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I have decided to restart things by first flushing out the system as the color of the 50/50 mix that’s in there presently is more brownish than greenish - probably from within the block as the radiator was brand new. Once it’s flushed out real good, I will put in a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and distilled water, burp it, and see how that works out. If that does not work out I have enough room to make my present fan a puller by removing the mechanical fan and installing the electric fan as a puller. If I make progress with one or both of these changes, I may also install a shroud. The fan I have covers almost the entire radiator so it is a good candidate for that setup. These things I can do now without major modifications to the truck. I may have to do the major mods later anyway but time will tell ….
So I dropped all the radiator fluid flushed it with straight water twice and it was still a little brown after that second water flush. I put in a little over a gallon of distilled water, then filled it with tap water covering the coils. I then put in this …. … that I picked up at Autozone. I then fired the truck up with the cap off for about 5-8 minutes to hopefully purge any air bubbles then put the cap on. After about 15 minutes, the temp gauge said about 130 - I then went for about a 1/2 hour ride. Couple things: - it took longer to reach 180 than it had before and after 30 minutes of stop and go, and driving between 25-55 mph, it hit 195 but it never went over 195, try as I might, and the big change is that it would cool down off that high until I was in traffic again but again, never over 195. This it did not do before with any consistency. I am no guru, but there had to be air in the system before to have it as erratic as it was and not be like that now. I do not think that after flushing it out again, and running a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water would make much of a difference but I think I am moving in the right direction and I am feeling better at this point. I have some things going on the rest of the week but I will drive it for a good length of time over the weekend, let it cool down, and give it a real good flushing out of everything. I will change the thermostat and make sure there’s a hole in it so that it will burp properly, and then install a 50/50 mix and see what happens. I am hoping for a 185-190 cruise temp before the AC goes on but I have other options should I not achieve that. Let’s see what unfolds after the major flush ….
Continued to drive around and in the truck Sat and s Sun with real feel temps 95-100. On my last DWI (Bandit - lol!) the truck (which my wife has named Pearl) got around .240 . I pulled into a church parking lot where a wedding was about to go on - waited about a 1/2 hour, and when was cool enough to drop be home just about the time the wedding began. So with the thermo in, this was after about 4 gallons running through …, It was really brown. After about 12 -15 buckets of water running through she was still a light brown. The engine was running and the heater on but the engine never really got hot. I removed the thermo and after about 6-8 more buckets, here’s what I had …. That looked really good to me so I consider my flush complete. Btw, here’s a pic of their thermo …. Needless to say, I have ordered a new one and it will be in sometime this week along with a 16 lb rad cap with sacrificial diode for a coolant recovery system. Once back in the garage I will empty the rad and remove the lower rad hose to empty out as much water from the system as possible and mix up 4 gallons of 50/50 (from concentrate) and I will keep you informed. It will be a few days so I will be working on a few items while I wait for parts …..
Got my new parts but when I looked into the intake once the therm housing was off it still hadbrown residue. So I put an another flush solution with no thermostat and went for a ride. What I found out from that ride was I was leaking water out of my thermostat housing gasket and then I would get hot. Made it back home and with the motor cooled off I flushed everything out, removed the thermo housing and checked the gasket I noticed very little surface was being covered at the thermo opening with the gasket - maybe it not a 1/16” was contracting at its bulbous area. I unfortunately had to use an aftermarket chrome housing as it was the only one I could find where the outlet was straight up with the correct hose size. After multiple trips to the auto parts store I ended up making my own gasket using material I have had for years, making sure it covered the entire housing contact surface. I had to close things up quick as we are expecting some heavy rain and I was outside so I could not let the gasket goop seal properly h by it we shall see. So now I am still running with no thermostat with plain water and wetter water added. I will drive it some more and keep a check on the thermo housing area to see if I am losing coolant. This is at least part of the problem and I am am looking for some positive results. The feel temp is 97 - a pretty good time to test things out once the storms pass …..
Those chrome water outlets are terrible for leaking, Tom. I know I'm not telling you something that you didn't already know. The chroming process tends to warp them just enough that it makes it hard to get 'em to seal. Hope you can find an appropriate one like you need.
I prefer them in aluminum. You can still polish them up nice for the right application and they are easy to flatten out. I just stick a 180 DA paper to a flat steel table top and put some elbow grease in to sanding the mounting area flat.
So I have had success with the thermo housing gasket. No leaks. Although we got hot, it did not get above 230 and by the time I got home I was at around 215. Still too warm but everything held tight. Next week - move the fan to the engine side as a puller …..
I did sand the base of the housing flat - I forgot to mention that - looking at it during the process there was no real warpage but I sanded it anyway just to be sure ….. Yes, I have been on a hunt for a steel thermo housing - we’ll see what might turn up at Fall Carlisle and Hershey ….. I am just happy to move in a positive direction - at least I am on the right track. Btw, I had it up to 70-73 mph and if got slightly hotter as speeds went up. I am thinking the air entering the grille area is pushing around the radiator area vs through it. At lower speeds, the rad temp trends cooler - another reason to move the fan as a puller to the engine side …..
You taking those temp readings with a IR gun or trusting the gauges? I have two El'Stewart Warnez "Wings" temp gauges in my roadster. They look cool but they read as well as a blind squirrel. They have both seen 220 and up but my flathead has never puked. Sort of like on Pirates of the Caribbean, they are more like guidelines rather than accurate instruments.
