It gets pretty hot where I am (Sacramento, CA) so always looking for every advantage I can take. My 54 Cadillac does OK in most circumstances but can get hot climbing in the hot weather. I have an auxilary pusher fan on the front and a half shroud for the stock fan but that isn't enough. I'm going to swap the core for a high efficiency unit but my question here is regarding the fluid. I currently run a weak mix of anti-freeze just to prevent corrosion but I'm thinking of running water (known to be a better cooler) and pink water wetter. My concern is corrosion and if I throw in a bottle of water pump lube, am I defeating my purpose in going to the water and water wetter combo?
I used to run Water Wetter in my '51 in Las Vegas, NV. Seems to work good. I just added it to the 50/50 mix that was in the truck already... Good luck....
You'll probably solve your problem by getting a new efficient radiator and making a full shroud for the fan. Remember the fan blade should be centered in the shrough opening. Probably remove the front pusher fan too as it blocks air flow. Another thing, check the seals around the front sheet metal around the radiator core. These pieces should be tight fit sealed and any rubber flaps etc. to stop air from going over/under/around the core installed so all air is directed through the core.
put a switch on so you can put the fan on manually anytime you want instead of waiting for the thermostat to do it
I was born and raised in south florida where it gets preety damn hot and you can find yourself easily in traffic jams all through the day. I had a phobia of water temperatures where I would literaly pay more attention to the temp gauge then any other gauge.... what worked for me, on my 383 I had at the time, : coolant flush and coolant additive called like sub zero or artic something....they sold it in metal cans at pep boys and really worked for me mixing it with part water part antifreeze....that brought down the temp like 10 degrees... an electric fan is a must, duel even better changing the water pump to a higher flow pump also helped and last but not the cheapest is to go with a 4 core aluminum radiator with that combination i used to idle for hours in traffic and the needle wouldnt budge... oh yeah and the obvious removal of the thermostat on the radiator cap...and changing your radiator cap as well that preety much sums up all your overheating problems I think... unless you have other mechanical issues like timming, gaskets, and so on...
dont assume half a shroud does half as good as a full shroud- Half a shroud only keeps your fingers attached to your hands. There is no reason to try an expensive radiator when you dont have a full shroud- there are threads here on how to make a custom fiberglass one for about 32 cents using the ol lady's housedress and some resin. But water wetter can be purchased withpump lube in it- check the label. And yes antifreeze doesn't actually transfer heat as well as water so with corrosion fighting, pump lubing, and surfactant abilities of water wetter it will transfer heat better. dont know that water wetter will raise boiling point much tho- so.........SHROUD first.
When I did my half shroud a few years back things I read said that a half shroud was more than 50% effective (more like 70%). That's why I stopped there. Do you have a link on how to make the custom fiberglass one?
Cadillacs were not known for overheating at all. Are you using a known good gauge?? Try swapping, you may be worrying about naught. If not, try a seven blade fan, good shroud, and making sure the air cannot escape around the rad (as above). Next, and it may be redundant, check that the timing (both ignition and camshaft) is not retarded. Cosmo
Is your 4 core a high efficiency unit. If I go to a 3 core high efficiency, everything stays stock and it is completely stock car (except for the pusher fan and an electric fuel pump) but I'm not sure if the HE 3 compared to my stock 3 is enough of a difference. How many pound cap did you run?
Here three doors up from hell I have a 4 core with an electric fan. The big 14 incher. A tranny cooler and an oil cooler in line with a remote filter set-up. Seems to work.
Yep, and when you see climb coming, fire up the fan BEFORE the climb. I used to drive trucks in the desert/mountains in Spain, and it always helped.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=380196&highlight=fiberglass+fan+shroud there's also a thread about making one using a garbage can or trash can and also one i noticed, havent read, but looks interesting about cuttin up a food service steam pan....
I'd just like to remind you that it got hot in the late 50s too. They did not overheat. Before I went off buying trans coolers and bigger radiators, I'd find out how it was equipped when it was new. Did some idiot lose the radiator shroud? Did it lose the original fan? Is there a missing piece of sheet metal letting air go around the radiator? If it's a hotrod with a small radiator area and a high performance engine then you might need to add the cooling tricks for an unusual situation but a stock engine with the correct original equipment should cool the engine just like it did in 1957. Check all the basics too. Is it timed right? Retarded timing can make it run hotter than it should. Flushing the system may help to bring it back to normal operation. Just because it's old, it shouldn't be running hot and need extra measures to run normal temps. Find out what is wrong or what has changed.
Of course pure water with water wetter is more efficient. As somebody else asked, is your aux fan on a switch where you can turn it on and leave it on, or is it on automatic control? I have electric fans wired so I can turn them on and leave them on during peak temperature periods or in traffic. That has always been enough.
A high efficiency radiator, in good condition is always a good investment. But, I feel that the most important things in cooling are airflow, airflow, and air flow. A fan good, well designed fan shroud can do wonders. The fan opening in the shroud must be a MINIMUM of 70% of the total area of the radiator, and the shroud should cover 100% of the radiator. Look at a lot of the imported Japaneese cars...they have little rubber flaps in the back side of the fan shroud to allow more are through the radiator when going down the highway, yet get sucked closed when the fan comes on.
yeah, H.E. unit....and the cap is a 18lb. worth the extra bucks you know...and yeas I forgot to mention that a full shroud is also key, yeah you could make one but Ive seen them so cheap why bother... aluminum is key...it dissipates heat quicker....
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