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Over heating

Find a shroud if possible.

Is your timing correct?
 
I'll check it.

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I'm hoping so. It came from summit racing.

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I would like to, but not sure where to look for one. Cost is a factor.

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I'll check it, but I'm sure it is.
 
Pusher fans don't work well in traffic,they block the air coming in.
 
I used the March serpentine system on my 70 Challenger and had the same issues with overheating at idle and slow and go speeds. I'm pretty sure it was the March pulleys since they are an underdrive system. Meaning the crank pulley is smaller and does not spin the rest of the pulleys at the speed they are designed to spin. I had no problem with the Alternator or power steering but the water pump does not spin fast enough to move the water. In my case, I don't think my fan was spinning fast enough at idle but with your electric pusher fan, that should not be an issue. I had a Glen Ray radiator with a thermo clutch fan and shroud. I no longer have the car but if I did, I would purchase a new water pump from FlowKooler. It is a high performance unit that has twice as many impeller fins and claims to double the flow rate and drop temps up to 30 degrees F. Don't run without a thermostat. It only makes things worse because the radiator does not get a chance to do its job. Also I don't think adding a shroud will do anything for a pusher fan. They only help move all of the air past the puller fan. Just my 2 cents worth but I would make sure the thermostat is working properly and get a pump that moves more fluid at idle as that is where I believe your problem lies.
 
Check the radiator temps from top to bottom just because it is new does not guaranty it is flowing correctly. Should get cooler at the bottom.
To do this use a laser temp gun. The only accurate way.
 
Are you sure pump is turning the correct way?!

That should show up while he is testing radiator temps with the thermal gun. If hotter on the bottom than the top pump is running backwards. If the radiator is cooler on the bottom than top and should be the other possibles would be a pump not working, not enough restriction in head gasket to keep coolant in block to cool it ( caused by someone increasing hole in head gaskets thinking better flow better cooling) big mistake, someone filled the block solid for some reason, bad thermostat, bad radiator or not enough coolant. Just because parts are new will not guaranty they work. Hope he has the spring in the lower hose so it does not collapse from pump suction?
 
Prob already been covered but I have to ask.

Is your system holding good pressure when its up to temp ?

A new cap can be bad. My {new} 15lb stant cap would only hold 5lbs, I returned it to napa exchanged it for another one. It was fine, held to 16lbs and dropped my temp aprox 12 to 15 degrees.
sometimes its the simple stuff that kicks my butt.
 
Sad thing is it has probably cooled just fine for the last 50 years before this update.
 
it's a new rad and 16lbs cap from champion.

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going to do a block test on it today.
 
I had overheating problems several times. Once it was running lean. Once the rust in the engine block plugged some of the new radiator from the increased flow I guessed. Once the bottom hose was collapsing. Once there was a cracked head. Oh yeah once I blew a hole thru #4 piston but that was immediate with lots of smoke.
 
If the pump was turning backwards, it would still flow in the proper direction, but at a reduced level. Regarding flow, more flow=more cooling. That's why the thermostat opens as the engine gets hotter. There's a smaller temperature change in the engine and the radiator, but the amount of BTU's dissipated is increased.
 
If the pump was turning backwards, it would still flow in the proper direction, but at a reduced level. Regarding flow, more flow=more cooling. That's why the thermostat opens as the engine gets hotter. There's a smaller temperature change in the engine and the radiator, but the amount of BTU's dissipated is increased.
Trying to Invision this being a centrifugal vane pump running back wards should throw water towards the lower hose instead of the upper outlets. As suction would be in the direction of rotation.
 
Have you checked timing? How about compression and leak down? Are your cylinder walls too thin? Is the motor bored out? All things that will cause an overheat condition.

On another note is your new champ radiator 3 rows? How big are the row holes? if they are 1/2" you have a problem if they are 3/4" or 1" you would be ok. 2 rows of 1" slots is ideal lots of cooling power with that.


Have you tried water wetter or blue ice products to see if that helped at all?
 
You should be able to see the rows through the cap, then eye ball a measuring tape near the top it will give you a general idea, you will know if you have 1" just by the size. Timing being off will make things heat up fast as well.
 
not sure what it should be timed at.
 
Well pretty standard settings for a 440 are 10° - 12° of initial timing and a total of 36-38° do you have a timing light? if you're within or around these settings you're probably ok. if you are on the high side of these numbers you may be getting a hot motor from too much timing.

So things to look at / for -


  • Blocked or plugged passages meaning bad flow through radiator or block.
  • Water pump working properly, not cavitating or running backwards.
  • Stat opening and closing properly, stick in boiling pot of water and watch it work / or not.
  • Using a temp gun, test temps at key points, top of radiator tank, top of water pump, upper and lower hoses, side of block by a freeze plug while at its highest temps. see if you can find a hot spot or cold spot.
  • Check for heat soak on carb, insulate fuel lines, carb base
  • Check timing, adjust if needed, adjust idle as needed.
  • check radiator for # of rows and size of row
  • check lower hose see if it collapses when idling / water pump pulls from the bottom of the radiator into the block.
  • Pusher fans only work on the front side of the radiator and if on a relay / temp sensor adjust to 160° so it comes on sooner.


Just because you might have flushed out the radiator you would still have several gallons of coolant in the block, if you do flush again try to vac out or drain out the block, be careful if there are loose chunks of iron flakes in there they will be hard to get out. Also heater core as well get it all out uses a compressor to blow out the passages and test the ports / openings if you can.

Good Luck!
 
I'll check these out, thanks
 
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