Hey guys, my car is overheating. I have an aluminum radiator and an electric fan. The car was running fine at 180 degrees and then it just started running very hot (above 230 degrees). I did replace the thermostat, water pump, and eventually had the heads checked. I did have a cracked head, so I replaced it and installed both heads with Felpro gaskets. I am still have issues with overheating and it is driving me insane. Did any run into an issue with this in the past and what did you do to fix the problem?
timing being off will cause over heating. and just because you have new head gaskets doesnt mean theyre not leaking exhaust gas did you have the heads resurfaced? if you dont torque the heads down in just the right order then double check the specs the head gasket can be leaking again. is your motor stock? do you have a fan shroud?
I did have the heads resurfaced and torqued the heads down correctly. They were resurfaced. My engine is out of a '87 F-150. The stock intake was removed and an Elelbrock intake and double pumper carb was installed. I do have an aftermarket aluminum radiator and a 16" electric fan attached. No other modifications. The thing is that it was running just fine at 180 degrees and then started jumping up to almost 240 degrees at idle or while driving. Driving just causes it to overheat faster.
does your fan still come on? if it does come on is it possible its not staying on long enough? the relay may have went out if everything else is in working order and your timing is set ok your block may be leaking water. no water in your oil right? are you having to add water regularly? sounds like a new/used engine is in the works. build a stroker and get rid of the headache lol
run pressure test on the system. if indeed you have a leak it has to go somewhere. this will make it evident. also, are you sure your gauge is accurate?
Did you make sure all the air is out of cooling system with heater open? Air heats up much more quickly than water. I replaced the heads on son-in-laws car and he never checked the level like I asked. In a week he blew the new heads. All that work for nothing.
Well I found the problem a while back. It turns out the radiator was quite plugged. I now have a new radiator and no more cooling issues, unless you count that it like to run at 180 degree even with a 190 degree thermostat. It warms up to 190 and then quickly drops back to 180. I can deal with this.... Vern
Well, I'm glad you found the problem. I had horrible cooling problems with mine till My friend gave me a free Chevy crossflow aluminum radiator. I turned it on it's side to make it clear the hood and put a different filler cap on the side. What a difference! Runs @180° all day. No more hauling jugs of water in trunk anymore. Good luck, we all need it with 40+yr. old classics.
