Engine Runnin Hot Update

[55 Fargo]

The more I read on this subject the more I DONT think there is a problem. A five mile run is not a good test. A 50 mile run would be better. Set your timing to no more than two degrees advance at idle and go drive it.

It is normal for my car to have temperature swings between city and highway driving. And when I turn my engine off after a long drive the temperature gauge shoots up to over 212 degrees. But my car never boils over. As soon as I start my engine up when the gauge is reading 212 or higher the gauge drops back down to under 200 and as soon as I start moving the gauge drops to 180 or less even when the ambient temperature is 95 or higher.

Don, I know its hard to help from just reading posts, as sometimes all the details are not evident.

I have had my car on 30 to 40 mile runs, if the ambient temp is below 55 to 60, no problem, it's when the weather gets warmer, ie 65to 85, that on higher rpm, ie highway driving the temp shoots up. Maybe I have poor airflow coming through the front of the grill, nothing is blocked, I do hvae a 1 inch open gap along the rad where it mounts to its frame, as the rad I am using is from a 47 D24, it is essentially the same rad, but about an inch or so narrower, I need to fill in this gap to make sure air moves through the rad.

The day I had the tempshoot up to 200 was like this, ambiet temp around 70, winds from the souteast about 25 to 35 mph. I drove 8 miles to town, 5 of which were highway, stopped and bought KFC, then drove bcak home, the 8 or so miles, once on the highway, travelling in a north west direction, is when the engine heated up to 200, the last 2 miles I dorve on gravel road, about 30 mph or so, the temp did not come down, it went up a notch, I parked, let it a idle a bit, sped up the idle, it really did not bring down the temp, but there was no boiling hissing etc.

The next morning ambient temp 50, drove the same route , absolutely no overheating, temp steady 165 to 170.

I want to do the Lou Earle dishwasher treament today, I just need to know how long to run the engine, with the soap in her, how many times to change water and flush before adding coolant, and do I need to pull t/stat and reverse flush again or not.....................Thanx Fred

[Don Coatney]

Fred;

Have you adjusted the timing?

[RobertKB]

Timing, timing, timing! Once took out the distributor on my '63 Fairlane with the 260 CID and put it back in with one tooth too far advanced. Set the timing perfectly but because the distributor was one tooth out it had the exact same problem you are having. Finally had a mechanic look at it and he said being one tooth out would cause overheating and when it was corrected everything was fine. Our distributors sit in differently on the old flatheads but if your timing is out it will cause you to overheat. I have yet to see you say you have timed the car to 2-3 BTDC as many people are recommending. Only then would I go looking at the cooling system again. Also sounds like your rad is not that great and that would certainly cause problems. You gotta check out these two things!

[55 Fargo]

Not yet, but hopefully today or tomorrow................Fred

[mchev150]

If you are going to use dishwasher soap. I suggest you use Dawn, it has the most surfactants and will better break up the oil/sealer residue . It is what we use when a well pump fails in a water well and we are trying to remove the oil that is clinging to the sides of well bore. But I would check the timing before I tried putting dishwasher soap in the cooling system

[55 Fargo]

Just refilled system with clean water, started the engine, let her warm up and filled cooling sytem up. After 20 munutes, reading 160 on the gauge, 160 in the rad with thermometer, every time I would rev up the engine, the temp gauge would drop to 150, but its cold here today about 45 above, need to go for a ride and see what happens.

I am ready to dump in the Electrosol, but want to generate enough heat, to do justice.

The rad was able to suck a towel against it no problem, so the fan is good....................Fred

[Lou Earle]

I run the diswashing electra sol in the rad for 10 to 20 miles. Once ran it fro a week and did not notice any improvement in the cleaning ability.