Radiator overheating.

JoeMarine

JoeMarine

Senior Member
Gents, I have another "new" issue. A month ago I flushed my radiator as directed by Ford Barn and everything went well. I drove it and had it sitting idling for a while and no "overheating" issue. In other words, no "mercury" red issues with my Quail radiator cap. I recently drained the radiator of the "water - only" that was in the radiator. I replaced the water with three gallons of 50/50 Preston. Took the car for a ride yesterday and I noticed the "red" mercury appeared on the bottom 1/5th of my Quail radiator cap; and rising. Does it really make a difference between "water-only" and 50/50? Thanks in advance
Semper Fidelis
Joe Marine
 
NOPE...just drive it, let it seek its own level and watch it...from this point on and see the results..
 
First, I would get rid of that Quail Meter cap, they have been wrong many times.. Get a good "Original Boyce Motor Meter" & try it..
 
Use an infrared on it, they are cheap. That way you can check all over the engine and radiator for hot or cold spots.
 
Straight water does cool better but using 50-50 raises the boiling temp of the water and of course protects you from freezing. I did more tests on both than I care to admit when I was chasing my overheating gremlins. Don't read too much into todays motometers and remember they measure steam not water temp.
 
The thermo reads higher when the coolant touches the bottom of the meter. If the coolant level now is higher than previously, it could be touching the base of the thermometer, causing a higher reading. When the coolant is too low to touch the meter, it is only heated by moist air or steam, hence it reads lower. Once the coolant overflows and it finds its preferred level, it should read the same. BTW, I agree with the opinions of others on the inaccuracy of thermo quails.
 
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