LUVTruck.com

I took my truck for a drive this evening to make sure that everything works correctly because it's getting a state inspection tomorrow.
Everything works great and it runs like a rocket. Took a drive out on the Hwy for a bit and the motor never got above 185 degrees (weather temp was 90 degrees @ 9 P.M.)
But as i cruised back thru town, the engine temp climbed at an alarming rate. By the time i got back to the driveway, it was above 200 and still climbing. I unlatched the hood left the forward hood pins on and i lifted the hood about 3". I let go of the hood because it was too hot to hold on to. I grabbed a rag and wadded it up and used it to hold the hood up a little.
I couldn't believe the heat that was coming out from the engine bay! At this point i got the water hose and started hosing down the radiator. This pulled the engine temp down enough where i could safely shut the motor off.
The fan works correctly because it was shoving a ton of hot air thru the back of the hood gap and the coolant level is up. The water pump works because water over the radiator would have been useless. It cooled down in 2 min. During the winter months, cruising thru town after a Hwy drive, the temp would drop down to 160 degrees and then slowly climb to 180.
So the new project is "Under hood temp mods".
Im going to figure out some kind of way to allow heat to escape the engine bay. I'll post some info if i run across a slick way of dealing with it.

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Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

one thing i've seen people do is get some winsheild washer sprayers and a tank with pump. and mount the sprayers in front of your radiator. that way if it starts getting hot you can just flip a switch and spray water on your radiator. mostly i see it used on tow rigs and rvs. just an idea. good luck

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1980 luv 1.8 finally running!!!...... and then like a moron i sold it
got another one!!! 1980 mikado. v8 swap here we come... nope divorce and cross country move happened.
got another one!!! 1980 4x4 mikado sport. rusty beater for now...

I am going to louver my hood

Austin

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1975 Chevy LUV Rockabilly Stepside:
Satin Black, V-8 Traditionally Named "Dean"

I'm thinking along the lines of a cowl induction hood. But before i shell out the cash for one, I'm going to experiment a bit. Plus the original radiator support had a metal panel across the hood hinge brackets. This keeps air from flowing over the radiator on the Hwy and i think it's possible that hot air is circulating from the engine compartment to the front of the radiator.

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Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

I recall a few people mentioning temps where down a lot after taking out the rubber strip that goes across the back edge of the hood. The screws that hold the cowl on also hold that rubber strip on. It gives a little space for hot air to get out from under the hood. Every little bit helps.

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95 Isuzu Trooper Daily Driver
86 Isuzu Trooper reliable backup
77 LUV 2wd stock beltway blaster (resting)
79 4x4 LUV project: 2.6L, 5spd, 31s (eventually)

MEPR: Man, my 4x4 makes all other LUVs look good

I cant risk that. I replaced the strip with some door seal i got from Ace hardware. The strip along the rear edge channels water off the the sides away from electrical stuff i added to the truck. Without it, my headlight relays will short out. It took me some time to figure that out back when i was losing relays after a good rain.
I am going to try and temporarily lift the rear of the hood up and see if it has a positive effect. This should confirm the fact that too much heat is being trapped (as hot as the hood gets, I'm sure).
And i need to address the fact that air can pass over the radiator. At idle, there's a possibility that hot air can recirculate from the engine compartment forward to the front of the fan. Without a good airflow out from under the hood, air can easily be forced over the radiator to the front of the fan. This could be why the engine temp wants to spike at idle.

But the priority right now is rear tires and an inspection sticker today.

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Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

Mines been running hot lately (fixin' it today!) when it starts to get hot I just reach down and pull the hood release! Thank goodness for backwards hoods! Sounds like this might not work for you though. I'm going to look into some aftermarket "Hood scoops" to put on my hood, so I can knock some 3" holes in my hood to vent some of the heat out. There are a ton of'em in the JC Whitney catalog.

Good luck, keep us posted.

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Looking for that special LUV.

This is the scoop.

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Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

That's kinda what I was lookin at, only I was going to turn it around, thought it might let air flow through it better.

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Looking for that special LUV.

The thing is that the rear part of the scoop is wider than the front. With it turned around, it looks odd. But this hood is cracked and rusted. If it works out that the backward scoop gets rid of underhood temp, I'll go with the plan of getting a cowl induction hood.

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Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

This will bring up a new problem. If i run with the backward scoop, rain water will pour on to the aircleaner/motor. I guess i'll need to get the new hood as soon as possible.

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Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

Man i know what you are going through as my truck will heat up on a hot day in slow traffic and i don't have any fender wells, but i do have the big motor. I am going to tunnel ram the truck later and that should cure my heating as the hot air will go out the opening in the hood. Try looking at a teer drop style hood bubble with the opening to the back like the 60's mustangs used to use as i thought of doing that before i finaly found a tunnel ram manifold. Good luck

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1978 pro street step/side 455Buick, 4sp,4.11s, 31/18.5s

That is the old style mustang shaker scoop.

Is your hood held on with pins? If you can trempoarly put a spacer on the windshield side of the hood, this should allow enough air out of the engine compartment to see if that will work.

A engine oil cooler does wonders as does a automatic oil cooler. There are somethings called NASA scoops or loveraor holes in their fender well where you cas put a hose to remove hot air

RIchard

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75 Luv, 350 V8, TH350, Camaro rearend. New 1975 Luv Step side. Stock for now.
Grandmaster of the "Shade Tree" way.. I can't see the yard for all the cars. Come on down and we will sit on the porch and watch the grass grow.

Mine is louvered and has never gone above 169deg (the first mark on the 3 gauge cluster) and is been driven in 109 deg temp here

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My old but now gone Luv...

i need toi figure something out too, my engine regularly sees 205* on hot days...

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1980 LUV 4x4, going under re-construction...

I've been dealing with replacing the front grill on my C 1500 and cleaning up my cargo trailer. Once i get those items cleared, i'll be able to experiment more with the heat issue on the LUV.

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Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

I would really like to hear more about what is successful here...

I have a few ideas I want to experiment with on mine...


I just need to get to this pointe, and I wonder if a wider radiator is necessary?

Gotta push all that air in, maybe there isnt enough airflow allowed to pass in front of the radiator?

sealing off that area to force air in to actually pass thru the radiator is MY first goal!

I was troubled as to how hott mine got coming back from the northwest...but once I turned on the fans, it dropped fast!

Still, Mine is a project in waiting so in time we shall see....

Had BIG problems with mine at first also. I tried EVERYTHING different fans aluminum water pump all the air flow tricks here's what worked the best for me

regular fan (no electric draws to much power)
aluminum water pump (tried electric STILL overheated)
cowl fiberglass scoop (I cut to hole barely big enough to clear my air cleaner probably will trim out all the way later to save a few pounds)
Installed the closest aluminum radiator to the orginal size I could find (make sure the tanks are mounted on the sides and not the top and bottom heat rises tried that radiator too)
180 degree thermostat with three 1/4 holes

Truck will idle all day long in 100 degree weather at 200 degrees if the truck is moving it stays at 190 degrees.

Made five consective passes on the bottle in 95 degree heat last week at the track I needed a break not the truck.

Very easy mods to fit the radiator a little trimming and a top bracket and your are ready to go.

I live in Texas and my truck had to perform in the heat hope I have been some help.

Josh

Did you install a shroud for the regular fan? How much clearance do you now have between the fan and radiator?

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Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

Yes I used a stock fan shroud 14 inch fan but it ran fine without the shroud (the track required the shroud)

about 1/2 to 3/4 from the radiator to the bolt heads