So the '51 started overheating again and I know I need to flush, and eventually replace the radiator soon because I think that is my main problem but I did have one question in my efforts to trouble shoot. I took out the thermostat checked it (in boiling water) it seems to be fine but I do have a newer one I'm going to put in anyways but My main question was "Since I took the thermostat out of the car, when I start the car shouldn't the water be circulating when I pop the cap off the radiator?" I have heard a lot of people riding like this so they have constant flow in the summer months and here in Louisiana it is in the 80's now on January first LOL... Any help or insight on this question really appreciated. thanks, Larry Update: after I sat hear writing this post and did a few things I got up and went out to look, she is running a good deal hotter but still no flow... somehow my gauge stopped working not long ago so I can't tell exactly how hot she is but I killed the motor just to be safe. She get's me on short trips to the store, the family's house, or the local bar but I'm ready to be on the road and this overheating is the only thing holding us back. thanks again, Larry
I had that problum once and found out the impellers inside the w/pump had cloged so bad from rust they didn't work properly ..My 2 cents is a flush won't be a bad idea either.use 1/2 the flush solution at a time on that old rad. Take your time and let the solution do its job and make sure you use a solution to stop future sludge ,ie radiator /w-pump lube .check with your auto parts supplyer for it.. Hope you get er fixed so you can ride man...
My old 52 chevy heated and when I took the radiator to the shop the shop owner showed me a pile of mouse house that came out of it...ran cool after that. If your coolant isn't moving, I'd be thinking plugged radiator.
My rad in my truck doesn't really show movement maybe because it's a tall rad or? Both water pumps were knew, cap and thermostats replaced and fan belt tension was correct (belt wasn't slipping on the water pump or the fan) --------------------------- Well, assuming that your timing and carb are set precisely and not causing addition heating thru power lose etc... This is what worked for me, it's worth a try and there is no real downside.. ------------------- My problem was with over heating once I got up to speed and since the rear ratio limits my truck to ~55 or 60 mph, the problem was exasperated by the over temperature. : At 45 mph I could drive for 15 or 20 minutes before the temps climbed : At 60 mph I got about 10 minutes max before the temps went up. : Once the temp gauge reached 180~, there was no way back, in other words, the system steamed the water out once I hit 180 degrees and then there was no way that the temp would come back down by slowing the revs/speed down. -I tried several store bought 'Rad Flushes', didn't help. -I tried running the hose thru the system with the truck hot and running, I probably did that a dozen times and after each time I would again go for a short drive and it would run back up top hot just like the dozen times before. ----------- Each time I flushed the rad I saved the first gallon in a see thru container just to see what things looked like. With every flush, the first gallon out looked brown and it had a slightly slimy feel to it And every time I pulled the rad cap it had a slime on it. I would let the gallon cool and settle and the next day the water would be mostly clear and all the stuff had settled to the bottom. -So after a dozen flushes using several Store Bought 'Rad Flush' products and most times just plain old garden hose water, I was still getting the same brown water out, it was still kinda slimy and it was settling clear over night.-The many rad flushes with/without commercial cleaners Did Nothing. . Then an old mechanic friend told me about this stuff: Cascade ALL IN ONE for dishwashers (make sure it is the all in one and not just the sheeting action rinse) I placed 2 cubes in the rad with fresh clean water and went for a 20 mile drive at which point the temps had hit 220. I flushed the rad at a friends place and witnessed the same brownish looking water that every other flush had produced..I placed 2 more cubes in and filled the rad for the return trip at which point I flushed the rad again. -Filling the rad back up and going for another cruise produced these results...... : At 45 mph I could drive forever with the temp almost running too cold at about 160 degrees. : At 60 mph the temp approached 170ish which is about the threshold of how low of a temp you would want your engine to run at. (any lower and you are asking for long term problems). : At 70 mph my old pickup was really revving but I could drive easily for a 1/2 hour or more before the temps approached the 180 mark and that's when the steam would eventually evaporate the water from the zero pressure (rad cap) system. Another 1/2 hour of over speeding the slow speed rear-end 63 year old truck would eventually result in the temps climbing back to the hot range. -If I kept it under 70mph, I could literally cruise all day. -With one eye on the temp gauge, I drove with the intent on keeping the water under the ~185ish mark at which point the steam would escape the rad. And as long as I kept the engine running below about 185, I could cruise indefinitely and more importantly, when I slowed down the temps came down as well. Cascade All In One Worked when all other store bought methods and a dozen hose flushes failed..Cascades sheeting action removed the slime of 63 years from the water jackets of the engine and the cylinder walls were able to transfer the heat of combustion fully into the water.. I think that in my case, 63 years of 'Bar's Leak' etc., had coated the water jackets just like a snugly warm blanket so the heat was not being transferred to the water and then into the rad. -There was little thermal transfer.. Here's what you need to know about Cascade (All In One): -It's dishwasher safe, rubber, glass, ceramic, metal, plastic etc Safe -It's designed to work at extremely high temps and the hotter the better so the 180 to 220 degrees that the engine runs at helps this stuff do it's job. -It worked and the price was about $5 which will give me a lot of rad flushes (my dishwasher wears a mini skirt). -If your timing is not causing your over heating and your fan belt tension is correct, What do you have to loose? My timing, ignition and carb were/are set properly but my problem was in not being able to transfer the heat from the cylinder walls into the water/water jackets. Hope it works for you. moe (not a cascade employee or representative, just a user and abuser) .
