Engine temp rises when I get to cruise speed

I'll say it out loud. The "cheap Ebay aluminum P.O.S." radiator cooled your engine, but the fancy expensive Brassworks unit did not. Why are you going to the ends of the earth trying to make the Brassworks unit work? After reading all of this, it's obvious that the Brassworks unit is inferior. Live with it it.
 
Another option is to temporarily remove the fax and shroud (if possible). Then don't spend any time idling, but take it out on the highway and see what it does at cruise speed. You don't need a fan on the highway - so this will answer the question as to whether or not that assembly is constricting flow through the radiator at highway speeds.

Best of luck. On the jets, go 2 numbers up . . . surely won't hurt anything!
 
I'm sure you have addressed the timing as it was running cool with the previous radiator.

Do you have more pictures of the car as a whole. Sounds like a great one.



Best of luck! Looking for the, "Ah I got it post!"


Man I love this shiz... if you are a motorhead and never been to a nhra event. Seriously.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03Ybyq6osNY


.
 
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jrvariel48 said:
The grille is original and I cant see how it could restrict airflow being that it will idle for 20 minutes with just the electric fan.

I don't understand how a motor works harder at 60 mph than 30 mph still the same rpm, but that's just me!
Thanks Joe
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I wasn't talking about the grille; was referring to the fan and shroud restricting airflow at road speed when the mill is working harder and generating more heat.

B&S's idea to pull the fan and shroud and hit the road sounds like a good test.

I don't understand one of those two tube aluminum radiators working better than the same size 3 core brass radiator.

Be interesting to see how this all shakes out.
 
tubman said:
I'll say it out loud. The "cheap Ebay aluminum P.O.S." radiator cooled your engine, but the fancy expensive Brassworks unit did not. Why are you going to the ends of the earth trying to make the Brassworks unit work? After reading all of this, it's obvious that the Brassworks unit is inferior. Live with it it.
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I hear ya Tubman, but there's a few more things to try out. First off I have to completely exhaust ALL options to be 100% sure.
Secondly, it's not costing me anything to do that.
Third, I need to prove to Brassworks that it is their radiator that's at fault so I could possibly get some no cost repair work or credit. (don't know if that's possible)
If that's not an option I just threw $1200 bucks in the garbage or I have to pay someone to fix it.
The ebay radiator was installed out of necessity until the Brassworks unit was built. While it worked, it's not something I want to keep in my car.
The search continues!
Thanks Joe
 
Bored&Stroked said:
Another option is to temporarily remove the fax and shroud (if possible). Then don't spend any time idling, but take it out on the highway and see what it does at cruise speed. You don't need a fan on the highway - so this will answer the question as to whether or not that assembly is constricting flow through the radiator at highway speeds.

Best of luck. On the jets, go 2 numbers up . . . surely won't hurt anything!
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Also a great option! I'm waiting to hear back from Lee at Brassworks to see what he thinks about his radiator doing the proper job or if the shroud is complicating things. I've also did some reading about the shroud and see a lot of them, including factory, units come with rubber covered vents to relieve pressure at hi way speeds, very interesting and also an option.
Two jet sizes is not a problem at all. Thanks B&S
 
rich b said:
I wasn't talking about the grille; was referring to the fan and shroud restricting airflow at road speed when the mill is working harder and generating more heat.

B&S's idea to pull the fan and shroud and hit the road sounds like a good test.

I don't understand one of those two tube aluminum radiators working better than the same size 3 core brass radiator.

Be interesting to see how this all shakes out.
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OK gotcha rich. Believe me, I'm scratching my head over here!
Thanks Joe
 
Tinker said:
I'm sure you have addressed the timing as it was running cool with the previous radiator.

Do you have more pictures of the car as a whole. Sounds like a great one.



Best of luck! Looking for the, "Ah I got it post!"


Man I love this shiz... if you are a motorhead and never been to a nhra event. Seriously.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03Ybyq6osNY


.
Click to expand...

Double checked the timing 7* advanced at idle and 18* total in about 2200 rpm
I'll try to post a picture but I'm not to good with that stuff!
I'm waiting for that post also!!
I've been going to see top fuel NHRA racing for over 30 years!! There really is nothing like it! Standing next to those monsters in the pit when they fire them up is one of the highlights of my life!! I'm a nitro junkie for sure!!
Thanks
 
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rich b said:
I don't understand one of those two tube aluminum radiators working better than the same size 3 core brass radiator.

