I have a 34 with stock radiator cooling a very stock 350 chevy. I have a shroud and engine driven fan and a condenser in front of rad. 185 thermostat. If is moving cools OK but in traffic it starts to climb. There is no place for another fan. I put one on the suport bars. Replacing Rad with newer triple pass may be my only option. Does anyone have a cure?
What lb. radiator cap do you have ? I switched to a 7 lb. on mine and it cured my overheating spitups.
If you up the pressure on the cap and it doesn't fix it (to your satisfaction) you could try a spray bar. Rig a window washer pump (parts store cheapie) to a small (1/8 or 3/16) tube in front of the radiator (usually works best on a diagonal). Drill small holes in the tube every inch or so. Wire the pump to a moentary switch. It starts heating up give the switch a 3 count, it sould bring the temp back down. Water works fine for this as long as you don't have to worry about freezing (if you are concerned about that, washer fluid works, but I'd be carefull to get the non alcohol kind). This assumes your fan is working correctly. Is it a clutch fan? Does the clutch engage? Is the fan on backwards (most will still pull, but not as much).
if it has a flex fan, get rid of it. those things are junk. are you sure that the waterpump is doing it's job ??
I trimmed my grill and put a pusher fan in front of the radiator. I only use it if it's very hot and it's rush hour traffic. Temp stay at 180. If there's no traffic, I turn the fan off and use the mechanical fan only. My 31' is channeled, so the radiator is shorter than stock.
Thanks does not spit up just keeps climbing in temp only let it go to about 200 before I find a way to get some clear driving, but it's not hot in LA yet. I have a 17" plastic fex fan on it. The rad was new. I like the sprinkler Idea used that on a camper I had for the Grapevine hill, worked good. Has water weter in it now. No room anywhere for electric fan. I am hopping a hotter thermostat will help. Other wise it will need to say in Washington where I live...Jim
Get rid of the flex fan,the don't work as good as a clutch fan,are you running a vaccum advance? try it hooked to manifold vacuum,are pulleys stock sizes, the should be overdriving the waterpump and fan,crank pulley should be larger than waterpump pulley. All of these lower the temp on my el camino when towing a trailer from 230 to 180.
No room for clutch fan. But great Idea on the smaller water pump pully. I have stock duell on the pump and I think it is larger than crank. Now where would I find a small pully?
Put a recovery tank on it too , keep the radiator full of water/anti freeze , keep topping up the overflow tank till the air is all gone from the rad, no air ,no room for steam etc. cooler running, also check your rad cap is the right reach for the filler neck & not too short. Good point on the fan check rotation, not a serpentine system reverse fan !!
Crank pulley should be larger than waterpump pulley,so a larger crank pulley should be avaible from wrecking yard and some shops carry the chrome ones the correct size
If you 34 is the pickup in your avatar ... you might want to consid buying a raised up water pump riser. It uses a Chevrolet pump but it raises the fan about 5 inches ... so you can run a much larger fan. Most fans on the early Fords with a SBC ... can only run a 13 or 14 inch fan without hitting the lower radiator hose. I have a 18 inch on mine. You can clearly see the raised pump in the photo below and it's advantages. Here is a photo of just the pump riser ... Most street rod shop sell them ... here's one place on line http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb...~S2DB0FT8OY24311110914a~Z5Z5Z5~Z5Z5Z50000042b I run the ZIPS water pump riser on both of my 32's. Both have engines rated at 430 HP ... and the water pump riser set up and a shroud ... keep both of mine running 185 - 190 degrees even here in the hot, humid Southland.
I think you have it backwards....try a 160* stat. The common practice used to be 180 in the winter for the heater and 160 in the summer when the heater isn't needed. I had the same truck with a stock non-pressurized radiator that cooled a slightly smaller SBC with no problems at all using a stock fan with no shroud. If you are running a vacuum advance, I hope you have it connected to manifold vacuum so that it doesn't want to heat up while idling in traffic. It's an often misunderstood item that people can't grasp the connection between the two.
Listen to SDLuck and Tommy about vacuum advance. Your overheating is classic when either no vac advance or the source is selected to ported instead of manifold vacuum.
You said the radiator was a '34. Then you said it was new. Is it a NOS '34? Or a new Walker for a '34, or what? A '34 Ford radiator is not pressurized, and if yours has not been modified it will probably always boil over when the air isn't moving quickly through it. You could have a new neck put on it, to hold a pressure cap, and maybe get 7 or 12 pounds in it before the tanks get risky (so I've heard). I used to have a '39 Chevy with a 350 and a stock, unpressurized radiator. Would work fine in motion, but would always puke a little if I stopped a while and got it warmed up. I just tried to keep it moving or shut it down.
Take it from a guy who's been there with restricted frontal area O/T cars. All the radiator in the world won't fix your problem. You either have an airflow or timing problem. Nothing personal, but your fan is junk. Good luck
Do those raised up water pumps use any more room? I have 1" from flush mount fan on short pump to Rad. Thanks fpr all the replies you have all been a great help.....Jim
Of all the posts on this thread,only one has mentioned TIMING...engines with to much retard will run hot.....try to advance your timing a little and shit can the flex fan..get a good fan
Use MANIFOLD VACUUM sourced vacuum advance on the distributor. If you don't you are running retarded timing at low PRM and that will overheat any engine at idle and slow speed. YELLING INTENTIONAL!!!
OK tried a steel fan no different. as long as you have the air cond off and you keep moving it stays cool. If you stop you are dead at about 240. Need more fan. I moved the trans cooler under truck to make way for condenser when I installed the AC, then drove to LA. Maybe I should switch? Then there is room for a fan. Rad was new for flathead I made it for a SBC. Does anyone think an alum would be better? I have a alum one the make that is Epoxied on bottom core.....Jim
A raised up pump uses the same pulleys and spacing as a " short " Chevrolet water pump. The ZIP pump does not make the SBC any longer ... Go here ... and read this about the ZIP pump http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=265074&showall=1
Flex fans are junk. Also beware of electric fans mounted in FRONT of rad. My experience was: cooled fine at idle and around town overheated at speed. We concluded it dammed up air. Louvered fin rad core and ugly( but properly designed) OEM fan cleared up all cooling issues.
He stated the waterpump looked like it underdriven,stock chevys waterpumps are overdriven,which will also spin the fan and alt faster.
On Showroom stock Corvettes we used to race we also drilled 6 3/16 holes in thermostant which cooled them better and lowered the temp.
Do you know anywhere to find a smaller pump pulley? I am using the Bill's brackets for Alt and Compressor the large stock steel pulley already does not let the belts make much contack, it's almost a straigh shot to the crank. I tried a big flex fan, will try a 7 blade steel OEM fan when it gets here. If pulleys and fan don't work I will install condensor under truck and move trans cooler back infront of rad so I can use a pusher fan. Your ansers and help have been great THANKS.......Jim
You haven't mentioned what you're running for a distributor, vacuum advance or no vacuum advance. Pursue the timing/vac advance angle and quit casting about for miracle fixes. Much cheaper in the short and long run....
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