Is an electric fan going to help and what size (cfm's) would be sufficient? It is powereing my 48 ford with an 8ba no thermostats.... Any other ideas to get it to run cooler ??
Not a flathead guy, so I might get blasted here...try running thermostats so the coolant has a chance to cool in the radiator rather than just continually running through the system. Bryan
yes, try some t-stats or at least some constricting washers. If the radiator is in good shape, timing is set right, there is a good chance the coolant is just not spending enough time in the radiator.
i posted a thread like this about a week ago and didn't get either of the above responses. That is really good info, i never thought about time spent in the rad. where is your temp guage reading?
First mount the thermostats. Then check the timing. After that double check the timing. 9 out of ten times flathead overheating is caused by timing problems. And finally all modern cars has thermostats, and i say now car manufacturer will put on parts that are not needed (cost). So they are good to have.
I always wondered why nobody runs an oil cooler on flatheads as well. I gonna try to rig one on the V8-60. They make a big difference.
90% of flathead cooling problems have to do with ignition timing. If your block is clean with a clean radiator and your pumps are working properly with the stock fan you should not overheat with no thermostats. This is an age-old flathead debate which runs about 50-50 so you'll probably hear from the other side. My current 8BA has no stats and I run the electric fan only in traffic or standing. As soon as I get down the road she cools right down without the fan. There are pump rebuilds available that are supposed to work miracles but I haven't had the need and really think they are overkill for the high price.MHO. Check the timing.
Back in the 60s I had 20+ flatheads, and not one had thermostats, but we used to make constricting washers if they overheated.
One of the most common mistakes is people running a #15 pound cap on the radiator when it only needs a #4 cap... its a non pressurized system. FLUSH your system, you can use vinegar- or whatever... just make sure its clean. TIMING, already mentioned above. you can also run a heavier weight oil. make sure you have thermos and are not running without...
Does it run hot when your going down the road or just standing still? If it runs hot when your moving, then an electric fan won't help. Thermostats could help or hurt you in this situation. If water is moving too fast to cool off, they might give the restriction needed to cool it off. If not, it might just run hotter with the restrictions.
I'm for running the thermostats........my opinion. Also, make sure that your lower radiator hoses have springs in them to keep them from collapsing. Believe it or not, your water pumps will run enough pressure to flatten them at speed. You'll never see them do it, because when you stop, they will fatten up again and it has to be when you are running up your rpms for an extended length of time. Racing the engine won't flatten them either, so you can't tell by looking at them. Also, run a water wetter. Make sure you find one that's compatible with antifreeze. This stuff will drop your temp 10 to 20 degrees. There are several good brands out there. I went to a five blade fan and that also seemed to help. Then I gave in and swapped out to a 302, hopefully ending my heating problems forever. JayD
An oil cooler should be easy enough to make. They're already plumbed for an external oil filter. The lower hoses are so short, and straight, you don't need the kind with the spring. You need the special straight hose they sell that is very rigid. It would still help to know if your problem is at speed or just sitting still.
Welcome to the overheating flatty club! Run thermostats, check timing, make sure you dont have any air locks. Or do like me and ignore your temperature gauge. Mark
Flatties have always done that. That's why they stopped making em 50 years ago. Don't mean to step on your toes here but geez. It's the way it's designed. I know your going to hate me for this but, have you seen the American Hot Rod show where they race a Model T and Model A (flathead) to Goodguys in, I think, Kentucky? Did you notice how many times the flatty was loaded on the trailer because it was always screwed up? They were never known for there reliability. I love the looks of a dressed up flatty but, as far as a dependable driver, forget it. Been there and did it.
Hog wash! on the above statement. Yes, the earlier designs do intend to allow for the engines to overheat. Changes were made to the later design heads to compensate for the coolant flow to the back end of the heads. But unreliable. NAW! The problem is most of us dont understand them and what makes them tick. The more we learn the easier they become. Its so easy to put in a small block and not have to learn the maintenance issues when we drive those chevy engines everyday. You just dont get it. I know of many many fellows who drive these engines cross country and from state to state consistantly. Now back to the problem with overheating.. Are you running dual carbs and what type of dizzy are you running?? How hot is it??? Steaming?? Or just a high gage reading. Lots of info on the past posts regarding this issue. Just because we didnt and dont understand what needs done to prevent it. Do a search on these threads. Here's one for staters.. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48895&highlight=lessons
You know absolutely nothing about flatheads then. If you make your decisions based on what American Rodder does, you're dumber than most. If the flattys were really unreliable, would they have remained in production as long as they did? Would the French (and others) military run them & continue producing them until the mid-late '80s? The flathead is a simple & reliable engine that does not always respond the same way as OHV engines do to different things - ignorance is no excuse for stupidity.
