88 formula 350 boiling over

this car was bought 5 months ago from a psycho lady who claim to have had the heads plained edielbrock cams and carb but i had my mechanic look and he said they were all def stock but i bought it anyway first week it overheated so i checked the thermostat..stuck closed..replaced it hasnt done it since then last week it boiled over again so today i replaced the thermostat again even thought the old one seemed fine i checked engine oil defenitly needs a change but full added 50/50 mix and bleed the system and took it out for a ride and it was over heating at speed the radiator hoses seem alittle soft but not bad and no funny smell from exhaust. but the day before it first overheated i had taken the airscoope off from under the radiator because it had fallen off on one side and didnt really drive it that day so do you think this could cause the overheating or should i check something else

That airdam under the radiator is important, I just don't know if it will cause the car to overheat that badly on the 3rd gen firebirds. It would make sense though because there is no grill and the only way for the air to really pass across the radiator is by following that air dam from under the car, so if it isn't there, it is quite possible that not enough air is passing over the radiator. Also, make sure your cooling fans are turning on when running at temperature. Radiator cap may need to be replaced or at least checked as well. The cap is like 5 dollars and if your in doubt, just replace it. Good luck.

thanks i will get the air dam back on and replace the cap but i also forgot to mention the oil pressure is kinda low it is sitting around 28 and normally it is between 30 and 50 if that helps any...

when you change your oil, see if it changes any.

okay i changed the oil and re attached the air dam oilpressure is back to normal and it has stopped boiling over at speed and is now boiling at idle
driving back from autozone without the new radiator cap i stopped at mcdonalds and did the drive through and it started to boil after like 5 minutes then i started driving again and it dropped back down to like 210*F a little while later check engine light came on and went off within a couple of seconds as far as i can tell the fan works i jumped the positive lead to the battery and i turns on fine but not sure what temp it should turn on by its self at.. so any suggestions

r u leaking fluid?

nope nothing checked oil and coolant at the right levels and they are both still very clean only drove for like 30 miles just to make sure but sittin still for like 5 minutes maybe more drive thru sucks...

causes of overheating:

-thermostat sticking
-insufficiant coolant in system
-water pump drivebelt defective or not adjusted properly
-radiator core blocked or radiator grill dirty and restrictive
-fan blades broken or cracked
-radiator cap
-ignition timing incorrect


test your water pump by letting the car run at idle speed .Then pinch the top radiator hose closed with your hand.Then let it loose,u should feel a surge of coolent if yhe pump is working properly.

i have tested the water pump it seems pretty strong replaced the thermostat waiting on radiator cap...1 week... fan blades good and fan works just doesnt seem like its turning on when it should. i bleed the cooling system and the radiator is pretty new like 6 months but the timing? idels smooth around a 1k or 750 something like that. is that to high? and surpintine belt is brand new like a week when i replaced my cracked altenator from AUTOZONE(sucks)..

What temp does the fan turn on? Wait and put that rad. cap on before going too much farther also.

if your fan is electrical it might not be working properly.

this car was bought 5 months ago from a psycho lady who claim to have had the heads plained edielbrock cams and carb but i had my mechanic look and he said they were all def stock but i bought it anyway first week it overheated so i checked the thermostat..stuck closed..replaced it hasnt done it since then last week it boiled over again so today i replaced the thermostat again even thought the old one seemed fine i checked engine oil defenitly needs a change but full added 50/50 mix and bleed the system and took it out for a ride and it was over heating at speed the radiator hoses seem alittle soft but not bad and no funny smell from exhaust. but the day before it first overheated i had taken the airscoope off from under the radiator because it had fallen off on one side and didnt really drive it that day so do you think this could cause the overheating or should i check something else

i don't know if you checked or not but look and see if you have a single core rad if so you need to get a double core rad i had the same problem with a 84 firebird i ended up putting a 2 inch split in the rad cause it was too small some times the wrong rad gets put in it might have a rad in it for a 2.8 lt witch would be single core

fix your fan thats prolly your problem.mine overheats with a shroud,and doesnt overheat when its removed.check your condenser for bugs and leafs and stuff too.The air dam only has a purpose when the car is moving.Get a coolant system flush kit,and follow the instructions.Your fan should have a hi and low,and maybe it works on low but not high...maybe

I also have a 88 Formula 350 and it did the same thing. The fans were not coming on at all. I replaced the sensor and the relay and did not fix them, so I wired my own toggle switch and relay. Works great and never overheated again.

my 87's fan started acting up,so i powered the fans using a ford starter relay.