The last trip I made in my truck was to US131 Drag Strip in Martin, MI a little north of Kalamazoo. It was about an hour and 45 minutes north of me...a nice trip to stretch out the truck. Average speed was 70 or so...we were movin. The trip home was no less spirited. We made a stop at my friends shop to check out my Beetle. I was having battery issues so I left it running for fear it would not start when we got around to leave. We were inside for no more than 10 minutes (I did not finish my smoke even) when I walk outside to see my truck spewing coolant from the overflow tube. I shut it down immidiately with the temp gauge reading 220. We let it cool, got a jump, and drove it home with the temp hovering around 200 the whole way home.

I wish I could say this was the first time my truck got a little warm. Almost every car show I go to, there is a line...and the truck gets a little heated. Frankly, it's annoying. I was hoping to nip some of this issue in the bud this winter so I can idle for more than 5 minutes without overheating. I know people are running more radical setups than I am...what are you using for a radiator? It has become obvious to me that a stock radiator will not do what I need it to do.

I got a mild 289, stock F-1 radiator, stock 289 water pump, stock radiator cap (came with the truck), stock thermostat temp (195), timing is static at 10 advanced, plugs are tan so the air/fuel ratio isn't too far off one way or the other, 16" or so electric puller fan set to come on at 160 degrees or so. And before anyone mentions it, no I have no intention to put in a 160 degree thermostat. That does not fix the problem, it just opens things up faster. What I am thinking is there is not enough pressure in the system. I already had to patch a few veins, so putting a higher pressure cap on the stock radiator would probably blow the tanks or my repairs which is why I wanted to know if anyone has found an affordable aluminum radiator that fits these trucks. Because of where I mounted my engine I will probably have to switch to pusher fans unless it is thinner than a stock F-1 radiator.

 

Hello Fordman,

I had the same problem in my son's 66 Mustang with a 302. We ended up putting in an aluminum radiator. It has two rows of really wide tubes. The manufacturer says it's the same as putting in a 4 row brass radiator. It did solve the heating problems. The bulk of the problem was at long signal lights when there just wasn't enough air going through the radiator.

On my 52 F1 project, I put in a 2 row aluminum radiator from Superior Radiator in Michigan (he's an ebay seller too). I haven't driven it yet, but I did get it started (by the way...."it" is a 351W, so not a lot different than your 289). I don't have a fan yet, so on the cam break in run it did warm up to 220 before I shut it off. I put a box fan in front of the radiator & re-started the engine....it settles in at 180 degrees which is what the thermostat is. So...good cooling without a lot of air flow.

It could be that you just need a little more cooling capacity for things like shows and anytime you're idling for a long time.

Here's a pic....the radiator fits the stock mount and has hose outlets for the small block Ford.

 

Battery issue? Electric fan and overheating? A line at the show and the truck "gets a little heated" The only part of your post that does not scream "electrical" is the overheating part on the way home at road speed but 200 deg is not overheating.
I would look into resolving the electrical issues, make sure you have enough battery and battery repletishment power to run the fan at speed at all times, all conditions.
Look at your fan. Is it large enough? does it have a shroud that flows air through the entire face of the radiator?
Air flow at road speed pretty much eliminates the need for a fan. Many years ago I ran a mild 1952 Merc with a flathead without a fan for a long time, just made it a point not to get stuck in traffic. It was a challenge that I set for myself.
So check airflow and make sure your battery is staying powered enough to run fan.
JMO and good luck.

 

One thing I forgot to mention, I don't drive with a hood. It stays home. I also have no heater, or anything else that pulls from the cooling system.

Also, to clarify, my electrical issue is a stuck circuit that drains the battery if I leave the battery connected without running the truck over a period of months. I am currently working on tracking that circuit...which shouldn't take too long. All the wiring, battery, alternator...they are all good, brand new, and regularly tested to make sure they are good. I really think my problem is insufficent ground somewhere. Honestly a non issue when dealing with cooling. If it was a huge electrical draw or something like that I would focus my attention on that first cause the two issues could easily be related. I also can clearly see my fan when at a stop light to know it is working. I have no shroud, just an electric puller fan. It's not the highest rated fan as far as CFM...but it should be enough. It's not like I am running some super hopped up big block.

When I am cruising at any speed the temp sits between 195 and 200...which I am good with cause I am running a 195 thermostat. I too have put myself to the test of keeping it moving to keep it cool which works great 90% of the time. I am just getting burned out on lapping blocks to get a short line somewhere. I can't fit more fan on the radiator...it's a very tight fit as it is. And there is no shroud.

That's a slick radiator Old Dan. I may have to look into something like that. I am not so sure the capacity is my problem...I really think it is pressure related. I think if I were able to run an 8-12lb cap that my cooling problem would be solved. As it is, the cap I am running is a 4lb cap when it was new some 20 years ago. It was old and weathered when I got the truck almost 10 years ago. Every pound counts.

What I was looking for is a radiator that is slightly thinner and shorter than stock. The reason being is I would like to put a dual puller fan unit on it which would facilitate a shroud and give me more CFM of air pulling through the radiator, and facilitate a higher pressure rating for a 12lb cap. The catch is it needs to be thinner than stock to give me room for the fans.

