overheating still

[STRICK]

Hey whats up everyone I have a 1960 vette and have overheating problems. It's a new rebuilt 283 small block with a new water pump new theromostat new alumnium cool rad. the crossflow one $575.00 and hoses and still overheating running for maybe 5min drive time and heating up to 190 and raising fast to 220 and maxing the gauge out. Oh by the way the thermostat is rated at 160. I have taken the thermostat out and was able to drive it longer a couple more times around the blocks and on a small straight a way before the temp started to rise above 210. I think it started to overheat because the water was going through the rad. so fast no time to cool. I have also try changing out the theromstat with a new one and does the same thing as the old one did. No hose are clasping in high speed. the car will over heat just idling after a while. The fan is pretty close to the rad. and if i put a piece a paper in front of the rad. and rev-it up the paper will suck to the rad. oh bye the way when I drive it a round the block I'm not just putting around I'm getting on it just me in the nieghbor. Every time i put the theromostat in it overheats faster. sometimes when the theromostat is in the car get hot but not the rad. like its not circulating. please help lost what to do next.

[BlueRooster]

Do you think the water pump is not pumping? That or corrosion is blocking the flow? These would seem most logical. If everything is new, perhaps something isnt hooked up right? Seems unlikely, but without seeing the car its hard to diagnose.

Dane

[Bruce Edwards]

What size is it bored to? Have you check your timing and fuel settings? Are you sure the gauge is working?
If the bore is +.60 the walls may be to thin and cause the engine to overheat.

[Dennis Kelley]

Does it have the correct rad. cap on the rad? Does it overheat at idle? It sounds like there is air in the block or rad. I would leave the cap off and run at idle until all of the air is out of the system. good luck.

[STRICK]

Hey thanks for the replys. Yes it has the right rad. cap on it and its bored to a +30 and the water pump is pumping cause without the thermostat the car runs for a longer period of time before it over heats I think it over heats without the thermostat after the car runs for a while because the coolant gets hot and doesn't stay in the rad. long enough to cool down. It does overheat while idling but takes a while. thanks again for the help and please keep the help coming.

[Bruce Edwards]

Ok next question, is the pump turning the right way? No chance you have the wrong pump??? You can see the water moving out of the upper hose to the rad not the other way right?
Are you running a shroud?

[STRICK]

Yes I have a shroud and do you mean from the top hose out the bottom. so water comes from the rad. to the thermostat area right? Thanks for the help and keep it coming please to nice of a car to only get to drive it twice around the block and have to park it for a while lol

[Ron61]

Strick,

Your water flow should be from the pump through the top hose to the radiator, down through the radiator for coling, out the bottom hose to the pump and through the engine and back again. All of the above suggestions are good and should be checked. Also make sure that you have the correct thermostat and that it is working. Is your bypass hose connected?

Ron

[Rick Parker]

Strick:
Ron has the flow pattern right. If by chance you have the incorrect waterpump (by application) the impeller may be spinning backwards (serpentine belt application). Otherwize if you are confident that all components are correct begin looking for head gasket leaks by pressurizing the cooling system with a hand pump and see if retains pressure.

Good luck

Rick


I have seen some Chevys that are Air Cooled. ususlly parked by the side of the road!

[Ron61]

Rick,

Were those air cooled Chevy's sold by Turk at one of his special sales promotions?

Ron

[CulRad]

Is the car overheating by pushing out fluid? Or is it showing only on the guage.

[Ron61]

Strick,

If the car is pushing water out into the overflow tank and you can get to it easy, put a thermometer in it and see what the actual water temperature is. Not a very scientific method, but it worked great for me on a car when the temp gauge said it was 250 and the car was neither lugging, clattering, or smelling hot. I measured the water that it pushed into the overflow tank just as soon as I stopped and it was right at 200, but you will always get a big heat surge when you first stop. That is a 69 car and the gauge still reads from 220 to 240 when I drive it on hot days. AlsoI can start the car and by the time I get it out of the garage and down the driveway the gauge is reading around 150.

Ron

[Street Stalker]

i think you have air in the block and should fire the car up with out the radiator cap on. whatch the coolant cycle and see if its low. thats gona tell ya if you have any restrictions in the system and show how much flow you have. my 2 cents

[64Falcon]

Had the same problem with a 428 FE
that had been Pro built in the US.
It was very tight to crank over which I was
not too happy about, but after a few short trips the motor freed up and now the cooling has settled down to normal.
Blah Blah and so on.
Is your motor tight?
Martyn. UK

[grego37]

Try this:

With a Stant coolant pressure tester, test cooling system pressure.
attaches at radiator, you pump up pressure by hand (16lbs?) and watch the needle, it shouldnt move. If it moves you have a leak.

With the same tester , test the radiator cap see if it holds to the advertised lbs.

allot of coolant problems, believe it or not are as simple as your radiator cap. If your system wont hold pressure, it wont work right.

I was told to run the highest rated radiator cap that your system will hold (radiator, hoses, heater core etc), You actually raise the boiling point with a higher rated cap.
And unless you need antifreeze, straight water with a rust inhibiter is the best cooling agent.

Call the guys at Stewart components (cooling experts) or you can find them online too.

good luck

[RallySnake]

Strick,

Have you checked the carburetor and ignition timing? If the fuel mixture is too lean or the timing too retarded, your engine will get hot. Also, can you feel if the upper radiator hose is getting hot? It should start heating up quickly after the thermostat opens up.

Just curious, did you check the CorvetteForum.com? There is a discussion about exactly your problem going on there, right now. Click here: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=872892

Paul

[Ron61]

Strick,

Grego37 has a good suggestion. I have one of those pressure testers and have found two Radiator caps that were rated at 16 pounds opening at around 12 pounds. But I also had an idea of what to look at as I run one of those cheap NAPA overflow tanks where the water goes into it when I stop and then as the motor cools it pulls the water back into the system. I could look at the tank and see water was coming into it quicker than it should. I had a chart somewhere around here that gave the difference in temperatures for water to boil for each pound of pressure the cap keeps in but of course I can't find it now that I want to look at it. Hope you find the problem soon.

Ron

[Jack21]

Assuming the cooling systdem components are working correctly, would suspect a combustion gas leak into the cooling system caused by a leak from block, head, or head gasket.

With radiator full, take radiator cap off with engine running and look for air bubbles or froth/ foam in coolant.