Los_Control

Time is getting short .... get your bids in now!

I love the honesty. When I was 17, I had a 1969 mustang fastback .... base model 351 2brl/fmx transmission. I got 22mpg with the car. I installed L60-15 tires on the rear. Had to use air shocks to get the body to clear the tires. .... I do not remember the brand .... were raised white letters. I had the yellow traction bars mounted underneath & a 7" pro stock hood scoop on front. .... just the style of the times. .... makes me cringe today thinking of it. As a 17 year old kid I thought it was cool ... today I think I would be embarrassed to share photos of it.

Sometimes my reading comprehension is not so good. I was assuming they were out test driving the vehicle, while driving the temp was still creeping up. That is the real question, are we sitting in the driveway or out driving to test? Over 30 mph the stock fan is not really doing anything. Our old mopars have a non pressurized cooling system. ..... We like em big! 😜 Wonder when we started running a pressurized system .... 1960 with the slant 6? I would have to look it up, just a WAG. Along with the modern pressurized systems came smaller radiators. The big ol brass monsters were no longer needed. @kencombs what about slapping a 6 pound cap on it? Cheaper & easier then modifying a fan. I would not suggest on a oem system .... The heater core has already been recored .... I assume it will accept pressure. The radiator is not oem .... should be fine ..... what else would need to be changed? @D35 Torpedo Nobody asked if you are using a pressurized cap .... our cars do not use them. What cap are you using?

Just thinking out loud, seems we know your current radiator is not original ..... curious if it is brass or aluminum? Wonder how thick it is? Is it a 2 row or a 3 row? ..... I just checked Champion Radiators, They have a pretty decent reputation. 1952 Plymouth radiator ..... they are out of stock on 2 row. .... they have a 3 row for $244 USD ..... + shipping to Canada If nothing else, you can use these dimensions from a replacement radiator for your car, see how they compare to your existing radiator. You say it flows pretty good, fairly clean no crud coming out .... it just may not have enough capacity. Champion All Aluminum Radiator 3-Row Core | Cools up to 500hp Radiator Dimensions: Total: 24.5" tall x 23.5” wide (including brackets) Core: 18.5" tall x 20.13" wide x 2" thick Inlet: 1.75" Center Outlet: 1.5" passenger side Tanks: 3.13" thick (top) 2.5" (bottom) Tubes: 0.63" thick https://www.championradiators.com/Plymouth-P15-P18-P19-P20-P23-3-row-radiator-1949-1952# I have a very similar aluminum radiator am installing in my truck. Champion charges $70 if you want yours polished .... they look nice in someone else's car. I'm going to paint mine satin black, will look original enough for me.

Does sound like more then you might expect. But hey, thats why your in there checking it over. I would say a rule of thumb, keep checking until they stop moving. Would be a good chance the next time you check, you will get no more movement .... then 3 times is enough. If you get some movement on a couple bolts the 3rd time .... then I would check it a 4th time. As a rule, 3 times is enough. If you are getting movement on the 4th or 5th time .... I would start questioning the accuracy of the tool, the quality of the bolts .... something is up. To get movement on the 2nd round is perfectly normal.

Like PA stated .... hard to say what is in the muffler by this point. Think I would be more concerned with what is coming out of the blow by tube.

Were chebby ever + ground? I've heard stories that while the normal for the day was + ground, most makers were using it ... chevrolet refused to use it. Then by 55 when Chevrolet came out with the 265 V8 they were the top car sellers of the day .... everybody else just fell in line and went - ground also ..... Is it true? If the pulley is narrow, you can use a narrow belt. Fits the generator fine & does work on the other wider pulleys, just sits deeper. Not as sexy as the big wide belt .... works. I destroyed a old generator trying to get the pulley off years ago ... obviously I did not have the right puller or knowledge.

Holding it level with the bed would be correct. A good example would be my truck has a low side bed, the tail gate is shorter and uses a shorter chain. My utility trailer has a normal bed and needs a longer chain for the taller tail gate. Sure it is easier to supply a generic length chain that would fit all.

