1950 gets hot, any easy solutions

[canadiandeluxe]

So my old car seems to climb temp quite bad on hot days around 30C. I looked at another cooling thread and will try some of the easy things like seeing what the actual temp is on the radiator with a thermometer of some kind and see what the gauge is actually reading. I have never boiled it over and when I get going down the road it cools fine just sitting idling it seems to climb up but not horribly bad if its around 20C day. I installed a new water pump and this winter I dug as much sand out of the core plug holes as i could because they were all leaking. When I first got the car 4 years ago I flushed the rad out a bit and when I did the water pump I did a proper cooling system flush but with just water but lots of rust and junk came out. 

Are there any other easy things I should check. 

Have any guys here installed a fan in front of the rad that kicks on when you are idling, my car is still 6 volt though.

 

[Sniper]

2 minutes ago, canadiandeluxe said:

seems to climb temp

 

I'd verify the temps like you mentioned

 

2 minutes ago, canadiandeluxe said:

I have never boiled it over

 

If it doesn't boil over it isn't a problem, imo.

[Los_Control]

I want to believe that a typical stock Mopar flathead 6 will run cool. ..... Assuming all is correct.

 

The radiator is functioning as it should, the water distribution tube is clear, the block is clean of sand, the water pump is circulating water, T-stat is working.

 

All things working you should not have a overheating issue.

 

A Ford flathead V8 will always run hot ..... not a good Mopar flathead 6.

 

So my answer, first fix your cooling system ..... then decide if you need a electric fan.

Some with too small of a radiator benefit from a electric fan ..... you might want one.

 

Just not common to add a electric fan to a stock engine.

[Sniper]

Mine will run at whatever the thermostat is rated at.  In my case 185.  I have an aftermarket gauge on it as well as having verified it with both my personal and my work IR gun.

 

At 185 my electric fan kicks on low speed.  If it were to get up to 195 it'll go to high speed.  Prep for the eventual AC installation.

[Bryan G]

On all modern vehicles I've owned (that had a gauge) the temperature would stay around 1/4 or 1/2. On my Chrysler it hovers around 3/4...unlike newer cars, this one is marked in degrees and the needle hangs right around 185...matching the thermostat. It's more pleasant to see a lower needle, but it's running at a good, efficient temperature and never boils over.

[D35 Torpedo]

I think I'm being decieved by my gauge. I havent had the car long enough to know for sure. I plan on getting another gauge to hide under the dash. Who knows with a 73 year old gauge. Best to verify the stock gauge like what I must do. Otherwise you can't know for sure. Good luck.

[JerseyHarold]

Check to see that the manifold heat control valve is operating properly.  If it's stuck in the closed position the engine will run warm.

[keithb7]

Maradyne offers a 6V fan. I’ve considered one for my beefed up 237 engine. However the electric fan may get in the way at hiway speeds.  A custom shroud is on my wish list when I get some time. I plan to build one. I think it will probably help more than a 6V fan. 

Edited May 16, 2023 by keithb7

[soth122003]

When i first got my P-15 it would over heat. I thoroughly cleaned and flushed the radiator, flushed the block and I only used water for the coolant with anti freeze added in the winter. It has the 160 degree thermostat and sitting idle in the driveway for over an hour it never got above 180. This is in Florida and todays temp is currently 95 at my house. 

 

When I flushed the rad I used CLR or Lime Away. The crap that came out of the rad was crusty and brown. did the same for the engine but used 2 gallons of CLR and one gallon of water. Ran for about 30 minutes and flushed until clear. I haven't had an overheating problem for the past 10 years. Recently I changed one of the freeze plugs (lowest and furthest back on the side of the block) and cleaned and flushed the block out. Lot of crud in there as well. Point being if the cooling system if clean, the t-stat is 160 or 180 and in good working order the engine should not over heat. 

 

Check the engine temp at various points and the temp gage connection at the side of the block and the radiator temp with a heat gun. The temp gage connection at the block should allow you to measure it against the temp gage in the dash and verify the accuracy. 

 

Joe Lee

[DJ194950]

6 hours ago, keithb7 said:

A custom shroud is on my wish list when I get some time. I plan to build one. I think it will probably help more than a 6V fan. 

 

I foresee another U-tube video in your future!  ?

 

It is the season for a lot of views on this subject.

 

DJ

Edited May 16, 2023 by DJ194950
add timing

[canadiandeluxe]

On 5/16/2023 at 5:30 AM, JerseyHarold said:

Check to see that the manifold heat control valve is operating properly.  If it's stuck in the closed position the engine will run warm.

Manifold heat control valve? Where is this located? 

I'm thinking Maybe I need to do a CLR flush instead of just a water flush.

I know I should have properly flushed the engine out when I had all the core plugs out but I dug as much sand out as I could and sprayed some water into the holes best I could. And it was definitely better than before.

