New Radiator but still running hot

Check your gauge, mine climbs to 225 I tap the gauge and it goes back to 190 instantly.



Wade

 

Try opening the bleed valve on top of the radiator once you get it hot. Probably some excess air in the system.

 

I'd definitely try bleeding the air out of the system before doing anything else. Birdman has an excellent tutorial on how to do this:

http://www.birdmanferrari.com/service/coolant/coolant_bleed.htm

 

i would be replacing the thermostate the 308 has a funny 2 stage system......... ......this is a habit i have every couple of weeks.....with engine cold remove rad cap remove bleed screw (put a rag under b/screw) top of radiator get rid of the air

 

redo under the hood where spare is to improve air flo ,the tub for the spare is jammed up against at least 40% of the back of the radiator i have been wondering what that would do for a while on the 308

 

You could do that "stove top thermostat feeler guage" test where you have the t-stat suspended by a feeler guage in a pan of water. The feeler guage handle is heavy so it goes on the outside, and one feeler suspends the t-stat in the pan. Once the water boils, the t-stat pops and drops completely in the pan. If it doesn't do this, you have a bad t-stat.

 

+1 for the bleed. I had my radiator rebuilt a couple weeks ago, drive it every day; and I'm still burping it when I get home each day.

 

Your fans may be working, but perhaps not at original spec. In other words, as the fans age they don't operate as originally - the bushes for example might be at the end of their life or the the bearings causing drag.

I just rebuilt my two (Lucas) radiator fans with new bushes and slightly heavier wiring and they run much, much better - probably pushing 2X the air they were before. These fans are the same as what's in a Pantera or later e-type jag.

 

I had a new T stat for another car, that went TU in less than 18 months.

It always ran a bit on the hot side, then it started getting hotter, suddenly.

I changed it and temp is normal now. Sometimes they are defective out of the box.

Ferrari T stats are no different than any other, and are made by someone else and put in a yellow box.

But, if your car is getting hotter at highway speed, you have either an air or water flow (water pump, T stat, hose clog) restriction, or possibly as others mentioned, air in the radiator, but my experience with air in the radiator is coolant puking out the over flow tank at idle or shut off.

Doug

 

heh, mine does this too. I feel like a fighter pilot tapping the altimeter...

 

225 is too high, especially with a recored radiator. Something is up. Either the thing isn't bled or the thermostat is bad. More info: is this in traffic stop and go, or will it get this high while you are driving?

 

Barcheta, It sure did fine a couple of weeks ago for a long period of heat and high speed. It showed no signs of trouble then. Funny as it sounds, it couldn't hurt to try tapping on the guage next time.

 

* +1, I'd go with the OEM stat and bleed after every drive. Shouldn't run that hot, make sure radiator is sealed on the top and sides too.
When you bleed the radiator, be sure to have the heater levers in the hot position, air gets trapped in the heater core and must be removed.

 

Only one thing.
Maybe some air is trapped on the tubes going to the interior heating system. Open the levers of the heating radiator and after bleed again. See what says about that the Ferrari Owners Manual:

"NOTE:
When bleeding the system , it is necessary to keep the heating radiator valves open".

Only my 2 cents. -euro-

 

If the system is working properly you do not need Hayden fans

 

This is very interesting. I just finished doing my radiator yestarday and started the task of "Drive a little, bleed a little". I will open the heaters and do it some more!

Good call guys!