I have washed parts in the dishwasher before with good results .I never thought about using the stuff outside the washer. Great idea ,think i'll give it a try on my f1. its not run hot yet but came close last summer.....
I've put a couple thousand miles on since I did the cascade trick and the M47 is much happier for it and so am I. . .
The '52 Chevy just got, the builder said it would run hot on the freeways, so I had a radiator shop flush the radiator. I checked the airflow through the radiator using a sheet of notebook paper. The paper held tight at idle and 2000 rpm. Going down the freeway, she ran at 180 until traffic slowed. Temp went up to 210, even after traffic cleared, the temp would not drop. I bought a brass/copper tri-pass 4 row radiator (since I want to add A/C) and checked the timing. Lo and behold, the mechanical advance was frozen. Replaced the distributor and now she runs at 140, no matter what. Oh, she has a 350 in it,
Thanks for all the help guys... I'm going to flush her tomorrow... I'll try the cascade thing and see how that works for us... I usually never even go over 45-50 miles per hour and it stays at a good temp but I think it has to have a clog since I'm not getting any flow the last couple days... Hopefully this works and we are good to go. If not I'll check more into the timing, and eventually try to replace the rad... I'll post results. thanks again! Larry
Check flow in your radiator first then go the soap route,remove the bottom hose and put a garden hose in the fill neck of the rad try to aim it one side and the other and see if what goes in comes out not backing up in the tank it should come out almost as fast as you put it in, depending on how much water pressure you have, if the rad is plugged then you know where your at if it flows nicely then you have other problems, water should flow when you have removed the thermostat if its not you may have a bad water pump.
Alright... so it looks like I need a new water pump. No flow, plus no clog... I disconnected the bottom hose and all the water poured out and then, I put the house in the top and crystal clear flow out the bottom. I was hoping a flush would do but I guess it's a good thing that I do not have sludge and build up in there, so I'm looking at the "silver lining" of this situation. And of course, now I get to change my first water pump... oh joy. lol Still one question though, almost everywhere that I see bad water pumps, people are talking about leaks, I have no leaks, and it also seems that it may have been working, then stopped working and then started back up again. Is this common of a water pump going out? I just don't want to waste time and money before I tackle this... Of course the goal is to have her all mint one day but for me money, IS a factor and I don't have much of it lol... So, when people are always saying "Just do this and do that" spend the extra money bla bla bla, I hear ya and that is what I would do if I had the shit piled up in the bank but it's not the case. lol Well, at least until I get the cash for a water pump she still does me fine from here and there on short rides... all in do time and my needs aren't as far out of my reach as some might be so that's cool... About to take the girl out for lunch and a movie today with my ol' lady, so things aren't bad in life. Thanks once again for all the help and insight, you guys rock... and all the progress I've come to so far is because of the HAMBERS on here being cool enough to help out an up n' comer like myself who 1yr ago was completely fresh out the water. Much respect, Larry
gotcha, noted. thnx If anybody has insight on the last question it's welcomed and appreciated: "Still one question though, almost everywhere that I see bad water pumps, people are talking about leaks, I have no leaks, and it also seems that it may have been working, then stopped working and then started back up again. Is this common of a water pump going out?" Can they just freeze up or crap out without leaking? I believe it is the original so it is pretty old. thnx
The impeller vanes can easily erode and stop pushing water. The only time they leak is when the bearing goes bad and the coolant goes out the weep hole. A bad impeller is often overlooked. Any time I have an older car with a water pump of unknown pedigree, it gets changed with the t-stat. Bob
Re; "50 years of Bars Leaks"..... Nasty stuff indeed....Always reminded me of coffee grounds ! Our shop owned a tool which was connected to both a water hose as well as shop air...Remove t'stat,. both radiator hoses,...and connect the tool to the upper hose. Turn on the water, and when it was flowing out the lower hose, add air pressure. Unbelieveable,....what crud came out ! Intermittant water pumps..... A possibility would be the impeller coming loose on the shaft,.. I saw one fall off, when the pump was removed. Check a new pump for the same thing....."New only means shiny", when it comes to parts !! 4TTRUK
Cool, thanks... just making sure I educate myself in the process here. You guys always come through and I'll be the guy one day helping out another new guy LOL Good Stuff.
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