Overheating and fed up....

If it is cracked you would be getting water loss .so it doesn't sound like that ,How's your tempter gage ,stock or other wise .are you loosing water out the over flow ,Some radiators will not cool a flat head ,on one of mine even though the radiator is clean the only way I can get it to cool is with a shroud ,Wouldn't be with out it ,Ted
 
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Shroud
 

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The strange thing Ted is it kept at 180* in 90* heat until 2 years ago. Then started overheating. The water does come out the overflow and this is a brand new core better than the one Ford put there....I need to find the cause and fix that instead of adding additional measures that will bring the temp down.....I don't see any symptoms of any cracks...
 
Mike..Yorba Linda said:
The strange thing Ted is it kept at 180* in 90* heat until 2 years ago. Then started overheating. The water does come out the overflow and this is a brand new core better than the one Ford put there....I need to find the cause and fix that instead of adding additional measures that will bring the temp down.....I don't see any symptoms of any cracks...
Click to expand...

I would contact Skip skip@fordsrus.com and let him walk you through
the test procedures to pin point your problem. G.M.
 
I have a similar problem , I did not re-torque the head gaskets. and one side is overheating, leaking combustion into the water jackets. It overheats at an idle within ten minutes. So I need to replace a head gasket.
 
I used a laser thermometer to pinpoint the problem. the temperature was acceptable all over the motor except for the drivers side head. it was 30 degrees hotter than the other side. Would start steaming and puking out water within ten minutes of idling.
 
I emailed Skip and he responded quickly with some tests I should perform to verify water flow through my engine and we'll go from there. I'll do this within the next 2 weeks and post the results. Thanks guys.....
 
Maybe we have been over this before but here goes. Rust in the block will not make it overheat. Cooling takes place in the radiator not in the block. But rust from the block can block radiator tubes and that can be a big problem. If there is rust blocking the radiator tubes Rust911 is a great product to remove it. You can get it on Amazon for about $50 or $60 dollars a gallon. That gallon makes 16 gallons of rust remover. I used it on a 1913 Oakland radiator and was amazed at how well it removed the rust blocking the top of the tubes. I also always use distilled or deionized water in my radiators. Ordinary tap water can have minerals in it that cause teakettle scale to form in the radiator that insulates the tubes on the inside. Vinegar should remove most of that however. Jim in San Jose.
 
I had the same problem with a Model A engine that had been rebuilt by a "specialist", I gave up and purchased a "Diamond Block" and did a rebuild with an experienced machinest. My car runs at 160 now on a 90 to 100 degree day using water and water wetter.

Did an autopsy on the old engine, all the water passages were blocked. Over years of use and rust, this was the problem, the engine had also been over bored.
 
Were you running without thermostats 2 years ago when it was cool? Just curious. I know some flatheads run best that way but over the years, on other engines, I have seen the water circulate too fast to cool without them. Just my opinion, but if everything is right, you shouldn't have to run without them. To me it's akin to putting cardboard in front for winter, a bandaid.
Anyway, you have a lot of good suggestions here. I'd check the timing and look for bubbles first, cause that's easy.
 
Think I read all, seems to have started heating up immediately after new radiator was installed? The fact that both engine banks overheat at about the same rate kind of indicates problem is in new radiator, might have silver solder or braze media clogging or some other radiator fab issue. If it were in the engine I would expect one side to be hotter faster. Mine always runs hotter on the passenger side of the engine, 185 to 195 vs. 165 to 180 on driver side.
 
Ran 180 without thermostats and Skips pumps until about 2 years ago. Put new radiator core in 2 months ago. Still overheats. Radiator is not clogged, flushed engine and now runs clean but hot...200-210...and boils over. I'm going to eliminate some causes with some testing and I'll be glad to report back before I install a 283.... :)
 
Mike Going by these comments it looking more and more like a cylinder leak ,A shroud has its place put yes your better of finding the cause ,Ted
Mike..Yorba Linda said:
The strange thing Ted is it kept at 180* in 90* heat until 2 years ago. Then started overheating. The water does come out the overflow and this is a brand new core better than the one Ford put there....I need to find the cause and fix that instead of adding additional measures that will bring the temp down.....I don't see any symptoms of any cracks...
Click to expand...
 
That is the problem I found with my 40. Combustion was leaking into the coolant.
It is amazing how fast that side of the engine heated up
 
Think the suggestion was combustion leaking into water spaces possibly via a crack which will not show up as water in the oil maybe. Cooling water can be checked for hydrocarbons associated with combustion leak to water space.
Maybe a compression check also to assist.
That is a very nice looking car and deserves TLC and plenty of use.
Phil NZ
 
depends on the crack but no milky oil is always great. I thinking sbc! Time will tell, don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

Flatheads or soooo simple that they are complicated. Have you ever crack it open, head wise?
 
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