Cooling, out of options!!!! head gasket ?
 

out of options, car refuses to run below 200-210.:(

Installed the Griffin radiator and a different 180 stat.

I guess that's it, can't think of anything else to do... sad part is when it runs that hot, i get lifter noise, time to try an oil cooler??



I also saw on another thread, to run .60 over bore head gaskets on a .060 overbored engine.. I did'nt even think of that when i installed my heads, checked Summit, they don't list such a part..


I am confused? :confused:

Wooo....boring .60 over is quite a bit...
Try checking your waterpump, burping your lines, do you have underdrive pulleys, check your timing.

If your engine is .060 over, its probably been rebiult more then once. It may have a cracked, clogged, or blocked water passage.

timing is set at 12 deg., not underdriven, motor was a reman shortblock from Recon. Engine & water pump only have 2000 miles on it.

would'nt a blocked or cracked water passage make the temp irratic??

I was thinking a possible bad head gasket, but no smoke, no coolant in the oil and the coolant level remains the same.

the only other thing I am hoping is with the outdoor temp being 100 deg or so lately and the car being black???? it started doing this about a month ago when the outdoor temp got over 85 deg.

don't know what else to try... cowl hood??


what do ya mean when you say "burping my lines"????

What I meant by burping the lines was making sure all the air is out of the lines.

Replace the radiator cap if you haven't done so already.


You can "burp" the water passages by removing the radiator cap when the engine is cool and then start the car. Watch the coolant level in the radiator. When it drops, wait for it to stop dropping and then top off the radiator. Put the new radiator cap back on.

What type of coolant are you running and what is your water/coolant ratio? If it's really hot, you may want to go 25% coolant and 75% water.

radiator cap was new with the rebuild, i think it's a 16 psi cap.

coolant is currently about 90% water, 2 bottles of water wetter and about 10% anti-freeze..

i have personally had new radiator caps be bad out of the packaging. go to a repair shop and ask if they could pressure test your cap and cooling system. will tell you if cap is bad and if you have a leak somewhere else ( head gasket as you are conserned, but i doubt it). i think you can pick one up at a parts store also.

a few more tricks for you to try:

1. 160 dgree high flow thermostat

2. drill 1/8 diameter holes ( approx. 6) around the outside of the thermostat you have know to flow more water.

3. make sure you are getting full advance from your distributor while you are at crusing speed. they do go bad. running retarded will cause your motor to run hot.

4. havn't heard of this one until lately at a mustang club meeting, but do you have your front valance on the front of your car. it is the plastic peice under your radiatior. it is perpendicular withthe road and your car. what happens as it is expalined to me is if it is not there, at crusing speed, the air that goes under your car sucks there air out from in front of the radiator and it doesnt go through the radiator, especially on the 79-86 cars.

5. high flow water pump.

good luck i am dealing with something simaliar. and let me know if any of those suggestions helped you and by how much.

a couple things too.. you DO have the fan shroud right? it you dont, get one... also is it the right water pump? yours should have a reverse rotation pump.. if you have an older one.. it's running backwards....

BTW... .060 over is WAY thin on a 302..it's going to run hotter than normal... I wouldnt try to run alot of HP in it...

yippee (i hope)!!!

well after much *** scratching, i think we got it.. (granted the temp outside right now is only 80).


went to the local speed shop (TNT Specialties) and bought a Autometer temp guage and a Mr Gasket hi-flow stat. car ran 179-185 degrees on the way into work this morning.. we will see what happens tonight on the way home, but even idling last night it only ran 189 or so..



thanks for all the help guys....

so jerry
what did you do anyway? just the thermostat?you had all of those suggestions. did you do any of them?and did you try any of them and they actually helped and which ones did you notice that helped?

tarmon

i was running straight water (which everyone sez works the best for cooling), i added 50/50 coolant and installed the 180 highflow...


1 i did try the 160 stat, it ran 200+.

2 i triple checked the timing and am running a brand new distributer

i could'nt see replacing my water pump yet, it's brand new..




the guy at the race shop also told me they get 10-20 degree drop using watter wetter in their race cars?? so whatever that's worth..

jerry are you still overheating? it seems to me you have done all the basics. do a cylinder leak down test. that will give you an answer.