cooloing

[97blkcobra]

my cobra seems to run hot at low rpm. if im stuck in traffic on a hot day the neddle moves closer to hot then normal. when i go back to normal traffic it cools off. i was told this is normal in cobra. i would like to add under drive pullies some day but i am concerened about overheating. thanks again

 

[scjmach1]

This was a problem with the 96 models in hot climates. Ford improved the cooling in 97 to correct this. I have never had any cooling problems with my 98 Cobra but I put in some Water Wetter and changed to synthetic oil at my first oil change.
I bought the car new and have run it at several open track events without any problems. My temp gage stays in the middle all the time even while running in open track events. I used to think the gage was stuck and couldn't go any higher. I do not have under drive pullies on my car.

 

[GR8WHITE]

I've got a 97 and it has the "Ford fix radiator". I still notice it runs hotter in traffic if I'm sitting. I have even put a cooler thermostat in. You could try a flush and fill of the radiator, leaning the antifreeze out just a bit. You could also do like I want to and buy a BETTER radiator. Let us know how it is going on this.

 

[SNK BITN]

I agree, your best bet is to get a good aftermarket radiator. Steeda, Griffin and Fluidyne make some nice, factory fit pieces.

 

[SFuller]

Originally posted by SNK BITN
I agree, your best bet is to get a good aftermarket radiator. Steeda, Griffin and Fluidyne make some nice, factory fit pieces.

A cheaper thing to try first would be a fan switch. Right now, your fan will only turn on if the coolant gets so warm, or if the AC is running (at least as far as I can remember). You can buy another foglight switch, and mount it where the convertible top switch normally fits in your center console (that little coin holder thing), and use it to turn the fan on manually. There was a write up on how to do this at Mustangworld.com IIRC.

Hope this helps

 

[Booyah]

Originally posted by SFuller


A cheaper thing to try first would be a fan switch. Right now, your fan will only turn on if the coolant gets so warm, or if the AC is running (at least as far as I can remember). You can buy another foglight switch, and mount it where the convertible top switch normally fits in your center console (that little coin holder thing), and use it to turn the fan on manually. There was a write up on how to do this at Mustangworld.com IIRC.

Hope this helps

Or you could just get a cooler thermostat and not have to worry about all that work.

 

[SVT X 2]

I don't believe *just* a cooler stat will do the trick.

I have a high-flow 180º in and it will still get pretty hot sitting on the blvd. on cruise nights. I did exactly what Steve did (matter of fact I think I got the idea from him!) and did the high-speed fan re-wire and used a factory fog-light toggle for the switch. It looks totally factory and it works like a charm! I flip it on whenever I want and for how long I want. It's cheap and easy. Of course if you really wanna drop 4-large on an aluminum rad., you could do that too.

 

[GR8WHITE]

Originally posted by Booyah


Or you could just get a cooler thermostat and not have to worry about all that work.

Boo you know you 98 guys got a better radiator. I did the 180 thermostat swap. It doesn't help much. Our fans cut on at like 210 if the A/C isn't on. So that is a big prob. I've seen the fgan switch sovle lots of cooling probs, I would just rather put in a better radiator since I road race my car. Kinda hard to run the fans during an event and not kill the battery Whichever way you get it cooler, good luck. Keep us posted.

 

[SVT X 2]

Racing

Oh for sure! If the car is road raced or drag raced constantly, then the new rad is a the way to go. Actually if you have a blower it should be common sense to have one added. For a daily commuter/weekend cruiser, the fan switch is usually enough.