I can't figure it out , I have a '51 chevy Fleetline , and I put a late '60's 307 2bbl engine , totally stock , and I had the original radiator out of a '63 Belair(283) re-cored , and as long as you were running highway speeds , it was fine , but , get into bumper to bumper cruising , she gets hot , so , I ordered a 4 row , all aluminum Champion radiator , 2 1400 cfm fans and the shroud combo , I HAVE THE FANS BLOWING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION , and I started with a 195 degree thermostat , and it heated , so I bought a 160 degree thermostat , still heats , and I took the thermostat out all together , still heating , I used the 50/50 antifreeze , and it seems to make a frothy yellow mess about the consistency of shave cream , I am going to flush the system this morning , anyone have any ideas about this? , I also looked at timing , then retarded it some , still heating in cruise traffic...if I had hair , I'd be pulling it out right now , I have drove this car for a few years now , and thought I was upgrading for the cooling system , but cant seem to get it to cool off in traffic...help!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sounds like going down the road you have more air flow and that cools it, is your water pump good? Is it cirulating the water good enough? What about the radiator cap? Is it good and the correct pressure?
Frothy yellow foam in the cooling system? Sounds like you may have a head gasket problem. Do a pressure test on the cooling system.
Sounds like you have air in your cooling system maybe from a cylinder head issue or never getting the air purged from the system completely.
..A few questions...you say its hot well how hot 250 or 200?..is it boiling over steaming all over?...is you vac. advance connected from the dist.?..is the thermostate installed correctly?.....try running it with out filling the rad. to the top,leave about 1 inch air space in it....as said before the rad cap is it good and the correct # of lbs?...when do the fans come on?...may be much later then needed?..check your hoses to see if any are being sucked closed while the motor is running some have springs inside them to stop this. .....the above may be of help....miller
Water is circulating good , radiator cap is brand new , came ewith the radiator , not sure what pressure it is , problably 12-16 lb. cap.
Yea, maybe , but it isn't bubbling out the radiator like a head gasket would , but , your right , need to do a pressure check...
It gets around 230 , not steaming or boiling over , but , that's because I find a backroad , run it down a road with no obstructions , and cool the ol' boy off , vacuum advance is hooked up , but don't see why that would matter , tried a 195 , and a 160 degree thermostat , present moment , no thermostat , all with the same outcome , just takes longer to heat up without the thermostat , I'll try running it low on coolant , but that seems like it should get hotter quicker , new radiator cap , came with new 4 row aluminum radiator , fans are on a manual switch that I turn on the minute I start the car , hoses are not sucking together , top hose has spring in it ,
Sounds more like a timing or vacuume issue with the engine than a cooling system issue. Have you checked timing???
As far as a timing light , no , but , for years , I have timed a SBC by ear with no problems...and I have done a lot of 'em...lol
I can plainly see how hot it gets, there's flames coming out of it. I suspect a head gasket issue with foaming.
Make sure fans are in back of radiator and sucking. You don't want to block radiator's airflow. Lot of guys don't realize it, but license plates, grills,trans coolers, etc knock off a lot of cooling. In the "old" days guys use to run bug screens in front of radiator (it would knock off 15% of airflow) You have a "fan problem" air flow!!!
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