Not, I do not have a temp sensor. Iust the gauge so I realize it may not be as bad as it seems. However, the radiator was ready for a ribeye steak that would have cooked up pretty quickly several times! So my thinking is that if it did not blow at 240+ via the gauge reading, the hot rod gods are giving me a sign they are with me - like that washer ……
I have a 180 sender in my radiator to trigger my fan. It doesn't come on until those gauges hit 200 at least. I'm thinking mine are off by 25 to 30 degrees? Last year I was with a buddy at a cruise night, we sat for over an hour in summer traffic and never boiled over. I heard the fan engage a couple of times, but it pulls the temp down pretty fast once it is on. I am not an eclectic fan of the electric fan, but they pull their weight.
If temperature rises while driving at highway speeds, not enough air is flowing THROUGH the radiator. Air is flowing around the radiator, or it is being blocked by the pusher fan. No fan is needed at highway speeds if the radiator and air flow are working together. Do you have the triangular sheet metal piece that goes on top of the grill and in front of the radiator, installed?
I didn’t see any pictures of your lower radiator hose but depending on its shape and length it could be collapsing at higher rpm and restricting flow. They have stainless springs you can stick in the hose to solve it, if that’s one of the issues. Congrats on getting to finally drive yours. Mine is still a cab on a frame. lol
Haha - that’s the way mine sat for 14 years or so ! Just get on it a little bit at a time and it will get done!
As much air that is going over the top of the radiator, there is just as much going around the sides. However, I know you are right and I think I’m going to make something up ….
Template for a top cover ….. …. just have to come up with some material to make it out of. What thickness have you guys used?
I drove it around for about 1/2 hour - had it up to 75 with temps at 150-180, got off and was doing around 35 the temps went up to maybe 185-90, got into traffic and the highest was 210 but no more. Again, this is no thermo, water is not with Wetterwater additive and it cooled down to around 190 by the time I got home. Real feel temp is 94 outside
Air around the sides of the radiator? Is there a way to make sheet metal panels between the radiator and the inner fender? Might as well remove that pusher fan before mounting up the new panels. It blocks/disrupts air that needs to go through the radiator at all driving speeds.
Hey pprather, that's my old 39. Can't say I built that plate though. It has been working well for well over 20 years. You do need the baffle plates on the sides though to make the air pass through the radiator. I make my plates out of 19 ga. steel but aluminum or stainless steel works well also. Because of Toms radiator his side plates will have to include more bend than the stock style radiator side plate. The side plates can be pretty simple. These were just made for my 39 out of 19 gauge steel. I highly recommend a shroud like this. This is the one we built for my 40. We had less room to work with on my 39 so went with a different (low profile) fan on this one. The shrouds are made from 19 gauge steel. You can see how they are were made in my build threads. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/a-40-ford-coupe-for-uncle-mike-build-thread.949053/ https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...an-resurrection.1204912/page-11#post-14913590 Tom, I know you will figure this out. You have succefully solved so many problems already. This is just a bump in the road.I know how frustrating it can be to have a Hot rod that constantly overheats. My modifications are not perfect but they keep the temperatures tolerable in high 90's weather. Sam
Thanks, Sam - things would be an lot easier if I had a stock radiator but I do not. Did you have a bottom plate as well and if so, any pics? Size? This would be another custom piece ….. In looking at what I have, I need to move the horns and my side pieces would mount as normal but have to angel inward towards the radiator. I do have an old pair of side plates that can get me started. As of right now I am going to keep the electric fan in place until the panels are in, then remove it and see where I am at. The other thing I might do is reduce my condenser size to lessen the blockage my present “almost as big as the radiator “ one is and perhaps move it to one of the side panels OR? Checking to see what’s available. It’s just a cab to cool ….. As always, I appreciate your comments and for all the kudos as well …..
Here are some pictures of the bottom plate or air dam. If you don't have one these the pictures will give you an idea of how simple they are. You should be able to make something similar to fit your application. The mounting holes are the same ones used for the radiator mount on the frame. two more holes in the front attach the dam to the bottom of the grill. Don't forget to leave a drain hole for rain water. I cut most of mine off to allow easier accesses to the radiator drain and bottom hose. You can see there a few places for rain water to flow out but most of the incoming air has just one way to go. Hope this is helpful Tom. feel free to delete all of these pictures when you are ready as I don't want to mess up your build thread with my stuff. Sam
Thanks, Sam - that is all very helpful and I really appreciate it.! Presently I can find smaller AC condensers but they are more bulky and I might go from the frying pan to the fire so I will table that for now. I got a sheet of 22 gauge to do the top cover but things start to get busy for me right. I will catch time on my ongoing issues when I can. I will cut the top piece first, then move a few things, come up with a pattern for the bottom, then the sides. Then they all have to tie in together somehow- should be a fun puzzle to solve! Funny thing happened last night - Dad was over for dinner and I wanted to take him for a ride in the truck afterwards. So I back the truck out of the garage and then I have to go forward and back again to clear all the trees - well I went forward fine but as soon as a I try and go back, the shifter does nothing like it’s not grabbing any gears. What the heck is this! Dad never got his ride and I just covered it up in the driveway. It was just kind of funny because I drove the truck all over the place yesterday and it goes wonky in my driveway- it was funny but fortunate that it happened at home. It took about a half hour to fix this morning - the spline ended arm tor the shift rod just came off the shifter was all ….. being “Mr. Goodwrench” is an adventure from time to time ….. lol! I will keep you posted !
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