what do you guys recomend running for a mildly built 51' 255 flathead in east coast spring temperatures. 160 degrees or 180 degrees? any input would help. thanks mike
Flip a coin .You can make a case for either one.Use one, don't leave out, flattie don't run well cold.
Been running 160's for years on a stock 255 with 4bbl. Runs great hot or cold. They say it is more efficient to run higher temps. but under normal driving conditions I could never detect the difference.
I use the Prestone high-flow model #330160 for 160 degree of 330180 for 180 degree. I prefer the 160 myself but others prefer the 180. Available thru Advance auto parts and other supply stores, 'bout $12.00 each but worth the money I think. These used to be called Robertshaw.
Can thermostats actually help keep temps cooler when idling in traffic on a warm day? I ran last summer without them. 95% of the time it was fine, run at 170 all day. Once the fall came I had to block part of the rad to get it up to temp and get some heat out of the heater. And on one hot summer night it went up to 195-200 sitting in traffic to pull into a cruise night. I've been too nervous to try cruising with it, so I sit and watch the others drive by.
I've been running 180's with a mild 239 flathead with a Walker rad. Runs right on 180 summer and winter. Sometimes sneaks up to 190 if it idles in traffic for five mins.
mine use to sit on 160 all day long, if in traffic might need to put the fan on that is with a 160 thermostat. However with the 4/71 on it now creaps up to over 200. taking the car into the rod show I got caught in peak hour traffic, got up to 220! didnt seem to overly mind it, as in it never lost its guts when I stopped the motor like I would have expected. But I would like to see it come back down to around the 17-80 mark. I am a little stumped as in november last year I did a trip for 3 and half hours and it never moved over 160. so not sure what is wrong now. might be the timing. need to figure it out tho, its the main thing that worries me.
In my experience retarded timing will make a flatty run hot. As the fibre shoe on the points begins to wear the gap on the points closes up and the timing is retarded. Could almost tell when it was time to regap the points by the way the temperature gauge acted. Used to run mine about 21 degrees total b4 I installed the blower. Joe Abbin recommended I not exceed 16 degrees total with the blower however he is running 21 degrees on the Killer motor that was described on a thread here last week.
Good info here guys. I'm thinking about going to 170 stats because that's where it likes to run without them, then maybe putting a pusher fan on front just in case I hit some traffic. The one or two times I had the temp creep up, it would drop right off as soon as I got up to speed and got some air moving again. Anybody have the # for some 170 stats for a 59A? Napa maybe? I'd feel better with some more modern ones in there over the old br*** jobs anyway.
I run 165 in mine,but I drill two 1/8 holes in the plates to let a little warm water circulate before they fully open. Works well.
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