Update, 1932 Model B Loosing Water

[Ed in Maine]

Thank you for your responses. I will post in the Model A group also but wanted to tell you what I saw this morning.

1. It is loosing water out of the over flow pipe but only when the speed is way up. As soon as you go to an idle, the water level drops and doesn't leak out. This is why I can't see anything wrong with the water level when I get out of the car. This time a ran up the throttle and the water level comes up very quickly to the overflow pipe.

2. There are no bubbles when the car is running at an idle or slowly but when you have the engine speed set high, there are bubbles and the water level rises right up into the radiator neck. I slipped a piece of tubing over the over flow tube (3/4 in.) but this wouldn't help because the water level goes right up to the cap. I can't be sure what is causing the bubbles, a bad head gasket seal or an aggressive water pump.

3. I understand what you are saying about the car seeking its own level but I am not comfortable not seeing any water in the radiator and knowing it is down maybe close to 2 quarts!

4. I am thinking about putting a restricter in the upper radiator hose to decrease the water pump capacity.

Thanks for all your help, if you have any further comments I will be pleased to read them. Thanks, Ed

 

[DICK SPADARO]

Ed this is normal, But if you speed up the engine RPM and the tank fills very fast it indicates that the pump is working good but the radiator is not.The quick build up of water is an obstruction to the flow thru it so the next place to look is the radiator itself. If this is an old radiator that you have not taken to the radiator shop to be disassembled and cleaned its a pretty good chance that the tubes are all cruded up from years of use. Just because the water went thru it with a garden hose doesnt mean that all the tubes were clean.

 

[Walt Dupont--Me.]

Dick is correct on the radiator. I build alot of A and B engines and find alot of rad plugged even if the water goes through with a garden hose. BUT, the pumps do pump alot of water fast and force it up to the top of the cap and out the overflow. I have a thermstart in my top hose and it help 90 percent. I also have a 3# check valve on the bottom of my overflow pipe, made by Skip, after installing the valve I never add water. Walt