What's With The Heat?

Ok,just keep it simple,what is the coolant temp.when you say it is overheating?If it is real hot 200-212 do the radiator drain test to check the flow rate.someone pipe in and give him the info,I forget what the figures are.
 
phonconn said:
I agree on the distilled water. At the St Louis 88 meet we had tons of overheating and the culprit was anti freeze gumming up the tubes. Model A's were never meant to run on modern anti freeze as anti freeze is designed to run under pressure. It is my understanding that the new yellow anti freeze is kinder to the Model a radiator but water is always the safest way to cool your A. The radiator should flow about 50+ gallons of water per minute and if you are not loosing any coolant it should be cooling fine but if it is spitting water out the overflow then your tubes are clogged as the water pump is pumping at the rate of 50+ gallons per/minute.
Click to expand...
That's a new one! Straight water is NOT a "safe" solution. 50/50 mix regular old green antifreeze will work wonderfully if you have a clean system with everything set up properly. What difference a few pounds of pressure will make with "gumming" is beyond me.
 
phonconn said:
I agree on the distilled water. At the St Louis 88 meet we had tons of overheating and the culprit was anti freeze gumming up the tubes. Model A's were never meant to run on modern anti freeze as anti freeze is designed to run under pressure. It is my understanding that the new yellow anti freeze is kinder to the Model a radiator but water is always the safest way to cool your A. The radiator should flow about 50+ gallons of water per minute and if you are not loosing any coolant it should be cooling fine but if it is spitting water out the overflow then your tubes are clogged as the water pump is pumping at the rate of 50+ gallons per/minute.
Click to expand...

While I lived in Colorado, I ran around 180 degrees F with 50%water/antifreeze while the air temp was 100 F.

I never had an overheating problem with antifreeze and water.

Marc
 
Mitch and SteveB31 probably have it right. u need a nu radiator. The one thing that lots of folks overlook is the old radiators just wear out. The fins vibrate loose from the tubes and when that happens it quits transferring heat. The is ,was never none, solder holding the fins to the tubes. Just a factory press fit and over time the "press fit" gives out. Moral of story - you need a new radiator.

But just for funzies. Go to WalMart- buy a meat thermometer the round dial type with about a 4 to 6 inch stem. Leave the radiator cap off and insert the thermometer. Within a few minutes the thermometer will give you an accurate water temperature at the top of the radiator.
 
kenparker said:
Mitch and SteveB31 probably have it right. u need a nu radiator. The one thing that lots of folks overlook is the old radiators just wear out. The fins vibrate loose from the tubes and when that happens it quits transferring heat. The is ,was never none, solder holding the fins to the tubes. Just a factory press fit and over time the "press fit" gives out. Moral of story - you need a new radiator.

But just for funzies. Go to WalMart- buy a meat thermometer the round dial type with about a 4 to 6 inch stem. Leave the radiator cap off and insert the thermometer. Within a few minutes the thermometer will give you an accurate water temperature at the top of the radiator.
Click to expand...


YES! Get a meat thermometer and actually test the temperature of the water.
It is just my opinion but I think that this should be one of the tools in everyone's Model A kit.
Quails are okay but it sure is nice to actually know what the temperature of the engine is for sure.

Before a new radiator. Triple check to make darn sure the timing is correct and the arm out of the back of the distributor is able to move fully to each side of the opening. If not fix that straight away and re-time.

It could be grease from too much being put into the water pump causing issues if the above remedies don't work. In that case pull the radiator, plug the bottom outlet and put in one gallon of Simple Green undiluted.
Plug the radiator inlet, cap and overflow tube and slosh it about several times a day for a few days. Drain and and flush and give it another go.
 
Walt Ebie said:
So before I turn to my wife's dish soap, what is TSP and how much did you use? I have dumped the antifreeze and refilled with distilled water - took about 2 and 2/3 gal to fill it to just below the baffle.
Click to expand...

A Model A cooling system should hold more than that, unless you have a clogged or smaller 2 row radiator.... It should not be cooler down the center....be careful as you can slowly cook and hurt the motor
 
Much as I hate to say it...I think maybe the "new radiator" folks are right. It is a 3-row radiator since I can see 3 rows from the radiator car. Problem may be that all the ones I can see on both sides of the cap appear to be corroded or somehow closed and I'm assuming they should be open for water flow. Can't find an opening even with a long, very thin screwdriver tip.
 
"Problem may be that all the ones I can see on both sides of the cap appear to be corroded or somehow closed and I'm assuming they should be open for water flow. Can't find an opening even with a long, very thin screwdriver tip."

Bingo
 
Same problem here. Fixed it right up with a new radiator. Flushed it til I was blue and never helped.
 
Exhaust gasses in the coolant will tend to heat up the coolant even faster than it takes to gets the iron hot, it gurgles too. After checking with your new infrared gun get a price on a HC test kit before ordering a radiator.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top