 

Higher cooling system pressure will not cure the overheating problem. All that will do is raise the boiling point of the coolant. If you're engine is going to run hot, it's still going to do that with 4 pounds or 20. I ran a 289 with the 4 lb. cap and stock rad for years and had no problems. I also had a conventional fan on the front of the engine and no shroud.

It sounds to me like you simply don't have enough proper air flow at low speeds. You say everything is fine when driving and air is moving, but not so much at slow speeds or stopped/idling. I would look at a different fan setup, personally. Are you committed to the electric for some reason? Could you try a conventional fan and see if that makes a difference? Sometimes electrics aren't all they're cracked up to be.

 

I bought the same radiator as Old Dan. I will take a pic tomorrow of it, next to the original rad.
A thought on fan clearance. There are two spots for the radiator support/fender supports. You might be able to mount the support in the front set of holes for more clearance for your fan.

 

I'm a little concerned about that....I have the radiator support put in the forward set of mounting holes & my water pump pulley is pretty close to the radiator...I'm not sure if I can get a fan in there or not. The stock F150 unit that came with my engine has a long clutch on it, so that's out. I was planning to go with some electric setup. I'm not all that fond of flex fans. The good news is that while the engine is static, it heats up...when I put the box fan there...it has basically minimal airflow and the temp gauge snaps right to the thermostat rated 180 degrees.

All that being said...Fordman's problem could be twofold...not enough air, and maybe the radiator isn't up to snuff.

Dan

 

I will have to take a peek at that second mounting setup and see if I can't gain some more clearance. As it is, I can barely fit my finger between the radiator and water pump...which is why I went with an electric fan. I am not against moving the radiator forward if I can and running a stock fan...I simply did what I did because at the time it was the only way I thought it would work. Frankly...I hate electric fans. It's just another electrical part that can and will fail.

52 Merc...I was under the impression that too little pressure can lead to mild overheating issues. I knew that stock 289's ran with about 4lbs or so, later they moved to 8lbs. The 302 ran with anywhere from 4lbs to 12lbs towards the end of their run in the 90's. There has been a steady increase in stock cooling system pressures, I always figured there was more behind it than just boiling point. The other Fords I have built or been involved with building always ran 12lb caps with stock or stock replacement radiators (OE or aluminum)...never had a problem no matter how radical the setup was. I also know that (at the time) I was reading 220...and I was boiling.

Old Dan, I think you may be 100% correct. This may be a two part problem with a two part solution. Lack of air, and bad/worn radiator. I do know that my radiator has 3 broken and sealed core veins (they were leaking), it has god only knows how many that are plugged, I ran pepper and radiator stop leak through it to help seal the repairs. Long story short...my radiator has seen better days. The fan only pulls through the top half of the radiator because of how close it is to the water pump. Perhaps moving the radiator forward and installing a second fan would help? Or using a stock fan? While I am not against getting a good direct fit aluminum radiator such as yours...I highly doubt I can afford that at this time. I was more or less hoping to find something a little more affordable on a shoe string buget. I don't want to get an inferior product (or a Chinese product), but something that works well that's in my wheel house. Something like a stock radiator (for x or y car) that fits the hole...something along those lines. I hate to sound like a cheap ***, but in times like these...there is not much I can do to help it right now. If there is no other option, perhaps shelving it while I save some cash is best.

 

Did I miss anything about you having or not having a shroud that directs the air pulled by the fan across the entire surface of the radiator? If not, that and blocked off tubes and questionable cleanliness after running "stop leak" will be your problems.

 

Yeah...no shroud. I only have an inch or so to work with in most areas.

I think I am going to try to keep my current radiator for now. Any repairs or modifications done to the truck will facilitate the stock radiator. I am going to move it forward and see if I can't gain enough room for a second puller fan. If so, we will see how that handles it. I am sure doubling the air flow won't hurt! If it helps or even solves the problem, I will give the system a flush and top off with a good 50/50 mix and away I go. Otherwise a new radiator is in my future.

 

I'm also thinking that your rad has poor air flow. Those old rads are old fashioned even though they can be refurbished. To get it refitted with a new core would cost a small fortune and the aftermarket rads are unaffordable also. I have discovered through the years that a mid seventies jeep cherokee radiator will fit nicely in the original rad support with very little modification. Another rad you might consider that is quite popular with some of our members is the dodge radiator. Others on here can comment on the virtues thereof.

 

This Dodge radiator...what was it out of?

 

So if you have no shroud, when stopped or in traffic you're only getting air flow over the part of the radiator where your fan is.
To cool and engine you need coolant flow and air flow and it does sound like you probably have a marginal flow on both.

 

Indeed it would seem to be. The cause is there is no room for more fan...which is why I was on here to see what the other options are...or perhaps to see if the way I was running it was correct and there was another problem with my cooling system.

I am very much so interested in this Dodge radiator that people have been using. I would like to give that a whirl with dual fans or...if it will fit...a stock fan and shroud of some sort.

 

I bought a mid 70's Dodge truck radiator for 160 bucks and then spent 50 bucks to have the inlet and outlet swapped to fit my 351W. It fit perfect in the 53 mounting location with only one hole having to be drilled. I can't testify as how it will cool because I'm still in the build phase, but several people on here have used it in their trucks. I picked it up at Advance auto parts. If you need more info just let me know.
EDIT: I just looked on my build sheet, it was for a 1975 Dodge truck. Sorry I didn't put a part number down.