.
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The radiator people explain it this way: Fin contact with the tube is how the heat is taken from the water. Copper /brass radiator tubes are about 5/8" and are oval in shape. Aluminum tubes are 1"-1 1/4" and flat on the sides. There is much more fin contact area on the aluminum radiator.
 
I didn’t know that! I always thought copper was better
Thanks for the info. Joe
 
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It'll be interesting to see if Brassworks "steps up" if you can prove their radiator to be deficient.
 
I've spoken with Lee at Brassworks and am/was planning to have them make a custom radiator for my 34 coupe (has a big off-topic blown 392 Hemi in it). The engine will make about 800 HP on the street - and HP creates heat!

I'm sure interested in this thread in that cooling is super important and the radiators that Lee supplies are surely on the higher end of the price scale - so they better work! If this turns out poorly, then I will have to go to another custom radiator manufacturer.
 
Bored&Stroked said:
I've spoken with Lee at Brassworks and am/was planning to have them make a custom radiator for my 34 coupe (has a big off-topic blown 392 Hemi in it). The engine will make about 800 HP on the street - and HP creates heat!

I'm sure interested in this thread in that cooling is super important and the radiators that Lee supplies are surely on the higher end of the price scale - so they better work! If this turns out poorly, then I will have to go to another custom radiator manufacturer.
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B&S I haven't heard back from Lee yet. He's very hard to get a hold of.
That sounds like one hell of a motor!!!
 
jrvariel48 said:
B&S my shroud and fan are one unit so I won't be able to remove the shroud only. I don't have much of a problem at idle or slow speeds just at cruise. I reinstalled the lower grille pan today. I'm not expecting much from that, but I'd like to try it out so I can log the data as I go. The next step is to add the temp gauge in the water pump as Ronnieroadster recommended and see what I have there. Then I'll try bumping up the main jets from #69 to 70 and see what does.
As always, thanks for your input
Joe
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The lower grille pan is an important part to direct air flow. Air comes in the grille, and if the lower pan is missing, air will take the path of least resistance, exiting below the radiator. Your radiator itself offers a large resistance to air flow, and with the shroud, even more. At higher speeds, the different air flow ratio is multiplied. Without further changes, take a test run with the lower pan installed.


On another subject, copper is most definitely more heat conductive than aluminum. (If money were no object, silver would cool more efficiently than would copper). The size, number, and configuration of tubes and fins being the same (which they are not), Brass tanks with copper tubes/brass fins are superior to aluminum in everything but the initial cost of materials/labor, and there's your reason aluminum is used in modern applications.
 
ford38v8 said:
The lower grille pan is an important part to direct air flow. Air comes in the grille, and if the lower pan is missing, air will take the path of least resistance, exiting below the radiator. Your radiator itself offers a large resistance to air flow, and with the shroud, even more. At higher speeds, the different air flow ratio is multiplied. Without further changes, take a test run with the lower pan installed.


On another subject, copper is most definitely more heat conductive than aluminum. (If money were no object, silver would cool more efficiently than would copper). The size, number, and configuration of tubes and fins being the same (which they are not), Brass tanks with copper tubes/brass fins are superior to aluminum in everything but the initial cost of materials/labor, and there's your reason aluminum is used in modern applications.
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I'm hoping to get it out this weekend if the rain stays away. I'll post the results.
At least I know why I paid so much for the radiator! It is a beautiful piece, but it needs to work too!!
Thanks Joe
 
Ronnieroadster said:
That will work one temp gauge at the head and one at the water pump now you can see what's going on with the radiator core.
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I recommend using thermocouples rather than temperature gauges because they are more accurate. The thermocouple wires could be inserted under the hose clamp and bent over at 90 degrees to be in the center of the flow stream. Some multimeters have a thermocouple setting to read the temperature directly or you can read the voltage of the two wires and convert to a temperature.
 
Zeke3 said:
I recommend using thermocouples rather than temperature gauges because they are more accurate. The thermocouple wires could be inserted under the hose clamp and bent over at 90 degrees to be in the center of the flow stream. Some multimeters have a thermocouple setting to read the temperature directly or you can read the voltage of the two wires and convert to a temperature.
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Interesting concept, never heard of that before.
 
Ronnieroadster said:
No reason to reinvent the wheel temp gauges will work perfectly to help determine what's going on.
Ronnieroadster
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I'm installing the second gauge by the water pump today. I also reinstalled the lower grille pan. Right now I still have 1 gallon of Propylene glycol and the rest is tap water. I'll post results asap.
Thanks Ronnie
 
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