Installing An Improved Pontiac Cooling System - Cool Winds

The edge of the hold-down bracket is trimmed back by 1/4-inch so that it cleanly mounts onto the back edge of the radiator/fan shroud. After securing the bracket with a 1/4-inch wrench, the radiator cap is screwed on and the hood is closed slowly to verify fitment.

A new upper radiator hose from Goodyear (PN 70996) fit perfectly, but the lower one from Gates (PN 20046) needed 2.75 inches cut off of the radiator side for proper installation.

Alternator wiring that formerly ran down the driver's side of the intake manifold is extended by three feet and routed down the passenger side. In some cases, re-clocking the alternator is required to improve the accessibility of the wiring connections. Our alternator, however, is clocked properly and, once the power feed and ground wire is connected, convoluted tubing is placed over the wires to give them a neat appearance.

Refer to the SPAL wiring diagram.

The electric water pump and fan come with OEM-quality wiring harnesses. They are plugged into the equipment, and then the respective ground wires are secured to the core support using self-tapping screws and O-ring-style crimp connectors.

After replacing the thermostat, the SPAL thermostat switch is mounted at the front of the intake manifold where a thread sealer used to reside. The adapter to the manifold and the threads on the switch are coated with sealer. A 1-inch wrench tightens the adapter, while an 1/4-inch wrench tightens the switch. (Note: Don't use Teflon tape around water, and by no means allow any foreign substance to touch the sensor.) This sensor can be mounted on either cylinder head or the intake manifold.

The Meziere pump harness is routed inside the vehicle via a rubber grommet on the firewall, and the pump is wired to switched power. SPAL's fan comes with a pre-wired relay, which allows the thermostat switch to be wired to automatically start and stop the fan.

To provide more flexibility in the electric fan and water pump operation, override switches are utilized in the interior. Although more complicated from a wiring perspective, being able to turn on the electric water pump and engine fan in the pits between passes cools the engine for the next round of action.

Once the wiring is complete, the radiator cap is tested to make sure that it holds its rated 16 pounds, and the rubber hose from the radiator to the coolant recovery tank is routed and clamped. The radiator is filled with a mix of 50/50 Prestone ethylene glycol and distilled water.