430 challenge over heating issue

Why head gaskets? Does car ever sit below 32F? You run water before this started? What happened since the last time the car run right?

 

Are you running non-standard front wheels? We had a similar problem on a client’s car and we eventually traced the cause to wider front wheels changing the airflow to the cooling system. Changed back to originals and the problem ceased.


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The heart of the cooling system is the water pump. Did you do any checks or tests to the pump?

 

Common issue, just replace the radiators.

 

do the internals of 430 radiators corrode out and plug up, especially challenge ones run with water and no glycol coolant additive packages?

 

I have no idea what that means. Reading problem. Every cooling system diagnosis starts with having a system with the ability to run well. That means radiators clean inside and out, assumed good water pump, assumed good Tstat, assumed proper system bleed and fill. Next is a pressure test. If loosing pressure why? Like head gasket leaks? What does a coolant test show...oil in water? Engine oil or tranny oil? doesn't the 430 have a tranny oil/water cooler? Maybe not head gaskets but the tranny oil cooler? If you changed the head gaskets you still have a problem. If you can hold pressure then the problem is Tstat, water pump, radiators. Tstat you can replace or test it. Water pump I have seen fins on impellers missing, pump cavitation, broken plastic impellers and shaft spinning. Radiators get plugged. Freezing can damage them as can internal corrosion especially on race cars running just water with no anti-corrosion additives. Race car radiators tend to be low mile and sit for long periods of time and can be worse inside than a high mile daily driver that's well maintained. And to Windsock's post "Common issue, just replace the radiators" ...sounds like these radiators aren't so robust. That's not surprising for Ferrari just like their tranny oil/water heat exchangers.

 

We support dozens of challlenge cars and the 430 and 360 cars suffer from internal radiator issues enough the we stock several sets.
This cooling system is a low volume but high speed coolant flow system and even a minor reduction in either radiator results in high temps.

 

We see very few issues with the oil water pumps with the exception of leaking from the weep holes and then we reseal them.