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GerryAllen · 03-02-2020, 06:16 PM

When I first got my 1930 Coupe it seemed to over heat. I am not really sure it was, I was over filling it. While trying to figure "the problem" I flushed the radiator and engine 3 times with vinegar. There is a YOUTUBE video on how to do it, I could not believe the crud that I drained from the radiator.
Once I got the rad flushed I elected to use Water Wetter and no anti freeze. A member in our Model A club is a chemical engineer, gave a lecture on coolants and suggested not to mix more than one chemical with another. He felt you may be creating a chemical reaction between the radiator additives.
I bought a laser heat temperature gun type sensor from NAPA to take an accurate temp of my coolant in the radiator. The upper half near the top of the rad is usually 15 degrees warmer than the bottom half, which is what you would expect. I found in fact my rad was not over heating but was in consistently running at 170 DEGREES.
I think between my over filling the rad and the cork gasket needing to be replaced on the rad cap was causing the moisture on the windshield and and coolant drip under the rad.
I now use the laser heat reader after most drives to check the rad temp and wheel drums to make sure one or more are not dragging.

03-02-2020, 06:16 PM	#15
GerryAllen Senior Member Join Date: May 2018 Location: Birch Bay WA Posts: 190	Re: Radiator Baffle When I first got my 1930 Coupe it seemed to over heat. I am not really sure it was, I was over filling it. While trying to figure "the problem" I flushed the radiator and engine 3 times with vinegar. There is a YOUTUBE video on how to do it, I could not believe the crud that I drained from the radiator. Once I got the rad flushed I elected to use Water Wetter and no anti freeze. A member in our Model A club is a chemical engineer, gave a lecture on coolants and suggested not to mix more than one chemical with another. He felt you may be creating a chemical reaction between the radiator additives. I bought a laser heat temperature gun type sensor from NAPA to take an accurate temp of my coolant in the radiator. The upper half near the top of the rad is usually 15 degrees warmer than the bottom half, which is what you would expect. I found in fact my rad was not over heating but was in consistently running at 170 DEGREES. I think between my over filling the rad and the cork gasket needing to be replaced on the rad cap was causing the moisture on the windshield and and coolant drip under the rad. I now use the laser heat reader after most drives to check the rad temp and wheel drums to make sure one or more are not dragging.