Flathead overheating,,, suggestions?

what psi radiator cap should I use,,, I am running 4 right now

 

Stock 32 radiator 4psi is about all you can get away with,much more and you will blow the tanks off it.

 

I have been going round and round with my flathead this summer.
Running 180 therms showing about 190 going down rode,getting hot a idle.
I bought a spal electric fan with shrode 11 blades 2 speed.
beleive it or not but it blocked my air flow,cut off bottom of shrode and was better but still is hot 50 mils trip fan keep coming on turns on 195 on and off all way.
I have another manical fan with more pitch going to try that and remove new fan $260.I have heard thiing like body on 39 ford no air flow,remove hood,exhaust gasas,now that would it leak afther while in cylinder.I replaced water pumps,new walker rad.I,m about ready for a 350 chevy.

 

I just got done running it for about 5 minutes at 2,100 rpm. Never got over 190. I had the bottom washers out and popped t-stats in the top. Earlier this morning I ran it and the driver side was about 230 and the passenger 200. I notice that my driver bottom hose was slightly kinked. I fixed that and now both are at 190. Thanks everybody.

 

You're up and running, sounds like! You almost certainly have decent curve with the B ignition.

Other guy: " I also have an 8CM that WILL NOT cool. It's run hot in 2 different cars. I've tried everything, including: water wetter, new Speedway pumps, new hoses, new t-stats, new electronic ignition (w/ different settings), new head gaskets, blah, blah, blah"

Ignition...if you are using the original, the Electronic conversion is doing nothing at all for you, as the original makes sparks just fine. If you are running the original distributor, advance (NOT the static setting) remains high on the list of suspects that need investigation. This is also true of certain recent aftermarket distributors that oft come through with very stiff springs that effectively restrain advance.
Advance on the original must be checked on the road, not a simple task, as testing otherwise does not adequately represent working pressure drop under actual load.

 

I,m running the stock vaclum dist 8ba , 2 97s I can watch it advance about 1 1/2" from ball.i notice on the hills i guess you lose valcume and retard timming,If i had contrifal advance would that be better as to not run hoter.
But i run hot at idle.No thermstates.
I had removed the stas and would run down road good about 180 degs.
put that electric fan and temp went up,like putting cardboard in front of rad.
I can controll fan on and off manualy and 195 on auto.

 

Sounds like your fan is turning in the wrong direction!

 

Fact no therms manical fan runs cool on rode. idles hot.
But with that elect fan on runs hot down road.
I tell people say thats strange.I did cut off bottom of shrode and does run cooler
Up and down the hills the temp does same thing.I turn fan off.
Its in correct direction.I,m only turning about 2000 rpms.
I do have a trans cooler in rad this may not be good.
I just hate to get stuck in traffic for long time.

 

You absolutely need to ditch the stock distributor, get one from Bubba or Charley over on the Fordbarn. You'll never regret it.

 

It stayed at 210-215 on the road today. I know that's higher than normal, but I didn't think that was bad for a cut down radiator.

 

I've got a Bubba's

 

I think thats still too hot.

 

Well, I took the heads off and the gaskets were shot. My #6 exhaust valve was toast (cracked and warped). It was also not closing all the way. I've got some new elelbrock heads and just working on putting everything back together now.

 

I did some testing with my new heads yesterday. Never overheated but I shut the engine off at 210 to prevent it from damagine the heads. Played with it this morning. I took the top hoses and the belt off as somebody (can't remember who) said in the past on here to check for gas leaks. With the new heads and gaskets I didn't think that there would be a leak, but thought I would just check it.

What this trick does is keep the water pumps from spinning since you have the belt off. Drain the radiator until you think the water level is lower than the upper water neck. Take the top water hoses off but leave the necks. Top off the water necks with water so you can see the water in the engine. Start the engine up and look for bubbles forming in the water in the neck.

So what happened to me was when I started the ingine up, the driver side was steady with no bubbles, but the passenger side was bubbling. Then once the temp gauge hit about 170, the driver side went crazy and was bubbling real bad then the water level would drop about an inch and then it would fill back up and then drop an inch. It pretty much related to what would happen on the road. It would be fine and then all of a sudden it would get hot.

So I guess this means that I have a cracked block right?

 

Not necessarily. How long did you let it run like that w/o the pumps? It will begin boiling in the block/heads pretty quickly w/o the pumps.

 

Only a few miniutes. The temp gauge showed only 180 degrees.

 

Have you done anything else, just curious!

 

I've done everything stated in this thread. I have also started a thread on my new engine build from ground up.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=741864

 

the best radiator copper core, made by Custom Auto Radiator in NJ USA check 'em out I've sold hundreds, no problems. Suggest 5row 3". jat

 

thanks flatlander, I will check em out