Hot Rods Let's finish the 50 Chevy pickup

I know it doesn't help but I'm having the same problem.
I took out the t stat and left shroud off.
It took mine down 10 degrees. Runs 200 degrees at 70 mph on interstate.
No boil over. People say 200 to 210 is fine. I'm used to 185 degree.
I put 400 mile on it over the weekend. I am using a steel mech fan though.

 

Never trust a thermostat!

I always drill a couple 3/16 holes in the plate of a new thermostat. Not only does it help bleed air out of the top of the block when filling a cold engine, but it also guarantees some flow even when the thermostat is not working accurately.

 

Gosh, years back my truck started running 140-145 on the highway.
I had a 180? Tstat in it.
Maybe in the early 80’s they had the fail safe ones. I dunno. But it was stuck open.
I’ve read/heard about some circle track racers maybe? that just use a washer to restrict flow. They don’t rely on a thermostat. My dad’s friend used to run round around races at the Stockton 99 speedway and he had an assortment on his wall. Never made the connection as a kid when I asked what they were for and he said “cooling the car” or similar.

 

That's my main concern. With the head gasket issue I had, somebody had put shit in it, that head gasket in a can, or stop leak, etc... I cleaned the shit out of the heads while they were off. Best I could anyway. I'll get it, or I'll burn it. One way or the other I'll succeed

 

I still get the thermostats when they fail they fail open instead of closed

 

I didn't take any pictures, but I gutted another thermostat and stuck it in it. I pulled the radiator again and made new lower saddles, raised it up 2", cut out the old cross bar and made a new top saddle, then I came to the damn house. 16" 3000cfm fan will be here on Wednesday. We'll see.

 

Didn't you have a bunch of crud in the block after you pulled the heads? And now the radiator had a bunch of crud in it as well?

If the radiator plugged up that fast, is the thermostat plugged up too? The temp probes on both gauges could also be covered with the same crud giving you false readings. you need to back flush the entire cooling system until you get clear water. Then you have to find a way to continue to de-crud the motor until it stays clean or cooling issues are going to pop up every few weeks.

I might suggest you look into filtering the coolant in the motor. A lot of large trucks run the coolant through an oil filter that gets changed every week or so until it starts to clean up the crud in the block. I believe there are kits available to connect to any motorized vehicle. You can loop the coolant from the heater hose connections through the filter and back to the motor, no heater core required.

You also need an electrical or mechanical fan, or fans, or fan shroud that coves all the cores of the radiator for the fan(s) to be effective. The temps on your truck jump up pretty fast when the truck is not moving, that means the current fan isn't pulling enough air through the entire radiator when its not moving. The simple fact that the truck maintains a consistent temp rolling down the road means the system capacity and function is good, you just need clean coolant and adequate air flow when the truck is not rolling down the road.

The electric fan on my truck will kick on at speeds under 20 mph, or sitting at a pretty short red traffic light, then often turns off a soon as I'm moving again.

 

I run gutted thermostats as restricters on my cars, works great, I've also stretched a lady's knee high panty hose over the top opening of the radiator then slip the radiator hose over it to filter out junk coming out of an engine.

 

Get a high volumn thermostat but drilling holes will work.

 

Flush everything with your favorite strong cleaner. Then fill with water and some Cascade dishwasher soap and run it around a few days before you flush it again. The Cascade will usually break loose that last little bit of junk in the passages.

 

We used to use Cascade in diesels after an engine oil cooler leaked oil into the cooling system.

 

Does it dissolve it? Or just break it loose?

 

That’s what the nylon is for on the upper hose, catch what comes out of the block before it gets into the radiator.

 

It dissolves a lot of it. May not dissolve all of it but it will break it down into smaller chunks that will flush out easier.
Only thing I ever saw completely dissolve everything was hot tanking, and even that misses stuff.

 

Listen damnit, I actually stopped and bought a bottle of Cascade detergent. I stuck the radiator back in and filled it with water and about a cup of detergent. I ran it until it got to 180⁰ and shut it off. About an hour later I went out and started it and did the same thing again. Then I let it cool down, pulled the radiator, stuck the water hose in the top radiator hose and backflushed it, a ton of shit came out!!!! I turned the radiator on its inlet side and stuck the hose in the outlet with a rag around it, couldn't believe the shit that came out!!!!! You're a fucking genius brother! I flushed the engine until clean clear water came out. Stuck the radiator back in and put Cascade in it again. The water is flowing through the radiator 10 times better, and even with a fan at all, it idled for probably 10 minutes and didn't hit 180⁰ lmao!!!! Tracking shows my fan out for delivery. I'm gonna cycle the coolant a couple more times and drain it out, then flush it clean again. Damnit, if this works, you're my fucking hero lmao! Thanks @BamaMav

 

Now see, a nylon would have been a lot less work. Would have only required 1 radiator removal and back flush.

 

Yep. We did the cascade trick a lot
And used CLR. Dang block looked like it was cleaned at the machine shop in the water passages.

 

^^^^^ then he'd have to be one legged......It's already bad enough. Please don't encourage him anymore than needed!

 

Just glad to be of help Lloyd!

 

Great , now the stores will be sold out of Cascade.
Next everyone will wonder why we have Cascade in the garage.
Glad it worked.

 

So I got a message that my new fan was delivered. So I left the shop to run home and get it, ran by the parts store and picked up a new radiator hose. Installed everything, but the electric fan wouldn't fit as a puller. I put the electric fan on the front and wired it in, stuck the mechanical fan back on the water pump. Fired the bomb up and 15 minutes later it wouldn't go past 170⁰ I turned the electric fan on for shits and giggles, but it didn't change anything. So then I went to put the hood latch pan back on, and it won't clear the fan. So tmrw I'm gonna take the electric fan off and return it, gonna put a 2" spacer on the mechanical fan and let it ride. I appreciate the help.

 

Best news I’ve heard all day!! On to Bowling Green!!!

 

Gonna be a good time!

 

Had a couple of hours today so I made some bumper brackets, and narrowed the bumper 3". Did some insulating, still gotta go get some carpet.

 

How far back did you grind (if any) the chrome before welding the pieces together?

 

About 3/16" on the chrome side, with about a 1/16" gap when I glued it back together.

 

It stuck out too wide for my taste