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Posted By Discussion Topic: overheating 33' Cabriolet -- page: 1 2 3     FFracer 10-30-2011 @ 9:02 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 62 Joined: Oct 2011 yeah it's me again... O.k. so yesterday we had a big event here in San Bernardino "Trunk or Treat" a car show, over 7,000 kids! The event is about 30 miles out, the 33 is running good I found that if I run the headlights without the dash lights or the electric pump my dad put on for priming that at about 45 M.P.H. I could maintain a neutral charge rate COOL!. So were on our way out I got the car running 55-60 M.P.H No temp gauge other than that tube with the fluid in it, well it kept getting hotter and hotter slowly but steadily, then I get that familiar smell of coolant so I pulled it over I did have a gallon of water so I waited for the block to cool and dumped in about 3/4 gallon. had to do the same to get home. This morning (after not sleeping last night) I pulled the rad hose passenger side My Dad used a S.S. washer with a .700" hole. (other side is same) Is this the correct thermostats? I also run the fan belt slightly loose (not ridiculously loose). Fresh, motor, rad. was rebuilt, water pumps look new, distributor was just rebuilt (I was not sure about the coil) so timing should be right, I pulled the plugs all look good (None steam cleaned) no steam out the exhaust or any smell of exhaust in the radiator, no water in the oil, the motor has the stock aluminum heads for the B motor (which have some small cracks that do seep a very,very small amount of water). So do I look at those high volume pumps or the closed coolant system or is there somthing I am missing?? BTW I can drive it all around town all-day with no problem. Anyhow again I appreciate the input, advice and the knowledge you-all offer. Chris This message was edited by FFracer on 10-30-11 @ 9:11 AM TomO 10-30-2011 @ 9:28 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7250 Joined: Oct 2009 Chris, you are loosing coolant at high RPMs. The high volume pumps would not help this problem. you need to find out where it is going. Direct the over flow tub into a container and see if the coolant is coming out there. If it is you could add Skip's valve to the overflow. The washer's that your Dad installed are used to restrict coolant flow. They may be adding to the problem. Try running without them. Tom FFracer 10-30-2011 @ 9:40 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 62 Joined: Oct 2011 Exactly what I was going to try today. run a hose from the overflow to a container and find out What happened to the water.. It has been my experience that not running a t-stat the water goes through the radiator so fast it never has time to cool down... Thanks, Chris carguy 10-30-2011 @ 9:59 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 167 Joined: Oct 2009 It has often been suggested that the coolant has to be slowed down so that it can spend more time in the radiator. This is a myth and not true. Chris should remove the washers and allow as much flow as possible for optimum cooling. Bill Brown '34 Cabriolet supereal 10-30-2011 @ 10:47 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 It would be wonderful if the old saw about restricting coolant flow was beneficial. The opposite is true. The greater the flow, the more efficient the cooling. Period. The major cause of overheating is a radiator with partially clogged tubes, or internal liming. Whether the "rebuild" was effective should be questioned. Many are not. The next is a combustion leak, usually a head gasket. You seem to have covered most of those. Aluminum heads are always suspect due to warping and erosion. Finally, most old cars will lose coolant out the overflow when you exceed about 40 mph. I found that out years ago with my Model A's. Ship Haney's valve will probably help. If your car still has the original brakes, driving at today's hiway speed is risky. FFracer 10-30-2011 @ 11:53 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 62 Joined: Oct 2011 My thought also on the radiator.. it just not appear to be doing its job. I will pull the washers and run it.. If results are the same the radiator is coming out. You are sooo right about the mechanical brakes, the road I was doing the 55-60 on was the old route 66 out here. I could see for miles ahead and there was no traffic (Well none if you don't count the folks behind me The pressurized system kind of scares me due to the aluminum heads. It would seem if I apply even 3 pounds of pressure it may just start escaping out the small cracks and head gasket?? Again thank you, Chris joe b 10-30-2011 @ 1:34 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 389 Joined: Oct 2010 I lived in Ontario, Ca. I ran with no thermostats and Wetter Water. It helped some. Finally decided to have the radiator looked at. Had it disassembled and found 6 tubes blocked among other things. Try Griffith Radiator Repair on Holt Blvd. in Ontario. They have been there since 1933. He knows his stuff. They disassembled the entire radiator and after repair my Ford ran cool again. FFracer 10-30-2011 @ 2:05 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 62 Joined: Oct 2011 Well here ya go... Pulled the restrictors no change, car heated up in 3 miles. pulled over added 3/4 gallon! next stop home depot (different car) 10' of 3/8 vinyl tube, shoved it on the overflow tube ran it into a bucket in the cab again 3 miles pukin' coolant, As fast as I go the faster it puked. Problem is now pretty obvious. Just weird how no water is getting into the cylinder(s). you would think it would leak into or be pulled in on the intake stroke and showing a super clean plug or valve, but i guess without a pressurized system... Man I just hope it's a head gasket... Realistically though I would bet the head(s) are it. Good excuse to find some of those cool finned heads Any suggestions on head gasket cooper or steel with aluminum 21 stud heads and what do you use to seal around the studs?? Chris supereal 10-30-2011 @ 2:54 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 Steel is probably better than copper on aluminum heads. We usually replace all stud, but if none leak, you may get by, but I wouldn't bet on it. Permatex makes a good sealer. Stroker 10-30-2011 @ 4:04 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1460 Joined: Oct 2009 You mentioned in an earlier post that the motor was recently rebuilt. I'd elicit an adept compadre, and have him/her apply the emergency brake, place the trans in 3rd, and engage the clutch just enough to impose a load on the motor without stalling it. while you trustingly observe the water in the head tank with the cap off. Bubbles would indicate a compression leak. It all boils down, (pun intended) to this: Running down Foothill Blvd. (I grew up in your West-End hood),is a lot different than tooling around Berdoo. At highway speeds, you are burning more gas, thereby creating more combustion heat, (and assuming you don't have a cylinder head leak), these excess calories must be accommodated somehow. If you don't see lots-O-bubbles in the aforementioned static test, then JoeB's advice regarding Griffith is your next stop. Coolant loss has three causes: 1. The engine cannot rid itself of heat as fast as it generates it; 2: The coolant is being displaced by combustion gasses, and 3-the system cannot contain the flow rate. I'll vote for 1.

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