239 Flathead Cooling problem!
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,190
Likes: 2
From: Riverside, So Cal
Snipa -
Sounds like your trouble is an air bubble. Follow F-One's advice on purging it.
I run an electric fan and love it. Mine is only 1600 cfm and is mounted as a puller to the radiator without a shroud. I use a thermostat switch to make it come on at 210 and off at 170. The only time it comes on is in stop-and-go traffic, but when it does, it sucks the temp down quick.
Sounds like your trouble is an air bubble. Follow F-One's advice on purging it.
I run an electric fan and love it. Mine is only 1600 cfm and is mounted as a puller to the radiator without a shroud. I use a thermostat switch to make it come on at 210 and off at 170. The only time it comes on is in stop-and-go traffic, but when it does, it sucks the temp down quick.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 279
Likes: 0
From: Appleton, Wisconsin
thanks Randy Jack
i'll try purging it
where did you buy your fan?
Sounds just like what I need
Does your belt driven fan run all the time then?
I'd like to see a picture of your set-up
\Todd
i'll try purging it
where did you buy your fan?
Sounds just like what I need
Does your belt driven fan run all the time then?
I'd like to see a picture of your set-up
\Todd
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,190
Likes: 2
From: Riverside, So Cal
Todd -
I removed the mechanical fan. I don't run that at all. Saves some horsepower, you know. Plus, I don't worry about getting my hands whacked in the engine compartment. Cleans up the look of the engine a lot.
You can buy any number of electric fans from 1600 cfm up to over 3300 cfm out of lots of magazines and catalogs. They'll run around $80- $250 (or so). You can spend more if you want billet, etc. There's very nice one with S-blades in the Summit catalog. p/n SUMG4904, 16 inch dia, 1500-2000 cfm, $81.99. The S-blades tend to run quieter and they look pretty cool.
The switch I used is a Hayden Relay Switch Kit p/n 3652. It uses a probe sensor that just inserts between the radiator fins. I bought that at Pep Boys for cheap (around $35). I like the probe because I didn't have to tap a temp sender hole into the manifold. I hid the relay under the cab, so there's just two wires (in a split loom) running along the frame rail up to the fan.
There's a picture of my motor in my gallery album ("Randy's 56"). It won't show much detail, but it does show how clean everything gets without the mechanical fan in the way.
Have fun!
I removed the mechanical fan. I don't run that at all. Saves some horsepower, you know. Plus, I don't worry about getting my hands whacked in the engine compartment. Cleans up the look of the engine a lot.
You can buy any number of electric fans from 1600 cfm up to over 3300 cfm out of lots of magazines and catalogs. They'll run around $80- $250 (or so). You can spend more if you want billet, etc. There's very nice one with S-blades in the Summit catalog. p/n SUMG4904, 16 inch dia, 1500-2000 cfm, $81.99. The S-blades tend to run quieter and they look pretty cool.
The switch I used is a Hayden Relay Switch Kit p/n 3652. It uses a probe sensor that just inserts between the radiator fins. I bought that at Pep Boys for cheap (around $35). I like the probe because I didn't have to tap a temp sender hole into the manifold. I hid the relay under the cab, so there's just two wires (in a split loom) running along the frame rail up to the fan.
There's a picture of my motor in my gallery album ("Randy's 56"). It won't show much detail, but it does show how clean everything gets without the mechanical fan in the way.
Have fun!
Last edited by Randy Jack; Apr 28, 2005 at 04:34 PM.
Thread Starter
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New User
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
To all who responded to my '50 Ford F1 flathead V8 overheating problem...many thanks. I learned a lot! After themostats proved not to be the problem, I decided to spend the bucks to have my radiator recored (3 in...3 off-set rows). IT SOLVED MY PROBLEM...RUNNING WELL IN THE RIGHT HEAT RANGE...FAST RECOVERY AFTER SLIGHT WARM UP WHEN IDLING OR SLOW DRIVING.
