Cooling issue

[VroomKrazy]

The bucket has a Ford 302 and I am running a 1965 mustang 3 core radiator, the thermostat is I think a 180deg one. The cooling system has been back flushed and refilled. When driving around town or on back road keeping the speed under 60 the temp stays between 170 and 190. When I go on the hwy it climbs to 210 to 215 on hot days. This morning on the way to the hwy the temp was 180, got on the hwy and it went to just over 200, when I left the hwy it cooled back down to 180. The temp this morning was 73. Should I worry about this or is it nothing? Not sure what to do?

 

[putz]

I would try a cooler thermostat seeing it was only 73 this thermostat could be sticking to. I would throw a new one in at lunch if you can. Its supposed to be 94 here today.

 

[Francis Blake]

Check your bottom rad hose if it's soft replace it. if they are soft they will suck shut at hiway speed.

 

[Greg R]

Check your bottom rad hose if it's soft replace it. if they are soft they will suck shut at hiway speed.

Good advise, I'll have to remember that one.

 

[VroomKrazy]

the bottom hose is coragated stainless steel and at them moment the top is rubber. After back flushing I have not put the good hose back on the top. I Will have to pick up a thermostat and put the stainless hose back on the top.

Thanks for the info.

 

[GT63]

Is it possible that at higher speeds it's leaning out just a bit and causing the engine to run hotter?

 

[Ted Brown]

A molded hose on the top is plenty fine, as it is pressure out anyway, the lower hose needs a wire coil in it if it is a molded hose, to keep it from sucking completely shut at higher speeds, the molded hoses are easier on radiator fittings than coragated hoses.... Just a thought.. take the thermostate completely out to see if that is your problem... after that you may want to run a 160... make sure you have plenty of lead in your timing, but no pinging... Summer is here... Happy crusin

 

[Screaming Metal]

The engine was running warn....but not too hot. I'd try another thermostat and give her a whirl.....any hotter than what you where running with a 3 core.......well....its getting toward too warm.

I'm old school and anything over 200....my eyebrows start raising.....etc, etc......todays engines are designed to run hotter and leaner than the old cars of yesteryear.

Alot of the time....you can't get a thermostat below 180 unless you special order it. running between 160 and 180.....your engine performes alot better, parts last longer......and if anyone tells you your gonna mess your rings up......ask for proof of it..........maybe only if you run endless crome molys in all 3 sets.....but with that, you'll wear your bores out in your block too.

Also take Teds advice......Run as cool as you can.....but a little over 200 isn't hot.........

 

[rooster57]

Metal you give good advice. You have helped me several times in other areas of the forum. I am always interested in your solution to things .Thanks a bunch

 

[donsrods]

Not sure why, but sbf engines seem to run a little on the warm side compared to a sbc in a similar car. My 27 had a 302 and always ran warm with a custom Brassworks radiator. My Son's T bucket with a 302 runs at 190 with the electric fan running all the time, and he has a Walker Super Z or something like that. On the other hand, my T with the 350 Chevy never gets up over 160, usually 150.

I tried every trick in the book to get my 27 to run cooler and nothing really helped much.

Don

 

[VroomKrazy]

on the way home yesterday the temp got up to 215 and I left the hwy and with in 2 miles it was down to 190. Checked the thermostat and it is a 160, atleast that is what is stamped on the thermostat. New problem now see the fuel pump post.

VroomKrazy

 

[railroad]

Has the engine always run these temps or is this something new?
I did not see what type of fan you are running or just missed it.
What size pulleys are on the crank and water pump? If you have
a high ratio, there is a possibility the impeller is cavatating.
Almost a 1 to 1 ratio is good for most set ups unless you are really
turning some high rpms on the highway.
Are you running v belt or serp? The pumps on most serp belts are reversed, v belts turn the same direction as the crank.
I cannot imagine not getting enough air flow across the radiator
at highway speeds. Do you have large gaps between the outside
of the radiator and the shell?

good luck,
railroad

 

[Lee_in_KC]

vroom, what kind of fan set-up do you have? If electric, which way is the fan blowing, i.e. sucking through the radiator front to rear or blowing rear to front? If blowing rear to front, the fan is fighting the natural air flow at highway speed and probably creating an area of little or no flow in front of the fan.

 

[VroomKrazy]

I have a electric fan behind the radiator pulling the air thru it. Will try to run on the hwy with fan off and see what happens. Also I have a grill insert that I am going to remove, it might be blocking to much air. Thanks for all the help.

VroomKrazy

 

[VroomKrazy]

might have it fixed

I took the grill insert out and went down the hwy with the fan off for about 5 miles and the temp stayed around 190. now I have to see if I can change the grill insert to open it up some more. Tomorrow will be a longer test.

Thanks for all the help

 

[Screaming Metal]

Hey.....I don't really work on SBF's that much.......just the really BIG uns.......... but what few I've been around seem to run warm. Over 200 on a 160 thermostat is way too much.....you should run no more than 20 degrees over unless you got you engine way overloaded.......timing way off (also check and make sure your vaccuum and centrif. advance are working correctly!), or godforbid....a seeping head gasket.

Check out your airflow thru your radiator....you seemed to have helped it.....it you can't get any lower......get your thermostat housing, get some snips......pop out the spring and plunger, and put the housing back in and test drive it and see it that helps.........

And Thanks Rooster for the compliment!!!!! I'm here trying to help out......I'm gonna need Ya'lls help getting my bucket straightened out when I get it on the road. ----Steering and some suspension is like Greek to me-----.......Give me a blown mountain motor and I can tune it to a sweet harmony :welcome: and/or make the guy in the other lane redlight/ go up in smoke/ or blow his engine .....just givin' back to the community!!!!

 

[Track T-4]

Metal,

What does popping out the plunger and spring from the thermostat do? Would removing the thermostat entirely accomplish the same thing?

 

[Screaming Metal]

Hey Track.....well.....cutting out the center piece on a thermostat more or less......puts a back pressure into the cooling system, makes the cooling system think its got a thermostat in it thats fully open and staying fully open......on some occassions.....just taking the thermo out does away with the 'backpressure' and actually slows down your coolant flow thru your waterpump.

Think of it as exhaust scavaging for the water jacket........Ha!

 

[AZCOWBO]

When buying a thermostat in a package, always check the small print on the stat. This past week I purchased one from NAPA with 180 on the package, but it had a 250 thermostat when I took it out of the packaging.

 

[Screaming Metal]

When buying a thermostat in a package, always check the small print on the stat. This past week I purchased one from NAPA with 180 on the package, but it had a 250 thermostat when I took it out of the packaging.

DAWM....you don't need a 250 over in Arizona........maybe in Anartica!!!! Ha!..................:wall::lol::sos: