why am i overheating ???

sphooch

sphooch

Senior Member
Hi guys the day before the car show we failed the test drive. 14 miles and i'm in trouble. when i stop she boils over. ??? so heres what i did, last year i removed the radiator and did the vinegar thing for a week also reversed flushed the engine, used simple green and flushed it for ever ,then i added a radiator hose filter and used the car and cleaned it out often. now when i do my tests and when i stop she boils??the only thing that's different is i put the stone guard inside the radiator shell [ and that was a job ] But i don't see how that could affect any thing. any help will be appreciated thanks THE HOOCH
 
Timing....................What condition is the w/pump in?? After it cools down, dis-connect the fan belt, run it and look for bubbles in the coolant.............if so you need to replace the head gasket. The stone guard is not your problem.

Paul in CT
 
Radiator could still be blocked or improper flow take it to a good radiator shop have it cleaned and do a flow test it is supposed to have a proper flow
 
If you're using plain water adding anti freeze will also raise the temperature the water will boil at. If you're just barely hitting 212 at sea level it could make the difference.
 
The radiator should drain in 2 to 3 seconds. If you are running antifreeze drain it out and save it. Fill the radiator with water with the top hose and bottom hose removed. Block the bottom outlet with something like a tennis ball. Remove the block and time how long it takes the water to drain.

The Model A is a carry over from the Model T which was a pure thermosyphon system. The Model A uses thermosyphon for part of the coolant pumping. That is why it has large diameter radiator hoses. Any blockage of the system, such as a thermostat or a filter may restrict the flow to the point where it will boil over.

Someone put a high capacity water pump in my car which really helps. I am able to run a thermostat in the summer, but I drilled 6 quarter inch holes in the flange of the thermostat to help. I also put in a new Bergs radiator which has many more fins that the stock one I took out.
 
If you can find a shop that can rod out your core, have them do it. The boiling and flushing does no good if there is no flow through the tubes. Most shops can’t take them apart to get to the tubes. The 3 second test does not tell you much.
If your radiator is old, it is very likely plugged. Put a new one on and make the problem go away for good. Most people won’t admit that their core is plugged and try all the tricks and bandaids until they get tired of fighting it and buy a new one. Our club can now flow test a core while it is on the car. We will finish up the project, write it up and do a video on it this summer. A good core should flow about 36 GPM, far more than the pump can pump. Good luck.
 
Check your point gap ! if it's less than .018 set to .022 and then check timing!
The lower radiator outlet is restricted ........so reverse back flush. Take the radiator out, turn it upside down and do the drain in 2-3 seconds, catch all of the rust and when no more rust comes out you might be good.

H2O runs 20* cooler than anti-freeze, add water wetter to the H2O and it will run 30* cooler than anti-freeze

Water wetter has anti corrosion and pump lub in it, save the nasty anti-freeze and reinstall it for fall winter to keep you from freezing!
 
Big hammer said:
H2O runs 20* cooler than anti-freeze, add water wetter to the H2O and it will run 30* cooler than anti-freeze

Water wetter has anti corrosion and pump lub in it, save the nasty anti-freeze and reinstall it for fall winter to keep you from freezing!
Click to expand...

I run anti-freeze year round in SoCal. My Model A temperature increased ~8° when I switched from distilled water to 50/50.

But regardless, a well performing cooling system in a Model A is more than capable to cool the engine on hot days. Most of the time my Model A runs ~170°F and on really Hot Days it MAY see 185°F. Remember, 50/50 anti-freeze increases the boiling point to 224°.

I'm running a 160° thermostat.

FWIW, you can use Water Wetter in anti-freeze also (I don't).
 
I second having your radiator rodded. Hot tanking and other fixes will not help a really clogged radiator. I had mine done several years ago, and they found about 23 tubes were totally clogged. After rodding no more over heating issues. But make sure they know how to do it properly.
 
t farr said:
Are you putting too much water in it and its just overflowing.
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I was doing. Filling it up every time I took her out, and about 5 minutes in the water would cover the windshield making it tough to see.
But just about a pint of water then everything was fine.

I've realized she needs her radiator just below finger level and no boil over or over flow. I also turned the GAV in to 1/4 turn, like Henry said.
No more water issues.... so far
 
Since the weather has turned, I bet it has an old Sears radiator in it. You guys know what that means...
 
Radiator could still be blocked or improper flow take it to a good radiator shop have it cleaned and do a flow test it is supposed to have a proper flow



x2


I cleared my radiator real well by flushing and back flushing. was still overheating on short runs. then I flushed it again a yr later and was shocked at how much more crud

came out!
Will be taking it on short runs again and think I got it this time. amazing how much can build up in there.....
 
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