The air dam is under your car (basically right beneath the rad) and it "scoops" air up and forces it through the rad...but your car is designed by GM to run 220...if you want to cool it down (and I recommend it) you need a thermostat and a either burn a chip that turns the fan on sooner, or a different fan switch (or you can wire it to a manual switch or you can make a totally different system if you so desire)

 

The air dam and front spoiler are the same thing just different people use different terms.

But like Slow91z said 220 is about what these cars are designed to run.

 

Yep, "Air Dam"

220 F. to reduce emissions.

A quick fix is to install a manual switch. Of course, you have to remember to watch temp all the time and flip the switch on.

Make sure your radiator, water pump, and thermostat are doing their job.

Later

 

Or you can just hardwire the fan to the key switch so you don't have to remember to turn it on. But that isn't going to help BowtieZ28Girl seeing as she is running a flex fan. My advice whould be to swap that flex fan for an electric fan. Also I agree with everyone else, check the condition of your air dam, I replace these all the time on third gen cars.

Martin

 

You all give really good advice. What I'm going to do is keep the fflex fan but wire up a Electric fan and just run a switch. But before I do that, I am going to flush the radiator, then probably order that A thermostat that IROC-T adviced. then from there we'll see what happens, I don't think mine has a Air dam. I may be getting an Berlinetta for parts so another question I had is, would the air dam work on my camaro? I think it would since it is a camaro too right?? I don't know. lol

thanks.
Katy B.

 

No the Berlinetta dam is different because of the lack of ground effects. Go to a GM dealership TODAY and order a new air dam. You have to have one. They are only like $30, and I can't stress enough, that you MUST HAVE ONE.

Martin

 

I doubt that you'll be able to fit both the flex fan and an electric fan in there, our engine bays are crowded enough as it is

I installed an electric fan w/ an auto switch from painless, it worked for a while before the relay went on it. Then I just installed a manual switch and I love it, just gotta keep an eye on the temp (which I do anyways)

the electric fans more a ton more air then a regular one, get one out of a junkyard or off of ebay just make sure it has the mounting pieces and the plug that comes off of it

good luck

 

Between me and my dad, trust me, we can make another fan work, it will probably be a fairly small one.

I don't know if I told you guys this yet, I thought I had but im not driving my car at the moment, I am in the process of "restoring" it. So I don't haaaaavvvvvvvveeeeee to go out and hurry up and buy an airdam, but I will be sure to get one before I put it on the road yet. So when you guys are telling me all this stuff I will be sure to do it. My car is a work in progress. I am kinda stuck at this point because I want to get a Edelbrock RPM or Dart Airgap Intake manifold and a Holley 650 or 700 cfm. Carb. and I can't do that until I get a hood, I don't want to get a hood until I have enough money to paint the damn car(who ever owned it before me had spray bombed it in black paint, you can see EVERY stroke!). So you see where Im kinda stuck! lol. I am also thinking if I get a intake and all, and the air coming in from the Cowl or Ram(not sure which one I should get)hood, I am thinking it will cool the engine down a bit, let some off the hot air out, yah know let it breath a bit.

Thanks
Katy

 

Ok Katy your first post you said you were driving your car . So get an air dam ( should even be one at a local junkyard real cheap) because remember too much heat kills and why run the risk of hurting the motor. That is probably your only problem since you didn't mention anything about overheating while the car is sitting idling.
Dan

 

This overheating problem has been common enough that some one in the after-market now makes a part for mid-eighties GM engines that run too hot.

The part is made by Jet Performance Transmission (in the latest Summit Racing catalogue part number JET-60600, page 150 - in the Cooling System chapter - right above the Water Wetter).

I quote from the catalogue:

"We bet you didn't know that your computer doesn't switch the fan on until your engine gets to 225 deg. F."

The part is for a car with a electric fan, of course, which would get us back to the electric/dual electric fan computer/no computer issue.

The 1984 Z28 H.O. V.I.N. engine code "G" R.P.O. code "L69" (look in your cargo box lid beside your seat - www.thirdgen.org used to have a nice R.P.O. decoder) was a fully computer-controlled Quadrajet. Just like fuel injection- but with a carburetor, and barometric sensors instead of MAF sensors. This is a rare setup and was on only 2 years of cameros, it was copied from the corvettes and pre-dates OBD1. It also had an electric fan.

This means if you want an electric fan cheap, you can find them at the wrecker/salvage/scrapper/recycler yard. Try Chev Caprices, Monte Carlos of the same vintage as well. You should be able to bolt it right on.



Please note as well, there are two temperature sensors, one for the stock gauge, and another separate one for the computer. My stock gauge was disconnected by inferior mechanical skill, however, when I connected my ActiveX scanner (also from Summit) I could still watch the temperature climb through the computer.

 

I very excellant articale written by another site member who also posts on Thirdgen.org


http://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...threadid=170903