Technical Please help: '85 302 5.0 in a '57 ford running hotter than a flathead...

Re-routed my fuel line and pulled off the "pusher fan" (and found that while I'm moving the engine does run a few degrees cooler w/o that lump). Also considering wrapping my exhaust manifolds with "header wrap" to try to keep the engine compartment a bit cooler (got some of the wrap for a bike project that never happened). So tomorrow I'm going to start searching through my parts pile to see if I might still have the stock fan that came with the 302.... (fingers crossed, please wish me "hoarders luck"!)

And yes, the '57/'58 Desoto/Chrysler headlights do make it look like a '58, and I had to buy TWO grills just to make the one! Got it a few years back (2000's) when you could still snag that stuff off ebay for a steal!

Okay! Updates tomorrow!

 

If you are running hood less .Chances are the air is going around the radiator instead of through it. You may have to build a shroud from the grill to the radiator and block off the flow above the radiator and draw the air from the lower grill area. We ran a wedge nosed dirt late model in the south ga. heat and drew the air to the radiator through a 4 by 12 inch hole and never overheated with a mechanical fan and fan shroud.
It looks like the air is stacking up and going over the radiator with all those fans blocking the way.
Controlling the air flow is much more important than most people think.

 

Thanks for all the help guys, did I mention this is my only running vehicle? I guess it doesn't really matter, but new cars suck so much, all they do is piss me off. No style, all safety. How the eff is that cool??!? All my vehicles are pre-smog (-1975; california), but this is the only vehicle I'm emotionally attached to- (Grandpa's best friend bought it in 1960, sold it to Auntie in '62ish, first car Auntie and mom learned to drive on, same with my Roadrunner driving uncle,). Family air loom. Yes, I'm the one that ruined it (Desoto, Edsel stuff), but I wanted it to be as special as the man that gave it to me -(Grandpa, my f*****g life-long hero, ALWAYS & FOREVER)

Okay, a lot to do today guys, thanks for all the help and listening to this fool pour his heart out on the 'net (awww jeez, is this gonna be another thing that bites me in the @$$? Hope not,).

 

200? my 302 basically always runs at 200, not an issue at all.

 

So with this background history are you the one that made all these changes?
The Wizzard

 

I took the solid steel fan out of my car, installed a Derale 17" flex fan and it made a big difference cooling the car. It would get to 200 easily in traffic after a few minutes, now it runs 185. It definitely moves more air at slower speeds.

 

Put the hood on.

 

Okay, one of my electric fans crapped out, does this look like the correct way a thermostat should be facing for an '85 302? It looks correct to me.

 

This. The idea is to catch the air and lead it through the radiator (WITHOUT alternate routes), not just to stick a radiator somewhere up front and hope air will decide to go through it.

 

Right, I understand that. I put the hood back on a few days ago, switched back to the manual fan (did NOT have a fan shroud however) and it still got hot. So now I'm wondering if maybe I have a normal water pump instead of a reverse water pump or if the thermostat was installed backwards or...? Quite vexing, I just wanna cruise my ride!

 

When you say hot...what is the hottest it has gotten too? 200 degrees is not to hot. Tons of new cars don't even have their electric fans come on till almost 225 to 230 degrees

 

That's a good point, but when the radiator is steaming and puking coolant like crazy, 240 seems fairly hot...

 

From the photo your thermostat is in correct. Remember the measurement I gave you for the fan bolt holes in the Hub? Check that. It will tell ya what direction the pump is built to turn. Again, What do you know about the motor from it's past? I also asked you about the Rad and where it came from. This issue don't add up if everything is as it appears. Maybe you should take the Rad and have it flow tested.
The Wizzard

 

I know right? I have the reverse style pump according to the bolt measurements (I checked that nearly as soon as you posted it, 2.5 inches or something? I forget now but it's over 2"). I don't see myself flow-testing anything, but that does sound like a good idea. I'm hoping if I flush the engine maybe there'll be some gunk in it that flows out? I'm pretty much just grasping at straws at this point, how depressing. I was also thinking maybe I have the wrong water pump on there, like, it's a reverse pump but maybe it's supposed to be a forward pump or something. I dunno, this is just very upsetting for me and I appreciate all your help. So yeah, thanks again guys, especially you Pist-n-Broke.

 

You haven't answered my questions about the motor or the Rad. Here is something you should know about Alum. Rads. There are good reasons I ask these things. Mostly to try to help and inform. If your rad was used and even if it flows good volume of water it can still be the issue. A high pressure cap on a motor with a blown head gasket or a Boil over issue they are known to swell the tubes from oval to round and close the Gap between the tubes and close off Air Flow. If that has happened you will never cool the motor. Remember me mentioning Air Flow? Now add in a Cheep China unit instead of a quality unit and you have little or no margin for any heat issues at all. You Sir have already pushed much further than a Cheep unit can take and still do it's job. Now, what do you know about your Rad?
The Wizzard

 

The way your belt is threaded is correct for a Reverse pump. Check your air flow with a Shop towel.
The Wizzard

 

You could have the wrong fan on the car. Blades with a backward pitch do nothing to cool your engine.
Like Pist-N-Broke said with the engine running put a shop towel or a piece of paper in front of the radiator and the air flow should draw it to the radiator if not then you need a shroud, another fan.
As hot as you have gotten this engine you need to do a head gasket check.