Ron Schwartz; Milford, Indiana
Ron Schwartz; Milford, Indiana
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 8,813
Likes: 13
From: Littleton, New Hampshire
Ron,
Glad you found the problem and reported back. In general, in the absence of mechanical problems with the engine, overheating at idle is almost always caused by a lack of air flow through the radiator (not big enough fan, not enough fan blades, lack of shroud, missing air defector, etc.) and overheating at highway speed is almost always due to a lack of circulation in the radiator itself due to rust and corrosion...
Vern
Glad you found the problem and reported back. In general, in the absence of mechanical problems with the engine, overheating at idle is almost always caused by a lack of air flow through the radiator (not big enough fan, not enough fan blades, lack of shroud, missing air defector, etc.) and overheating at highway speed is almost always due to a lack of circulation in the radiator itself due to rust and corrosion...
Vern
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
I know this is a old thread, but im having a puzzling problem.My 48 239 V8 is not warming up on the left side. I stupidly before I knew this was a no no I put octane boost in it. Truck started running awful. I drained the tank, lines and carb, and put in fresh non ethanol gas like i was running before.
but now it wont idle have to continually pump accelerator, the right side warms up to normal temp, but the left side stays cold, its only running on one side. What happened? Would really appreciate any help.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 27,283
Likes: 1,046
From: NM
Are you saying even the head on the left side stays cold? Each barrel of the carb feeds two left side cylinders, 2 right side cylinders, so a plugged main jet wouldn't explain it. Have you pulled the plugs on the dead side?
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Junior User
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
Cold l
yes..it will crank and run long enough right bank gets to right temp then die. Left temp gauge doesnt move, and i can actually put my hand on the exhaust manifold. No heat on head either. Right side is hot to touch but not over heating. This started when I put the octane boost in. Didn't know that was a no no on low comp. engines. I do now...lol
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 70
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yeah around 20 yrs. But Ive done a lot of work to it over the past year and its been running fine for 6 months or better, till I put the booster in it. It lost all power at first and left side wouldn't warm up. So I completely flushed tank lines and carb, put in fresh gas, and for about 5 minutes it was running fair, even idled. But the left side never warmed up. Then started missing real bad and died. Now it'll crank for a few seconds, choke half out, foot on the gas a little, but seems to run out of gas. Ive got electric pump on it, checked that, its ok. But the left side never gets warm. Put my hand on the head at all 4 plugs, and exhaust manifold, just as cold as if it never started...really got me stumped. All new points plugs dis. cap, rebuilt carb everything but the internals except a couple of new exhaust valves. Like I said was fine till I put that boost in it and 5 min. later all this.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 27,283
Likes: 1,046
From: NM
Check your firing order, possible they got mixed up when you did the cap and wires. Could also be a bad cap or rotor.
What did you do to the exhaust valves? Does the engine have adjustable lifters? Any relation between the cylinders you replaced valves and the dead cylinders?
What did you do to the exhaust valves? Does the engine have adjustable lifters? Any relation between the cylinders you replaced valves and the dead cylinders?
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
No ..all that's been done long before the boost was put in. I put the boost in moved truck out of garage to put a new radiator on my every day truck and went to put 48 back in garage and it had no power. Got it back in and it continued to get worse. Look up putting boost in a flat head and according to what I found it could be all kinds of things, burnt pistons burnt valves carb damage or maybe just fouled plugs. Was hoping to find someone that's been thru this and could maybe help pin point it. Its just strange its just on one side.
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 70
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I really appreciate your trying. I been working on cars a long time, almost 45 yrs but never messed with a flat head much. But I have learned Don t put octane boost in one..lol.Thanks for your time. If you figure something out let me know. Im gonna give it a tune up tomorrow and hopefully I just fouled some plugs.
Thanks again.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 27,283
Likes: 1,046
From: NM
I have never heard of octane boost hurting anything. Flatheads are very tolerant, you certainly wouldn't burn valves or hurt pistons just moving it around the yard. The boost may have loosened a bunch of varnish in the carb or fuel pump. Can you do a compression test?