Is it a original radiator, or a modern replacement aluminum? Only thinking that sometimes we do not buy a big enough replacement radiator. Today we have 2 core ... 3 core ... height width. The originals were pretty bulky. You mentioned there was no T-stat .... With all this trouble, I would try one of them a long time ago. While most do not need one. Your engine is rebuilt, if the cylinders are bored the walls are thin .... you might need a Thermostat .... then still run warmer then normal. If the head was shaved, you raised compression .... again it could run hotter then normal. So I just read your post again ..... everything on your car checks out ..... But temps rise & fall as it pleases .... Your T-stat is not doing it's job. Sticking open or sticking closed ..... then swaps again .... at some point in failure it will simply stay open or stay closed. .... not bounce around. Always nice to know your complete cooling system is in good condition while you change the faulty T-stat 🤣🤣🤣 Sometimes we go overboard checking for problems. For me a good cooling system in West Texas is a major concern .... I want to know everything is as it should be. I have seen T-stats before fail in this manner.

You know me, I'm too long winded anyways ..... I was thinking about the heater core .... I just was not going to bring it up. I figured if the heater core is clogged, wont get any heat but will not cause the car to overheat. My truck a heater was a option, I have a valve to turn off the flow to it in summer time. Part of the cooling system, but would not cause a overheating issue.

The hole size is normal .... I have never heard of anyone modifying the hole in the years I have been here. If the tube is clear, then that is not the problem. Check the petcock on the block, down by the distributor or oil fill tube .... if you open it does coolant come out? If not it is likely you have casting sand in the block ... the petcock is the lowest point and where all the sand settles. This takes up space that normally would be filled with coolant. ..... Cleaning it would be equivalent to installing a larger radiator. If the petcock drains, it is not clogged with sand. You have the water pump apart, you can physically check it is working. The only thing left is the radiator. .... Or T-stat IMHO, if you disconnect the lower hose, you should be able to put a garden hose in top & turn it on at a fair pace. It should not backup & overflow out the top. .A clear radiator should flow a lot of water freely. ..... Also pay attention to how much crud & color of the water coming out of the radiator. Probably can turn the hose on high enough to overflow .... then adjust it down slowly a step at a time til it does not overflow. Then look at the flow from the hose, will give you a good visual of how much water your radiator can move. Personally I would skip that test & just pull the radiator. Turn the radiator upside down & insert the hose in the lower hose outlet, reverse the flow .... be surprised how much crud you can loosen and back flush it. Spend a few hours with it just flipping the radiator from top to bottom til you get clear water running from it .... you should get a improved flow also. When you put the radiator back in, then use a flush when you fill it. I filled mine with cleaning vinegar from the grocery store .... A gallon for $2 & has a higher acidity then cooking vinegar. Take it out for a drive, leave it in there for a week .... a very mild acid to clean the radiator as it sits, same time heat helps it along. CLR is another option some have had good results with .... Then there is Cascade soap for your dishwasher. Gets the tough stuff without harming your brass or stainless steel pots. You can take it to a radiator shop if you can find one. I have not been to a radiator shop in 30 years .... All our modern chemicals for cooling systems are for aluminum materials .... possibly not best choice for a 75 year old brass radiator. .... I dunno, is why I chose vinegar to clean mine ..... still too many leaks and had to replace it anyways.

I just set the size on my phone, so it creates smaller pics in the first place. For future photos. I forget what makes the .heic prefix. I just opened the photo with my editor and save it as a .jpeg file. I did not need to resize that photo though?

I'm not sure on the 1946. 48-50 have metal cross members that go cross the frame ....5 I think. They bolt to the frame then the wood floor bolts to the cross members. Same with the bed sides. Then I have 6 long bolts that go through the wood, cross members that bolt to the frame of the truck. I think the WC trucks had 2"x4" wood cross members instead of metal .... I have never seen one apart. @Young Ed knows and also @dgrinnan maybe they will chime in if they see the post.

I agree 100%, I want a volt meter .... same time for aesthetics I'm not happy about a dummy gauge in the dash ..... volt meter is the way to go .... I'm wondering if I can have both. I guarantee I will have a volt meter .... just not sure if I can figure out how to use both amp & volt gauges at the same time or worth the trouble. I hope @OUTFXD does not mind this conversation in his post ..... we are both going through kinda the same thing with charging & wiring questions. I looked on Amazon today for a 1976 camaro alternator .... The same alternator I bought came up. .... We know it is wrong .... Amazon does not have good support. While on Rockauto they have a wide selection of choices all internally regulated starting at $28. The ACDELCO is $68 .... but it is brand new & not rebuilt .....choices.