Q: I bought a 1988 Camaro IROC-Z with a 350 TPI (the second I have owned). My question is about engine running temperature. When the car is not moving faster than 30 miles-per-hour, the temperature climbs over 200 degrees, and the fans won’t turn on until the temperature reaches 240 degrees. Both of my IROCs did this.

Is there something I can get to make sure the engine never gets over 200 degrees, like a special radiator, water pump, or fans I can turn on manually?

A: There are a couple of more cost-effective ways to get that engine temperature down. One is with a fan switch that kicks the fans on at a lower temperature. JET Performance makes a switch that engages the fan at 195 degrees and turns it off at 185 degrees. You can also get a thermostat that opens at a lower temperature such as Hypertech’s 160-degree or 170-degree thermostat.

We would try these parts and see how much the temperature changes before thinking about a new radiator or high-flow water pump.

This is another in a series of weekly Q&A Mailbag sessions with Summit Racing‘s tech department, in which there are hundreds more. Click here to see them all

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