Butch Harley
Well-Known Member
Trap heat I made these
Cooling issues 69 RR 440 at wits end!
- Thread starter jim occhiuto
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BrettL
Member
1KoolBee
Well-Known Member
While a 26 would be better, especially if you have the core support for it. It’s not absolutely necessary. My dad had a ‘68 Polara with a 383. It had a 22” 2-core radiator that did ok, then he added aftermarket A/C. Later he bought a 19’ Prowler travel trailer. Then the cooling system couldn’t keep up. He got a 22” 4-core radiator, an external trans cooler, and a better fan and the Polara never overheated again, no matter how many dogs & kids and how much crap we put in that trailer. The factory drum brakes were another story!
Moparfever65
Well-Known Member
Agreed. Check the coolant for combustion gas first. Big blocks don't heat up very fast. Easy to do.
1KoolBee
Well-Known Member
Yes, definitely start with the simple easy stuff. Timing and combustion gas check first. That way you don’t feel like a dumb-sh*t later on. I’ve definitely learned that the hard way!
Road Grabber
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A lot of stuff mentioned.
Compression ratio can be a factor. I have a 22” in front of a stock 383 no problem but my 440 with 11 to 1 has the biggest rad I can fit cause it needs better cooling capacity.
The mention of burping is very important. Not overfilling is also important. Checking compression for a head gasket is also good advice.
Make sure your belt is correct and doesn’t slip with your pulleys. It does make a difference. Timing a good start.
When you hit the accelerator while standing in front of the grill does it pull your pants towards the engine?
Will it overheat idling with the hood open?
Does it overheat the faster you go on the highway?
More stuff to check..,,
Compression ratio can be a factor. I have a 22” in front of a stock 383 no problem but my 440 with 11 to 1 has the biggest rad I can fit cause it needs better cooling capacity.
The mention of burping is very important. Not overfilling is also important. Checking compression for a head gasket is also good advice.
Make sure your belt is correct and doesn’t slip with your pulleys. It does make a difference. Timing a good start.
When you hit the accelerator while standing in front of the grill does it pull your pants towards the engine?
Will it overheat idling with the hood open?
Does it overheat the faster you go on the highway?
More stuff to check..,,
profholley
New Member
There is no denying that many vintage Mopars struggle with heat soak and high coolant temperatures in summer traffic. But that is not the radiator’s fault, not entirely. When you consider that most of these cars are 50+ years old and often run with:
The Factory System Was Built Right
Original Mopar cooling systems were engineered to survive stop-and-go traffic, desert heat, and quarter-mile abuse. A well-maintained factory system typically includes:
check Mopowergarage.blog for more information about Mopars
- Incorrect ignition timing or curve
- Leaner-than-optimal air/fuel mixtures
- Missing or ineffective fan shrouds
- Weak radiator caps or improper coolant pressure
- Cheap parts-store water pumps
The Factory System Was Built Right
Original Mopar cooling systems were engineered to survive stop-and-go traffic, desert heat, and quarter-mile abuse. A well-maintained factory system typically includes:
- A 2 and 3-core copper/brass radiator
- A 4, 5, and 7-blade mechanical fan (sometimes with a clutch)
- A full fan shroud
- An appropriately rated 16 psi radiator cap
- A correct thermostat (usually 180°F or 195°F)
check Mopowergarage.blog for more information about Mopars
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Nobody wants to hear from me.. lol. 6 cars, factory rads and oe water pumps.... none puke!
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No use in telling the people the truth. As I have mentioned before, Chrysler would have gone bankrupt in the 50’s or 60’s if that was a poor design.
Vitamin_A12
Well-Known Member
Just curious, you don’t happen to have one of those early 440 Source water pump housings do you? They were cast wrong and allowed the water pump to cavitate. Engine will overheat quickly no matter how much water you throw at it. Ask me how I know…
1970Moparmann
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Mancini Racing has a 2 piece fan shroud for a 22" Radiator. I had to do a little modification, but it works! MRE - Radiator Fan Shroud
Vitamin_A12
Well-Known Member
IIRC…I believe the inside dimension of the of the pump housing (water pump mounting surface to inside rear wall) was too large thus locating the impeller of the pump too far from the rear wall of the housing. Apparently that created a misdirection of flow with all that space behind the impeller. There was a measurable difference in that depth between the aftermarket one and the Mopar Perfomance one we ended up installing. Now the engine runs cool!
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Same here. Seven GTXs, all factory stock cooling systems. Only two ever had overheating problems. Problem solved by re-coring the original factory radiator in each. Drove the current one to Carlisle this year, with no issues. Fellow FBBO member who parked next to me did the same with his Hemi car.
Baby Blue had the original stock 22" radiator, with a shroud, and fixed seven blade fan. After the radiator was re-cored, I drove the car to Carlisle almost every year, and it ran cool, even in 95 degree heat and humidity, including the long idle in traffic waiting to enter the show field.
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