Anybody wanna take a guess on my 8BA overheating situation

[flatjack9]

If the block is really rusty, I would block the water pump inlets and fill the block and heads with vinegar. Let it sit for a week and then thorougly flush. To really do a thorough job, you need to remove the heads and use long stiff wire rod or whatever and go in a scrape whatever you can, especially from the bottom of the block. Then install your radiator, fill the whole system with vinegar and drive it for a week. Flush thoroughly again including back flushing the radiator. Then fill your system with whatever coolant you use and drive it.

[Richard in Florida]

Originally Posted by JT FORD

The dot is the correct setting, its not dead center.

The dot is 2.5 degrees BTDC, and it's for static timing with a stock distributor. He doesn't have a stock distributor; he has a '70s Chevy distributor cut down for the flathead.

Static timing is not terribly useful when you have a curve that's different from the stock curve.

If he's idling near TDC (like 2.5 degrees), the engine will tend to heat up. If his main problem is coolant flow blockage (been there), the low idle advance will make it worse.

[Russco]

So here is a little update, I put some nylon stockings in the upper hoses for filters and removed both thermostats so the flow would not be restricted in any way. I drove the car back to Indiana. On the first leg (160 miles) the car never got over 180* and 90% of the time ran at 170* . When I got there I check the radiator fluid level and it was still full. On the way home after about 50 miles the temp started gradually going up till the last 20 miles it actually was about 205-210. But it never overheated after it cooled I pulled the stockings out and they were both full of rust flakes and a fine layer slime like debris that I had to wash out with them turned inside out to get clean. Here is a picture of the large stuff that came out of it.

[41ford1]

Same concept as the sock I heard about that the Austrailians use. Is there anything unique about the nylon stockings that you used? Seriously. Are you using the toe area of the stocking? If you are is it reinforced or constant mesh.

[FlatheadTed]

you use a knee hi one regular grade (not the hairy leg type ) feed it up into the top tank then fold it over the out side of the pipe ,tape it around there with electrical tape then push the rubber hose over it ,The Nylon will balloon out in the top tank ,I hold it in with some wire former (goes up then bent back) under the tape so s the water filling doesn't wash it down the hose