The specific timing issue that fries 8BA engines is the stock distributor--if you have that, do some searching under loadamatic or loadomatic, probably frequently spelled both ways... Anyhow, it is entirely possible for these things to fail to the point of having zero advance curve much of the time, and checking them with a timing light in the driveway will absolutely not show you what the advance is like under load when driving. How to check has been posted a few times... Check for combustion leaks, tighten heads, put your hands on front of radiator and see if there are areas that aren't getting hot. If there is overheating, there is a mechanical problem, not a design problem (except for the design problem of that wretched Holley Loada matic).
This statement wasn't constructive at all. Ignore it. It's complete hogwash. Check the timing, if this doesn't help, run the thermostats. If all else fails, run an oil cooler, and make sure you have a big enough radiator and a fan shroud.
i run my flattie when its 118 degrees here and i dont overheat. i run at 180-190 and if i get caught at a long light itll rise a bit. and sha always gets me from point A to point B and back..
Many flatheaders have solved their overheating problems by having their water pumps rebuilt for higher volume by Skip Haney: http://www.fordcollector.com/water_pumps.htm
Hey Tonebro, told ya that would make em love me. Calm down guys, I'm on your side. Seriously, I found that the cooling systems of flatheads are very tempermental. Everyone knows that. The radiator has to be in perfect shape with plenty of airflow and no damage, or blockage, to the fins. The belts have to be in good shape. The pumps need to be checked for proper flow. The thermostats, if your running them, need to be checked on the stove for proper opening temperature. The block has to be spotless on the inside. And, finally, the cap needs to be tested for proper poundage. On top of that, you need good coolant. If one of these is not working properly, your gonna have problems. Like I said before, there isn't a better looking engine than the flathead. Walla! Edit: Oh yeah, the fan would definitly help!
I would suggest you look for some Prestone brand t'stats part number 330180 for 180 degrees or 339160 for 160 degrees. These are a highflow/pressure balanced t'stat and the only ones I run in my blown 8BA. You should be able to buy from Parts America on the web, and by all means check the timing. BTW I have an electric puller fan on mine that only runs when I'm in heavy traffic; stop and go. On the road at speed and 95 degrees the fan doesn't even operate.
I run 185 degree thermostats, My timing is about 1 inch advanced of the pointer. I checked my radiator before filling by "old guy method". Tape the bottom outlets, fill with water, pull the tape, if water flows fast, should be ok, if it glugs out, you might have a problem. \ I run 20/50 oil, and I shelled the old temp sensors, for a shiney set of mechanical gauges, one on each head (the only new shit in my car) so I get a real temp. reading. Mine runs 200-205 all day, and cooler at night. We have had some bad ass hot here in TX like most places this summer, so it's been a good test year. I'll add that my engine is newly built and clean, so this will make a difference. I've read some stuff about an additive called I think ,40 below. You might check into it. Good luck, and hope you don't give up on the flattie. Were gettin to be a real few. Hugh
Here's an interesting tip, albeit, not one I care to endorse: Bill Pollack on driving the "Baldwin Special" "Once we figured out how to keep the flathead Ford cool the car proved very reliable. The key to the cooling process was to cut down the impeller on the water pump so that the impeller was just for looks. The water just circu- lated in a natural manner, hot water going up and cooler water going down. Sounds simple and it was and it worked." http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/BaldwinSpecial3.html
Yeah, he can keep that "trick" - grinding off every other impeller, drilling holes in the impeller, etc. all result in reduced flow. Skip Haney's pumps work so well because his impeller design improves flow. The t-stats work as a restrictor so there is actually some pressure built up in the block - this helps eliminate hot spots & localized boiling - which will result in cracks. Timing is fairly critical here & the later engines with the loadamatic crap distributor don't help themselves much....good pumps, t-stats, & a fresh rad coupled with proper timing will eliminate virtually any hint of overheating.
pull it out put in a sbc like evryone else and i'll take it off your hands so you dont have to worry about it
The Jalopy Journal
