man listening to you guys is like going to a technical institute. i wish i fully comprehended all of what you were saying. i am learning though. i went and looked and my sensor line was laying on the intake too. i have relocated it and will see what happens. i have also found a local company that will make a 4 row radiator using the stock tanks so it is a direct bolt in. price around $260. hope it won't come to that. the air flow problem will be solved as soon as i can afford the new hood. i am planning on adding a 3"cowl hood in the near future.
Jason, I still say the next step in the (cheapest) process of elimination game would be to take off that high flow water pump and install a stock one. Your gauge is probably correct, cause your loosing coolant from running hot. Question for anybody who knows. Is it possible that the high flow water pump Jason has is a reversed flow pump? One that would have a under drive pulley system? Do they make such pumps? Ken
Good thread. Thanks Rich, that helped. So with my 175lb cranking pressures what does that tell you about my engine? Wrong cam? I agree on the lower radiator, I've seen bottom hoses collapse and cause real heating problems and make it very hard to figure out since it won't usually do it while sitting still idling. Check them bottom hoses. clint
part-time, i am still asking around trying to get the most info. i talked to the guys at agner radiator ( they built the radiator for the black flamed camero at old town) and they are under the impression that though possible that the coolant is moving to fast their theory is that with the higher output on the engine that the stock radiator simply can't cool fast enough especially with all the a/c stuff in front of it. i asked about replacing the pump with a stock one and they were concerned that then it would not flow enough. i am still asking around. maybe i will get lucky and my problem was where the sensor line was laying and i was getting a false reading. i will find out this weekend. B.T.W. they can build a high capacity 4 row fairly affordably using the stock setup and tanks.
here is some info... i bought my radiator that i am currently using.... it is a 16X21.... from a 67 mustang.. i got it from www.radiators.com for 205..... there are local distributors for thse guys in almost every town...so shipping costs can be avoided...all you do it...order online...call the number they give you....talk to the rep and ask if they can take off shipping if they have one in your town... they will also cut 50 off if you ask them... the only prob with mine....the bottom hose had to be unwelded fropm the passenger side and move to the drivers side of the radiator.. so it would match up with my water pump;... maybe thats my problem... do i have the right water pump? i dont know...there are so many variables for the 302... water pump with bottom hose on pass side...one on the drivers side....one that is reverse...one high volume... i tried to find the water pump that had the lower hose on the pass side, but every water pump they had had the holes not lining up on my block...so i had to use the same waterpump and get the hose connector moved over i am so frustrated with my cooling problems.....i am starting to lsoe hair over it
The early SBF used an aluminum WP with the lower hose on the other side. IMO it is a more visually appealing, lighter, and cleaner install. However you must use the earlier timing cover for the gasket to line up... I didn't know the bolts were different too The 289 aluminum pump can be had from the parts house dirt cheap. The HIPO version uses an anti-cav impeller. Sounds like this would be the ticket to line up an older, larger, Stang radiator and clean up the look of the engine at the same time. If you get lucky, you can scare up a really early timing cover with the oil fill tube in it. Now you can run your aluminum valve covers without holes in them... much cleaner look IMO. Dave
So what about ceramic coating. A sales person said that it lowers the temp about 300 degrees. So is that because they are putting heat some where else?
It only lowers the underhood temps. It impedes the headers ability to radiate heat, which helps the engine. The only positive that they can use for a selling point is that more heat in the exhaust causes the gasses to move faster and scavenge more if you have decent overlap on your cam. I think it is 'snake oil' though. You negate too many positives of allowing the heat out. Hotter exhaust gasses move faster, BUT they are also expanded, so you create the need for larger header primarys to keep the same flow. When the heat leaves the exhaust rapidly, the gasses shrink and flow easier as they cool. Smaller pipe then works more effeciently. More heat in the exhaust shortens muffler life. Mufflers are bound by the same rules too, hotter gasses in the muffler, restricts flow. Engine cooling is lessened. This can push a borderline car over the edge to detonation as well. Then you have the 'headers will last forever' factor... Not true. I have seen the coating flake off of many headers. I have seen rust bubbles under the coating. Hooker for example, only coats the outside of the header... they rot from inside out. Jet Hot is the best I have seen... they coat the whole header. If I was to coat, I would use theirs... but I wouldn't. My .02 Dave
I'm going to have some made. It comes in 3 coatings: raw metal, nickel, or ceramic. So raw metal is best for the engine, I don't think they come in black like Hookers?
The black is just paint. The paint that comes on headers is junk. Even brand new they should be stripped and painted right. Bare metal, cleaned with acetone, then painted with several light coats of high heat paint. The trick is making sure no oils or silicates get on the bare metal OR paint until they are in the car and heat cycled... This means that once you clean them with acetone, you can't even touch them with bare hands until they are on the car and heated once. After the car has been run to operating temp, then the headers allowed to cool back to room temp... you can touch them, spill oil on them, or whatever and the paint won't burn. If you even spray WD40 in the area before they have heated, your paint can burn. Silicates like WD40 are so thin and light, they can travel 100 yds before they settle on your new tubes. Dave
Dave, you have been a great teacher. This saves me a few bucks in my pocket & priceless in my brain. All my reading & I still get more info from this club over books. I love this club.
The main problem with header wraps that I see, especially down here in Florida is that all the water and humidity pretty much acts like having a wet rag wrapped around your expensive headers almost 24-7. Now about the cooling, most of you guys with the overheating issues seem to be using a stock hood. I have noticed when I pop my hood and it's just sitting there it is extremely hot and hard to work on with the engine running. Now my brothers chevelle was no where near this and it has a 454 compared to my 250. Like some one previously said, there is no where for the air to flow. I am probably going to go with a cowl hood, mainly cause it looks nice, won't rust, and will get some of that heat out of the bay. I am fixing to put a 351w in my car and am going with a mechanical flex fan and a universal shroud from JcWhitney. The shroud is like 25bucks. Are you guys still running the stock fan? Flex-a-lite mechanicals are cheap and probably provide a lot better flow with those blades. May want to try that.
50/50 mix on antifreeze? fan shroud...and i,d run no lower than 180 thermostat. Coolant has to sit in the radiator a bit to cool . good luck
