Just got back from the "Run to the end of the world" on Longbeach, WA. Good show and lots of cars. Not many flatheads but did find a 36 cpe with a weind 142 and a Deuce(?) roadster with a blown flatty with blower and home made fuel injection. 400 mile round trip on back roads, lots of hills, small towns that restrict speed down to 25. TONS of motor homes going 35 in a 50 zone with 10 cars behind them. (illegal to impede more that 5 cars here in WA.) With all of the obstacles I still got just over 15mpg and didn't think that was too bad for the type of driving we had. Oil pressure was 52-56#'s. I had taken the thermostats out, used just water with anti-rust/pump lube and a couple of bottles of blue ice. Trip down was in about 60 degrees ambient with eng temp up to about 180. Coming home ambient upper 70's and eng temp up to just over 200. This higher temp was while going uphill at the slower speeds. The temp did seem to rise quickly when I got close to getting pressure from the blower (hard acceleration, lol). Running at 60 mph the temp was a steady 180 on the warm day home. I had no pinging at any speed and the acceleration was incredible. (A BTM is installed and set at 1 3/4) Both sides of the engine were within 5 degrees of each other at all times. I haven't checked for any combustion leakage but if I did have some wouldn't one side show a higher heat range? Oh, a good electric fan installed and only came on a couple of times in the cooler trip but quite often on the way home in hotter weather. Still trying to work out what I perceive to be a heat problem. Sorry if I rambled on but if any of you have any thoughts about my info it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Fourdy
I'm a total newb with flatheads (just bought my first one.. getting it home next weekend) but have been around engines for long time. You say you ran just water. Is it not better to run a "coolant" or is that just for newer engines? I had a (ugh) Pontiac V6 boil like crazy with just water. Needed coolant to maintain decent temps. Taking the thermostat out made it worse! The water wasn't sticking around long enough to be taking the heat away. I ask because I'd like to know. Not to suggest I know anything about the proper way with a flattie.
Water alone has a quicker absorbtion rate than coolant or coolant/water mix. Total heat absorbed is about the same, it's just quicker with water. The coolant will raise the boiling point and T-stats will increase the relative pressure on the block side of the T-stat. Both of these help to prevent localized boiling at hot spots - once you get localized boiling, you can get into a situation where you can't get the engine cool - sounds like that's what happened with your pontiac...had nothing to do with water "staying" anywhere longer or shorter...
Nice one Fourdy, been following your prgress on the 'Barn. Well done...looks like a real clean engine too !! Rat
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