1941 cooling

[TomC750]

I agree with ford38v8, you don't have a problem to fix. 3/4 hot on a stock gauge is 180 F, normal operating temperature for a flathead V8. What you have is an engine with wear, but not worn so bad it needs a rebuild. If there is any oil pressure at idle, and no bad sounds, then drive with confidence.

Thanks 38 coupe. I have a better prospective of where I am at. I took temperature readings at the radiator tank with a good cooking thermometer. it has along stem that reaches well into the water. I blocked the radiator with cardboard and ran the engine at fast idle. Even with the rad blocked it took a while to warm up. When the dash gauge was in the middle, my thermometer read 180*. When it continued to warm up and the dash gauge was all the way to the right on the furthest mark my thermometer read 195*. Looks to me like I am OK. I decided I would remove the thermostats prior to flushing, only to discover there are none! I will order. It may be that it will run cooler without the coolant circulating so fast. I have not flushed yet, did not buy enough for a 24 qt system! Will tomorrow.

 

[38 coupe]

Temperature gauges and sending units can drift with age. Good idea calibrating yours, I keep a cooking thermometer in the shop for the same reason.
I like to run 160 F thermostats in pre-war Fords. I run 180 F thermostats in 8BA engines.

 

[SoCalCoupe]

One thought; Three recommendations:


1) your oil pressure readings are consistent with my experience.


2) Good thing I didn't trust my temp gauge. I bought an inexpensive "Kizen Infrared Thermometer Gun" and determined my temp gauge was reading way high.


3) bought a NOS temp sender and achieved consistent reading between thermometer gun and dash gauge.


3) Thermocure is the cooling system flush version of Evaporust. I highly recommend it. I cleaned A LOT of junk out of my cooling system that I thought was clean. I could tell a noticeable difference in the weight of the gallon bottles of coolant I drained using Thermocure vs. the weight of coolant with no flush. It was as black as charcoal.

 

[Seth Swoboda]

One thought; Three recommendations:


1) your oil pressure readings are consistent with my experience.


2) Good thing I didn't trust my temp gauge. I bought an inexpensive "Kizen Infrared Thermometer Gun" and determined my temp gauge was reading way high.


3) bought a NOS temp sender and achieved consistent reading between thermometer gun and dash gauge.


3) Thermocure is the cooling system flush version of Evaporust. I highly recommend it. I cleaned A LOT of junk out of my cooling system that I thought was clean. I could tell a noticeable difference in the weight of the gallon bottles of coolant I drained using Thermocure vs. the weight of coolant with no flush. It was as black as charcoal.

Whenever you use Thermocure, does the junk it cleans out plug the tubes in the radiator?