Cooling

Performance Olds 307

This page is under constrution. You are welcome to check it out while I work on it though.

Your Cooling system is important, If you have any leaks, bad water pumps or dirty radiators you should fix that first. I have seen radiators look pretty good inside but the car would keep overheating even though the whole system seems fine but as soon as a new radiator is put into the car it runs a whole lot cooler and you can also feel more heat coming from the air the fan is pushing though the radiator when the hood is open so if you cant figure why its overheating then why not try a new radiator if all else checks out ok what other choice do you have. Please use a thermostat, not using one makes the engine take too long to warm up and them on hot days it will get too hot because the water runs so fast through the radiator that is does not get enough time to cool. If you dont use the green stuff (Coolent) in your water then you will wear your water pump out and cause a leak and even a bad bushing at the water pump because the coolent has lube in it to lube the water pumps seal and bushing. Test shows that water cools better the coolent so if you live or drive in a warm area then using a 25% coolent to 75% water is better than 50/50. If you get a radiator or water pump leak or some other mild water leak that has a small stream of water squirting out you can pour about 2 or 3 table spoons of pepper into the radiator and this will seal the leak for about 3 weeks or so just intill you have time to fix the real problem.

Thermostats, There are a few different thermostats that will fit into your Olds 307. Your 307 came stock with a 195 degree thermostat and is perfect for everyday conditions but you can use a 180 or 190 if you want a little room for error although I have found that 307s run the best when the water temp is between 190 to 200 so using a cold thormostat will not gain any power and not using one at all will allow the water to flow through the radiater so fast that it doe'nt have enough time to really cool down any so you should always use a thermostat. A 160 temp thermostat is too cold for a engine running on a ECM. If using a 160 the engine will have a lack of responce and may even bog off the line on WOT. With our steel heads it is best to get the chambers heated to aid the firing, a hotter head has the same effect as advancing your ignition timing but on the flip side a colder head has the same effect as retarding your ignition timing and the engine will run like it so. I use a 180 and I find it works great here in Florida but I can tell you that my car is always faster and more responsive after the first WOT run I guess due to the heat build up on the heads, this letting me know that the 180 is just a little too cold but not bad, In the winter I like to use a 195 becuase the 180 makes my engine run like its staying cold for too long or should I say it takes too long to fully warm up. I have learned that Olds engines hate being cold and they hate being hot but in the middle is the perfect spot, anywhere in the 180 to 195 is what I suggest. Also to get the thermostat housing to seal on first try you should use some RTV sealent on both sides of the gaskit but not too much because it can get pinched into you thermostat.

Electronic Cooling Fans Can Add Power And Save Gas!

By yanking out your belt driven fan and replacing it with an electronic fan the engine will be more free to spin easier, this puts more power to your wheels and saves gas all at the same time, its one of my favorite modifications because it kills two birds with one stone. After doing this modification to your 307 you will first notice a crisper responce from idle then you will notice that the engine revs out faster and it feels free, also the car will accelerate faster with less amounts of peddle thus saving gas. You can go out and buy a electronic fan from an auto parts store with coolent sensors to turn it on once the engine reaches running temp, wire it up and live happy and thats all good but as for me I wanted to do all this with less cash so I choose the junk I mean salvage yard. If you shop at the junk yard look for a electronic fan from a buick or olds FWD V6 from 91 to 95 (there are other GMs that will work too but im not sure which ones) On these fans you will see two light brown blocks mounted onto the fans frame, these are resisters that slow down the fans speed, I separate the two resisters and use only one so that the fan spins slightly slower and is less of a draw on your electrical system, then I use a relay switch connected to the A/C compressure clutch wires that is set up to bypass the fans resister when I turn on the A/C so that the fan will then spin at its full speed so the car will stay cool enough. I tap into the white wire that powers the wiper motor under the hood for powering the electronic fan, its a good place to power the fan because the white wire only receives power then the cars key is on run but will not receive power when you are cranking the car so that your car will receive full cranking power without the fan drawing from it, Click on the link > < to see a picture of the wire to help locate it. If you deside to buy a new fan then follow its directions but if you deside to do it the way I did then and I will provide all the information you need and answer any of your questions. Good luck!

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