When I get it insured and driving around again I will confirm some temps and then maybe CLR flush my system

Couple other points, my thermostat is new and the lower temp one, I am running a pressure cap on my rad as well, and I have never had it boil over yet so maybe im stressing over nothing.

[canadiandeluxe]

and where is this water distribution tube located as well? I Should check that out too

[Los_Control]

The tube is behind the water pump. It goes the full length of the engine.

CLR might be a good choice, I used vinegar. Think I bought 6 gallons from the grocery store. Was only $3-$4 each.

 

 

When I first got my truck running, it was overheating. Once the engine warmed up & the gauge started moving, it just climbed .... the cooling system did not work at all.

I believe that is why the truck was parked.

I found the water distribution tube was completely plugged with mineral deposits. We have hard water here.

Because I do not know any better & a hack mechanic,  I used a 1" x3' flat bar.

With the radiator & water pump removed, I snaked the bar through the grill and just kept chiseling away at the hard mineral deposits.

Eventually I was able to get the bar all the way through, I just kept working away at it clearing as much as I could.

 

Then I pulled my soft plugs & with a water hose in the distribution tube, scraped all the crap out of the engine, replaced the plugs.

When I put it all back together it ran pretty cool with no T-stat. Would idle at @160 then after 1.5-2 hours it would creep up past 180. Raise the idle & the temp would go right back to 160.

 

 The truck is not ready for the road, only move it around in the driveway. The radiator has several holes where it leaks & needs replaced.

 

So then I filled it with 2 gallons vinegar & topped off with water. I ran it through several heat cycles & let it sit for a few weeks.

Then I flushed it again through a flushing T I installed in a heater hose. The coolant came out nasty brown ... flushed it til was clear.

Then I filled it with vinegar & repeated the process. While I was working on other things ..... over 2 or 3 months I did this 3 times & it was coming out pretty clean at this point & it runs cool. .... Eventually I installed a 180 T-stat & it stays at 180. .... This was 2 years ago.

 

This week I am in the process of installing a good used Aluminum radiator .... I was disappointed at how much crap I found in the bottom radiator hose .... I have more flushing to do.

 

Yes my distribution tube needs replaced, It will be a better job when I remove the engine at some future date .... not while installed. For now I just cleaned it.

 

 

 

 

[canadiandeluxe]

ok

11 minutes ago, Los_Control said:

Once the engine warmed up & the gauge started moving, it just climbed .... the cooling system did not work at all.

ok and it was totally plugged. Very possible mine could be partially plugged up then, I think I will try the CLR flush first and see what all comes out I really dont want to pull the damn plugs I just replaced. I would like one year of just driving my old girl around 

[kencombs]

A fan like this one in a pic I 'borrowed' for Bob Riding's post will cure most complaints of temp creeping up at low speeds or idle.

 

[Los_Control]

Just now, canadiandeluxe said:

I would like one year of just driving my old girl around 

It is possible yours is partially plugged ..... Here in West Texas, a desert climate .... We have really hard water here & fight with it all the time.

I do not think it is a common problem though for those with at least average water.

 

Another possibility is the impeller on the water pump. These can go bad with rust removing enough metal they no longer push enough water.

Anything is possible on a 70+ year old car.

A friend of mine had a 1972 Dart with a built 360 that started overheating. Eventually he pulled the fairly new water pump off for inspection.

The impeller just fell onto the floor, the shaft broke .... Not common but anything can happen.

 

I just think it may be wise to pull the water pump for inspection, since you see nothing obvious.

I would pull the radiator turn it upside down & back flush it with a garden hose ....... I feel a clean radiator should pass water as fast as you pour it through a hose (within reason) You will get a good idea what condition the radiator is in .... maybe it is clogged?

 

I just do not think you are wasting your time pulling the radiator & water pump, meanwhile you can check the distribution tube.

 

I'm same way, I just want to drive my truck for some time as is, access condition of everything .... then pull the engine for a refresh. Address the check list I make at that time.

[OUTFXD]

Verify your timing is correct. Incorrect timing can lead to overheating. Not that I would know anything about that >.>

[JerseyHarold]

The exhaust manifold heat control valve is located at the exhaust manifold outlet just above where the exhaust pipe bolts on.  It has a thermostatic spiral spring that opens and closes a butterfly valve (similar to a carburetor choke) based on exhaust temperature.  If the valve is in the 'closed' position exhaust flow will be restricted and the engine will run hotter.  It should pivot easily and not be stuck.  If the spring is broken the valve can flop around uselessly.  I believe there are manifold heat control repair kits out there, available from the usual parts vendors.  Hope this helps.

[SteveR]

Mine was overheating and I pressure-flushed the whole system. That helped a bit but not much. I then dumped about a quart of vinegar in the radiator and drove it around for several days and pressure flushed it again. I could not believe the rust and slime that came out. It ran much cooler.