermostat that does not open.

 

No this is not normal unless you are in a confined space. The fans should turn on and hold the temp at around 200* without any problems. Make sure the system is bled . You may need to see if the thermostat is working correctly. Also what is the oil temp reading. Keep an eye on that as it should track close to the water temp. Has the temp been OK before you started to install the FI.

 

Just a couple of thoughts:

First, as noted, it could be the thermostat not opening.

Second thought is a problem with the water pump. Is the belt in place and properly tensioned? If the belt is gone, it won't move any water. If the belt is there and the pump is turning, there could be a problem with the impeller.

The easier one to check is the thermostat. Remove the thermostat housing and test the thermostat in a pot of water on the stove. Suspend it off the bottom of a pot with a string, heat up the water, checking it with a thermometer, and see if the thermostat opens, and if so, at what temperature. Thermostats are cheap and easily replaced. Be sure to test your new one on the stove also to be sure it works properly.

The water pump is a bigger job. Obviously, if the belt is missing, you need to replace it. But if the thermostat is good, and everything else seems to be working, you may want to pull the water pump and make sure the impeller has not corroded away or been damaged somehow.

Let us know what you find.

 

All good advice......if you are new to 308s....be sure the correct thermostat is in it. It will overheat if you run without a thermostat!