I drove it nearly 1000 miles the second weekend i had it. Thats when i learned i had anoverheating problem. This is not a new build. When I got it, it was several years old and was supposed to be "sorted out". NOT! There are other threads on all the stuff I've done since getting the car.
Well just have to keep working at it. I bought my car in 2008 as a driver and it oveheated after three miles of driving.
Rockable, is there a "shroud" that seals the hood from the core support so that air cannot move over the top of the radiator? Also look at a "modern" car (look at a pickup as they are rear wheel drive), most will have a baffle under the radiator fan area that directs heat to the rear. Build one. The air needs to move orderly through the radiator, along the engine and out the back. Seal all large holes in the core support, and gaps around the radiator. Make sure there is plenty of exit room towards the rear of the engine compartment. Your shroud looks good. I did not notice whether you have a closed system cap and overflow tank or not, but this is a must for optimum cooling. ~Alden
If a stock reguler water pump is out of line,My guess you have a mix of parts. Engine pulley,wrong lower pulley,wp pulley. If you can run down road and not over heat,Best thing to do is run electric fan with shroud when idling.The best raditor I could find in my 52 chevy car was a 67- 68 Camaro.They are small and for a v8.
did you test that thermostat before you installed it? i've had ones that didn't work all the way. apart from that, i'd suspect airflow. do you have a radiator shroud? is the fan close enough to the radiator? is it bolted on the right way? have you bled the system of air?
hmm.. could your radiator be.. to small? just a wild guess.. might as well ask evean the stupid questions. mayhaps the water pump is turning in the wrong direction?
Yes, it is a pressurized system. For the umpteenth time, the water pump rotation is correct and the radiator is a 3 row copper brass unit that is the biggest you could put in the car. It is at least as big as the one in my 86 Silverado. I went to a radiator shop (they are getting hard to find) this morning to drop the radiator off just to have it checked. Wouldn't you know that they are closed this week. Also, my Dad is in the hospital, so I'm off to SC for the rest of the week. Next week, I'll get the radiator checked out while it is out and then reassemble this mess once again. Thanks. I've had two different thermostats. When the weather is 85 or less, it regulates just fine. I may try a 190 instead of a 180.
I am probably trying a radiator like this one, for the price I won't even mess with taking my current one to some radiator shop: http://www.amazon.com/CFR-Ultracool-Aluminum-Radiator-Street/dp/B001JPETZ2
If the engine sounds like it has a hot cam,sounds retarded,bad idle,high idle. Best to replace the cam with good idle,and maybe and RV cam.
I've been watching this thread with great interest because my '58 has been running hot and although it didn't puke the engine temp was close to 230 when I got stuck in traffic at Back to the 50's. Mild 454, 180 t'stat, stock pulleys, electric pusher fan (no room for standard fan or puller) and an aluminum Northern radiator 25"x19"x3". I installed a new 180 thermostat and upgraded to a 2600 cfm Spal fan and it's still running hot at idle. A Weiand high flow waterpump and Robert Shaw high flow thermostat are on the way, if that dosen't solve the issue I'm fresh out of ideas...
Fighting the same problem with my(new 283 with less than 1000 miles) 35. It runs just a hair over 180 while driving, get in stuck traffic , and it starts climbing up. But being the engine sits lower in the engine bay, the fan is to low. But going to do(check timing first) shroad and fan. Last resort water pump riser (Zips or Snow Flake) will see whats up
I had a 56 ford pu with 302 and was forevery over heating to the point of quiting, fuel boiling.I tryed new rad,flex fans,pulleys,more fans.IT would cool good once i got moving and would cool quick.I bought a electric fan with shroud puller type.I removed the mechical fan and fit the new one in.Then when in traffic flip the switch.cools right down.I need to order another for my flathead running hot in traffic.Good one is over $200. Note you don,t need any fan when moving if raditor is any good.
Had some good conversations with InvisibleKid (Mike) on this issue, and they way I look at it, if my car will hit 225 in traffic, and then once I'm moving take a very long time to get back to 190, well, that's the radiator or water pump. I know my water pump is working, but I deserve a new radiator. I just have to figure out if I can run a pre-made shroud or need to have one made.
If you decide to change the radiator, I would recommend a PRC (Performance Rod and Custom) They are 100% US made, and the best available. Plus, they are quite affordable at $425.00 and they are custom fit for your application. I have sold a TON of these, and used a bunch too. NEVER had a problem with their product. www.prchotrod.com.
