OK, I'm at a bit of a loss now.....i have a 1954 chevy 210 all original 235 cid. I have recently flushed the system, cleaned out the radiator very well, replaced the thermostat, the water pump, and put in a 6 blade after market radiator fan to help keep the car cool. I also put a 7 lb radiator cap. (the heater core started to leak pretty bad, so I byp***ed the heater all together by running a hose from the water pump back to the thermostat housing). It definitely has helped out, the car used to be completely engulfed in smoke after driving it for 15 min. Now it's a lot better, but I'm still getting about a quart of coolant coming out of the radiator overflow after a 15 mile drive (at 40 degrees F). Any suggestions???...thanks!
have you had the radiator to a radiator shop? it may be plugged? they run rods through the tubs to clean out the radiator, you may try that if you haven't already.
Water wetter does actually work, there are several brands. I typically see a 10 degree drop in temps with it. Also, this may sound silly, but your cooling system is designed to have an air pocket in the radiator, not completely full. On a downflow radiator, I typically see them run about 3" below the top of the tank, or about halfway down. It allows the coolant to expand and contract as it heats and cools. I would leave it the quart or so low and drive it some more and see if the coolant level continues to go down. If it settles in somewhere around half to three quarters full in the top tank, your good to go. Scot
Well, that cooling system is not like those in later models that have a closed system with a coolant overflow container. It is necessary to leave some expansion space at the top of the radiator for coolant expansion when the engine temp rise to operating levels. So, if you are filling it to the the before capping it, some coolant loss would be predictable. A quart?.....I don't know if that is an accurate estimate or not, nor do I know exactly how much it would expand, but I would think that is not far off what I would expect. If, on the other hand, you are allowing expansion space when cold, then there is obviously something else wrong. A**** those that come to mind is, the block has excessive sediment in the water jackets. You would be surprised how much **** collects in the water jackets and can be removed with the engine in the car. You have to remove the core plugs (aka "freeze plugs") and poke around with any suitable tool. A screwdriver, stiff wire probe etc. to dislodge this stuff while you are flushing with a hose. Beyond that, you could have a head gasket that is leaking compression/combustion g***es into the water jackets, pressurizing the cooling system and causing coolant loss. Have you actually checked the coolant temperature with an independent tool/guage? A meat thermometer or one of those infrared heat measuring "guns" could be useful for that purpose. There are probably other suggestions that will be offered as well, but these are a place to start. Ray
Some of the older cars were a zero pressure cooling system, once they puke out coolant and got to the level they liked, the coolant stayed at that level. Are you adding coolant back everyday? Try leaving it alone and see what it does. If it pukes some everyday, you have internal engine problems or head gasket leak. The 235's have a problem of holding air in the block when filling, you sure its 100% full of coolant? does the thermostat have air bleed hole drilled in it? Joe
The coolant should only cover the tubes in the radiator, most of the top tank should be air when it's cold.
Is it coming out of the overflow just because it's overheating? What sort of temps are you seeing? That much coolant coming out that quickly makes me wonder if you've got a bad headgasket and you're pressurizing the system and forcing the coolant out?
All the above address the cooling system well, but have you checked your timing? Check your advance (both initial and vacuum/centrifugal). Running with retarded timing can make your engine run hotter also.
thanks a lot. I have been filling the radiator to the tip top, so ill allow it some room...The head gasket is relatively easy to get to right? (I am pretty green)...
You should really find out how hot its getting, thermometer in the radiator works if you don't have a gauge. But with an old car, a gauge is almost a must have. Have you checked both hoses to see if they're both hot? Can you see coolant flow in the open radiator? I would have the radiator checked and cleaned by a shop, they'll tell you what to use for a cap. If you suspect a head gasket leak, that's another story. There are sealers (silver stuff in the tube works for me) that work pretty well. Bob
Yep 15lbs. cap and do you have a shroud on that fan, if not you really need one to make the fan work. MrC.
Once you get the cylinder head off, there it is! Pretty straight forward on your Chevy. The biggest hurdle is setting the valves again. Bob
Before you get to worried about it, just try it for a week with the coolant level down where it should be...I bet it's fine
I would also caution you on the 15# cap, on 30 or 40 year old radiators thats an awful lot of pressure and you could end up hurting the core or worse, blowing a tank seam open. I worked in a radiator shop for years and on something that old a 15# cap is a huge no-no. Scot
DO NOT use a 15lb cap as suggested. Unless you have a modern radiator AND heater core, they are not going to stay together under that kind of pressure. The additional pressure will not prevent over heating (if that is your problem) anyway, just raise the boiling temp. As others have posted, check the temp with a guage or thermometer. Mr. Gasket makes a cap with a thermometer in it.
yes, i have checked the hoses, they are both hot. I'll run it for a bit and see if I'm losing any more coolant. I'll get a thermometer and check to temp as well. Really appreciate it everyone, thanks!
My buddy just replaced his head gasket for the same problem, no coolant in the oil just blown in between cylinders. Now runs fine.
The Jalopy Journal
