Solving an overheat problem
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Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Pflugerville, tx
sam
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Joined: Jan 2005
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From: Tucson AZ
I am coming in kind of late on this but I had the same problem with a 351-C, I put a restrictor in the lower radiator hose to slow down the flow and keep the coolant in the radiator longer, dropped the temp 50 degrees, The coolant might be going too fast at highway speeds. There are some radiator shops that can tell you the flow rate for your engine and measure the flow through the radiator to see if they are close. LOL
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Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Durham NC
A common cause of overheating at speed is not enough air going thru the radiator due to being blocked by deflectors, fan shrouds and even the fan itself (especially mechanically driven fans on vehicles with OD tranny and/or high rear end ratio for economy.The air gets stacked up in front of the radiator and spills around it instead of going thru it.
Post Fiend
Joined: May 2008
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From: Poway, Ca.
And another point to what AX said: What goes in must come out.
If there isn't enough room around the engine for the used, now expanded, hot air to flow out of the engine compartment aerodynamically, it will cause back pressure in front of the radiator and impede flow through it as well.
If there isn't enough room around the engine for the used, now expanded, hot air to flow out of the engine compartment aerodynamically, it will cause back pressure in front of the radiator and impede flow through it as well.
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Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Pflugerville, tx
And another point to what AX said: What goes in must come out.
If there isn't enough room around the engine for the used, now expanded, hot air to flow out of the engine compartment aerodynamically, it will cause back pressure in front of the radiator and impede flow through it as well.
If there isn't enough room around the engine for the used, now expanded, hot air to flow out of the engine compartment aerodynamically, it will cause back pressure in front of the radiator and impede flow through it as well.
So I installed a good thermostat in place of the restrictor.
Sam
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Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Durham NC
Yes sometimes the engineers actually do get it right. It's when we start modifying their carefully balanced systems things sometimes start going haywire. Then we compound the problems we made by throwing a bunch of "solutions" at it all at once. We then don't know what helped or what hurt. Making changes one at a time and evaluating the results is typically cheaper and easier than accidently "fixing" it or using a Rube Goldberg "band aid". Sam reverse engineered his problem, the second best way, by then removing his fixes one at a time to see which change was the real solution. That is much better than leaving a shotgun blast of fixes in place since "throwing a bunch of ropes into a room with a snake may hide the snake for a while, but sooner or later you may still get bit".
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Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Pflugerville, tx
and it is SO hard to un-convince yourself that 'new' parts cannot be related to the problem.. the first posts in response to my initial report said 'theormostat', but I had convinced myself this could not be the problem.. and I had tested it for the typical conditions, open & close at the right temps.. I just didn't see the flow impact effect..
I spent a lot of time and energy (from all of you as well, (y'all in texas speak)) and money to avoid a $6 problem.
Sam
I spent a lot of time and energy (from all of you as well, (y'all in texas speak)) and money to avoid a $6 problem.
Sam
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