Still hot on the freeway after upgrading to the 3-row

['61 Draggin Wagon]

Rande,
I forgot to mention that the design of the steering linkage is a give away to the engine originally installed. The Tornado engined trucks had the steering gearbox mounted closer to the firewall & used a draglink from the 'box forward to a bellcrank, then to each front wheel. The V-8 version had the gearbox mounted closer to the radiator & utilized crossover steering... No bellcrank.

 

[I66coupe]

Bellcrank.

 

[Anonymous]

Believe what you want, but the factory puts them there for reason.....

Years and years ago.
Not an auto manufacturer on the face of the earth that uses lower radiator hose springs anymore, at least that I have noticed.

 

[KustomSkylark]

OK I just got done doing a test after all my experiments this weekend. I did the acid flush thing and I put a 17 psi radiator cap on. The first run with the acid shot out a little rust, the second shot out a bunch, but the third and forth did almost none. Well anyway the thing still heats up. Does anyone have any more suggestions? I'm thinking that maybe the water passages in the engine are just way too rusted up, which is odd because the mill is out of a daily drivin '79 fairmont. Maybe I should start searching for another 200.

 

[Anonymous]

The 300 in my F-150 would overheat with the lights on..I thought "What The Heck??" until I figured the fan belts could be tightened a little.... that fixed it!

How old is that belt?

I once had an engine that the water pump impeller "vanes" were so corroded that flow suffered...had the pump off lately?

Can you block the flow in that heater hose loop?

Tried a different gauge yet?

 

[KustomSkylark]

How old is that belt?

Hmmm thats a good point, the belt is off my old 170. It looks fine though.

I once had an engine that the water pump impeller "vanes" were so corroded that flow suffered...had the pump off lately?

I put a new water pump on when I put the engine together and it's only been a couple of months.

Can you block the flow in that heater hose loop?

What do you mean, like cut the heater system off? I already did that, it just has about a 6" hose from one end to the other.

Tried a different gauge yet?

It's a brand new mechanical after market gauge, but who knows it could be reading wrong. Although it does smell hot when it gets hot on the gauge.

 

[KustomSkylark]

Oh yead and I forgot to mention that I set my timming with a light at 10 BTDC

 

[Guest]

Did you try a new temperature sender? Its on the back side of the head on the drivers side. It could be putting out the wrong resistance, and telling your guage to make wrong info.

I think I asked that one before, but its worth another try...

Do you smell coolant when it gets that hot? Is your cap boiling over, or if you have a reserve tank, is that boiling like crazy at those "temperatures"?

Do you have to refill your radiator regularly?

If you dont smell coolant, or these other things arent happening, its probably the temperature sender. Its probably 30 or 40 years old, and they do eventually go out.

You do live on the hotter side of the tracks too. Im sure that doesnt help.

 

[Anonymous]

Did you try a new temperature sender? Its probably 30 or 40 years old, .

he said:

It's a brand new mechanical after market gauge, .

What I meant with the heater hose, was to put a clamp on it to block flow.


In my life, I have had two brand new thermostats be bad, one right out of the box and another after three or four days.
Maybe try a 180.....Napa used to sell stainless ones for about $6
The cheap $2.99 parts store ones I don't trust.

 

[Guest]

Did you try a new temperature sender? Its probably 30 or 40 years old, .

he said:

It's a brand new mechanical after market gauge, .

In my life, I have had two brand new thermostats be bad, one right out of the box and another after three or four days.
Maybe try a 180.....Napa used to sell stainless ones for about $6
The cheap $2.99 parts store ones I don't trust.

Yeah, but he still didnt say anything about if hes using the old (or old old, like 30 or 40 years old) sender unit on the head itself. This might be the problem. Let us know what youre using for your voltage reading to the gauge. This could just be a misreading, if its not boiling over or spraying out of the overflow piece on the radiator inlet.

This is a long topic, but awhile back, I had also said that my fathers parts shop always had returns on faulty thermostats, newly purchased sometimes. I agree with you, Linc's 200, to try another one, stainless, spend an extra 3 dollars to possibly save your cars expensive engine.

 

[KustomSkylark]

Yeah, but he still didnt say anything about if hes using the old (or old old, like 30 or 40 years old) sender unit on the head itself. This might be the problem. Let us know what youre using for your voltage reading to the gauge. This could just be a misreading, if its not boiling over or spraying out of the overflow piece on the radiator inlet.

This is a long topic, but awhile back, I had also said that my fathers parts shop always had returns on faulty thermostats, newly purchased sometimes. I agree with you, Linc's 200, to try another one, stainless, spend an extra 3 dollars to possibly save your cars expensive engine.

Nope I'm not using a sending unit at all, it's a mechanical gauge with a thermometer type thing going into the head, I don't trust those electronic sending units. The gauge could still be faulty, but the coolent acts super hot when the gauge reads over 210. The thermostat was shut when I took it out to do the acid thing and I could here the coolent gargling through the top hose when it was hot which tells me the thermostat is working.

I was looking into the load-o-matic thread, and was thinking that maybe I have one and thats why it's overheating. I'm also using a holley/weber carb. I am using re-manufactured '68 mustang disy. How do I tell what type of distributer I have? Also is there a way to test the vacume advance?

 

[KustomSkylark]

I could here the coolent gargling through the top hose when it was hot which tells me the thermostat is working.

This was after I put the thermostat back in. Just so there is no confusion.

 

[PLP6400]

I still think you plugged up your new radiator. It has been my experiance, if your timing is off enough to over heat your engine then it is either hard to start or has no power. When I was having my over heating problems I was getting the same suggestions about getting a good tempurature gauge. But if the engine smells hot and spurts coolant out of the overflow when you shut it off. Your engine is over heating and you don't need a guage to tell you that. I didn't believe my new radiator was clogged, because I had flushed the engine clean before I installed it. It takes time for all that debri in an old engine to come loose and that is why I suggest getting the Gano radiator filter and have your radiator cleaned. It solved my overheating problem.

 

[KustomSkylark]

I'm going to order one as soon as I get my next paycheck.

 

[CougarT]

GET A SHROUD ON THAT THING!!!!!

It is very, very possible that the fan is not pulling any air at all thru the rad at highway speeds. In fact, it could be making matters worse, airflow wise, and also spending horsepower for nothing. Fans and shrouds ae supposed to be matched sets. They don't work otherwise.

Once that's done, if you still have a problem, try bigger main jets in your carb. (Check your plugs for colour).

 

[KustomSkylark]

aside from making my own where can I get a shroud for an inline '63 comet

 

[PLP6400]

Vintage Air has one for 6 cyl Mustangs, that works on the 3 core radiators. I have one my 65 Ranchero. I put one on because I have air conditioning and in stop and go traffic, AC cars have a tendency to heat up. But at freeway speeds, where your car is overheating. You don't need a shroud and not even a fan for that matter.

 

[KustomSkylark]

Vintage Air has one for 6 cyl Mustangs, that works on the 3 core radiators. I have one my 65 Ranchero. I put one on because I have air conditioning and in stop and go traffic, AC cars have a tendency to heat up. But at freeway speeds, where your car is overheating. You don't need a shroud and not even a fan for that matter.

Thats what I thought too...

 

[CougarT]

all I can say is that's not been my experience.

 

[KustomSkylark]

Don't get me wrong I appreciate the suggestion, and im going to try everything untill the bastard stays cool.