Hey look...another cooling thread!

[BladeRunner80]

This wicked heat wave hitting us all here must be having an effect on our cruisers, I've seen tons of threads on this stuff. Well, I'm chucking another one up on the board here. I need y'alls input on some troubles I'm having.

So a couple weeks ago my cruiser overheated while I was helping a friend move, luckily I pulled over in time before it got really bad. A couple weeks prior to this, I did a radiator/block flush and installed a new 160 t-stat and temp gauge. I'm also running a carbed 350.

So while I was stuck in stop and go traffic on 167 down here in Seattle area, the truck got pretty hot, high 220's to 230. Pulled over and it was steaming. Either I didn't burb the system enough when I flushed or maybe it was low, I haven't driven it much since I did the work on it. Anyway, I've decided to an overhaul on the cooling system.

The rad looks pretty old, may even be the original for all I know. So I think I'm going to order the four core replacement from CCOT, the heavy duty aftermarket. Then I'm going to toss the original fan, buy a tuarus fan/shroud (I scouted one out at a wrecking yard here for 30 bucks, just have to go and pull it) and then order a painless fan wiring kit from Summit, I think I'll go for the 185 on 175 off.

So thats my plan. Can anyone think of some other tips/ideas for this next task?

 

[bandy rooster]

i've seen so many threads where some stock radiators work and some don't i guess its a question of engine placement and the taurus fan would def. help. My original plan was stock 40 rad with a taurus but i'm leaning more towards a summit or griffen aluminum radiator.


I've found several griffen rad's that are similair to the size of the fj40's and with a little fab it could fit right in there.


you might even be better off installing a high flow water pump, taurus fan and just replacing the old rad. eventually with a new one.

 

[74fj40]

agreed, you might want to consider aluminum with that 350...

 

[BladeRunner80]

I was hoping to get it done without modifying the stock radiator mounting set-up. I don't have access to any welding or metal fabbing equipment other then some tin snips and my angle grinder. Soon.....I will have a house AND a garage.....then maybe I can get some of this equipment and get more creative.

 

[fussy_cruiser]

Did this ever happen before?
After you got going did the temp drop?
Water pump?
Is your mixture good?
Mine did this in summer, it would continually heat up without dropping. Turned out my timing was way off, like 16* ATDC.

I run a stock rad with taurus fan;
104* heat in Denver;
Stuck in traffic thru downtown, probably what, 125-135* on the hiway;
185* therm;
Never got above 190* on the guage;

If I push it on the hiway, like 3000 - 3500 RPM (Like 95 MPH) it runs about 210* on the guage, but cools right down after I slow down.

I consider it fully tested, I like the taurus fan.

 

[lone gunman]

i have the CCOT radiator and love it its about 3 years now and no problems. my 350 stays around 195deg. on a hot day maybe a little over 200 in traffic. i have a flex fan and shroud and 180 deg. thermastat. if your radiator is original i would buy new or maybe recore it, but i preffer new. and go to a 180 deg thermastat too.

 

[Pin_Head]

If you don't know why it is over heating, then you are just guessing and there are a lot of expensive possibilities. Spending a little time figuring out what is causing it might save you some work and money. I would suggest making sure that the engine isn't producing too much heat by tuning it up and reading the plugs to see if it is running lean (as mentioned above). Also check the oil and coolant for signs of a blown head gasket. If the engine checks out, then it is a heat dissipation problem. Are the fan felts tight? Any coolant leaks? If those check out, you may want to consider getting a larger radiator as the stock one is marginal, especially with high ambient temperatures. If you get a stock size radiator, you can skip the Taurus fan as it offers no significant advantage over the stock shroud and a fan (except at extended periods of idling). BTW a lower temp thermostat has no effect on over heating. It only determines the minimum running temperature and 160 is a too low in cold weather.

 

[cruiser88]

im running at a 190 no matter how fast i go or how hard i wheel

 

[BladeRunner80]

Cool, thanks for the input. Sorry I'm getting back so late on this, busy house hunting last weekend. Soon I'll have a two car garage and then I can really tear into this issue a lot easier. Thanks for the tips!

 

[dgangle]

why reinvent the same wheel

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=101698

 

[dgangle]

I was hoping to get it done without modifying the stock radiator mounting set-up. I don't have access to any welding or metal fabbing equipment other then some tin snips and my angle grinder. Soon.....I will have a house AND a garage.....then maybe I can get some of this equipment and get more creative.

EDIT: parts are SOLD

I have just the thing for you then. This all came out of my VJ40 as I went to a custom aluminum rad and shroud. I'll sell the whole shooting match. I also have a 160F T-stat, Flex-A-Lite fan and 2" spacer that I'll inlcude. Everything bolts right in and has the clearance for a Saginaw PS shaft. The radiator is the HD 4-core from CCoT http://coolfj40.stores.yahoo.net/radfj19thru1.html This radiator alone is $235 + the ride.

I gotta Taurus fan available too if you would rather go electric but it has never been mounted.

PM me if interested.

 

[camcruiser13]

you get that all put together yet dgangle?

 

[dgangle]

Got my new aluminum shroud yesterday and put in last night. I found a local old-school stockcar body fabricator and he made a shroud from aluminum from my cardboard template. It will get tested out tonight after work....good rad testing weather as it's about a hundred out today.

 

[dgangle]

and a few more installed

 

[dgangle]

temperature report

Well I ran it around after work today. Ambient temp was 97F.

Steady 180F idling, 180F in stop and go traffic, 190F on the highway and bumping the 200F mark on a long uphill grade under load with the 4-barrels open all the way up the mountain. The temp returns to 180F idling. The stocker ran 20-40F higher under similar circumstances and would never recover. I think I can rule the new AL rad, 180F TStat and HD Hayden thermal clutch fan a success.

Total cost breakdown:
Al radiator $348
clutch fan $58
shroud $100
misc hardware, hoses, TStat and steel $35
Total $ 541

Having a SBC run at realistic temperatures......priceless.