This over heating issue has been on my mind, mine also runs hot, and last night while at my buddies garage, we where getting some cars ready for Goodguys in Columbus this weekend. I payed special attention to the Radiators, fans, and spacing.... Here is what I found.. Example will be a 56 chevy pickup. 283 mild built engine. Turbo 352 tranny, no A/C... He has a stock chrome water pump, a 6 blade flex fan, and a US radiator 4 core radiator. ( stock down flow design, copper) His fan is 2 inches at the top and 3 at the bottom away from the radiator, sittin low as well. No shroud.... Pulleys are 7 inch pump and crank. He has had this truck built for 15 years like this. it goes down the freeway, and in stop and go traffic, can idle for long periods of time, and never gets above 180....Even on the hottest of days. Then there is a 36 Dodge Brothers. 350 stock. New alluminum radiator (griffin)electric fan, everything is text book. 7 inch crank and pump pulleys.... and she cant get off the freeway without runnin hot, over heats in traffic, and doesnt like to idle very long.... I dont think there is a ryme or reason to this issue. and they are all different...
I don't understand the issue with the shaft? If it enters the pulley and fan any distance at all it will be centered properly. The pump you have should be fine. If you had an air pocket it would likely heat up one time and then expel the air. Particularly with a closed system. Some engines can be problematic, but not the small block Chevy. I am relatively certain that your problem is inadequate airflow through the radiator. ~Alden
There is no extension protruding through my pulley to center the fan up. The billet pulley is 3/8" thick. I put a rigid blade fan on it, with shroud, to try to prove that airflow was the problem. That did not solve the issue. I'll get the radiator checked out next week when the shop reopens. We will see. I AM going to fix this SOB.
My two cents at the end of the day. We have a 50 Chevy Ute and put in the finest US Radiator in front of the 350/350. And it has run hot since day one. We have taken the flex fan off and moved a stock fan 3/4 of an inch away from the rad, added a shroud, pulled the trans cooling out of the rad and to a seperate cooler, raised the carb with a spacer, checked the timing, checked the vacumm feed. And what I have to the conculsion is I am a terrible mechanic and that really these early Chevys cars that only came with 6 cylinders have a motor compartment that is too small for all that hot air to get away from that heat producing V-8.
I am sure there is plenty of room to lose the hot air, compartment in my 37 Buick is very narrow and I cant even get to 190 degrees unless I am stuck in traffic. Then the fan kicks on and I am back under 180 in a few minutes. This is the fan I am using, couldnt fit a mechanical fan in there because the engine sits too low.
I had a 52 chevy car and 350 standard bore,with Comp mild cam,I bought a new camaro raditor, best I could find for size to fit chevy.It was for a 67 Camaro they had a 350 in them and 350 auto trans.Maybe I was lucky but didn,t even have a shrode never had any problem stock fan.Even used the trans cooler on rad.
Rockable, forgive me if you already answered, I couldn't see where you may have discussed whether there is a baffle above the radiator that prevents air moving over the radiator. Any air passing through the radiator should be outside air coming through the grille, not recyled heated air coming from behind the radiator. Also how unobstructed are the openings to each side of the rear of the engine? There also may need to be a baffle under the radiator and fan, directing the air toward the rear and cleaning up the airflow. Please keep us posted, as the remedy will undoubtedly help others here. ~Alden
No, I don't think it does. I'll examine that when I get back on it. The openings are about as unrestricted as they can be in that car. Most of the air has to go down, however and hot air doesn't like to go down.
Thanks for asking. He is not doing well. I'm headed to the hospital today to sit with him for a couple days. Thoughts and prayers appreciated.
Good morning and happy 4th I was just wondering if your sbc has a reverse flow coolant water pump setup. that would usually have a serpentine belt. you mentioned a crate motor. there are little block off pieces that fit into the intake gaskets. I'm wondering if someone mistakenly installed the block off plates in the wrong place. ask me how I know that John
Damn. Took my radiator over to Gordon's in Winston. Randy took my radiator and flow checked it. There is nothing wrong with it. He flushed it anyway. He identified it as a Walker 3 row and said it should be more than adequate for my car. I told him everything I had done and tried. He also tested my cap which is a 15-16 psi cap. It also is ok. He believes it an air flow issue, as do I. I told him about the rigid blade fan with no clutch and he said, "that ought to do it.". He told me to bring it by if it is still overheating when I get it back together AGAIN. Damn. It's supposed to cool off tomorrow (I'm not complaining.) so I won't be able to really test it unt il it gets hot again.....which it will do.
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