RUNNING HOT..after doing good stuff

[Shoebox]

OK guys,
Thanks to all who have followed along with this journey and posed some very valid questions and suggestions. Here is the conclusion to this all. I removed the stats and took the Merc for an extended drive on Sunday. The temp was slow to rise (outside temp was 60 degrees) and NEVER got completely to N normal, this was cooler than the past two years of driving this car (Skips pumps work) so when getting back home I let the car idle till the original equipment temp gauge did get to N. I then used my just purchase laser temp gun and shot the upper rad tank and …….. the temp was 155 degrees, this is what N represents on my car! Previously when I drove with the stats and the temp needle went to the ¾ line on the gauge I saw it as running hot. At this point I will reinstall the stats, consider the ¾ line on the temp gauge as NORMAL, and call it good.

[JSeery]

Sounds good to me!

[Shoebox]

I was waiting for ya! "Solving a problem that didn't exist" Your input MOST appreciated.

Shoebox

[MGG]

When I parked my 34 after its first drive it felt hot so I used the wife's meat thermometer in the top of the radiator and got a reading of 200. So, I got new water pumps and had the radiator cleaned and rodded and the engine ran a lot cooler (170 approximately with a laser thermometer). Since then it has never ran as smoothly or as quietly as it did at the 200 temperature.

[JSeery]

Originally Posted by MGG

When I parked my 34 after its first drive it felt hot so I used the wife's meat thermometer in the top of the radiator and got a reading of 200. So, I got new water pumps and had the radiator cleaned and rodded and the engine ran a lot cooler (170 approximately with a laser thermometer). Since then it has never ran as smoothly or as quietly as it did at the 200 temperature.

Did that teach you anything?

[chap52]

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They seem to like that 185 to 200nrange. Just like folks have been saying.

[tony starr]

You can always drill some holes in the block if it runs too hot!



Just ask Go Cat Speedshop

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[Mart]

I'd be getting a pipe thread tap and a load of plugs.

[JSeery]

That's the air cooled version of the flathead.

[Bored&Stroked]

Originally Posted by tony starr

You can always drill some holes in the block if it runs too hot!



Just ask Go Cat Speedshop

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I gotta ask the obvious question . . . who the Hell did that and for what purpose? Were they running Alky at the drags and thought they'd lose some weight? Do explain! LOL

[JSeery]

When we ran a B/A we never ran a radiator. We would fill it with water, seal it up, make a run and then dump the water and refill. I know a lot of engines had the blocks filled solid. I have never seen a block drilled for cooling, but that would be my guess at to what was being attempted.

[tony starr]

Here's part of the description that went with that photo from @gocatspeedshop's post on Instagram. Link also below.

I found out from local Drag Racer Wes Johnson that this block was in a '50 Ford Gasser in the early '60s and raced at CDR So the Holes were drilled mainly to cool the block vs weight saving.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTCHWzUFJsC/

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[JSeery]

Yep, we did some wild things in the 60s. Rear only brakes, no starters, no radiators, etc.

[Veeder]

Have you retorqued the head bolts? If not I suggest you do it also be sure to back the head bolt off record what it took to break it loose then set it to spec. Worth a shot

[Veeder]

Re-torque the heads

[Lawson Cox]

Me too.