running hot in traffic

[John cruzin 40]

Hi it has been a while i would like some help on cooling my stock flathead 1940 ford. It gets to hot in traffic.temp gets to 210 and starts to act up. I have a new rad that does not boil over no pressure when i remove the cap. I was thinking of elect. fans puller or pusher which one is better and newer modified water pumps and any other info will be helpfull. thanks John

[G.M.]

Originally Posted by John cruzin 40

Hi it has been a while i would like some help on cooling my stock flathead 1940 ford. It gets to hot in traffic.temp gets to 210 and starts to act up. I have a new rad that does not boil over no pressure when i remove the cap. I was thinking of elect. fans puller or pusher which one is better and newer modified water pumps and any other info will be helpfull. thanks John

John, Make sure you don't have restrictors or thermostats installed until AFTER you get the cooling down to less than 200 under normal traffic driving. The fans on the 39 and 40's mounted low and very little openings
at the rear of the engine cause extreme heat at the rear of the engine. Acting up, coil or the start of vapor lock?? If you have one of Skips rebuilt coils you can eliminate the coil as the problem, any stock coil will act up when hot. You can take the temperature on the top of the fuel pump with
a laser pointed thermometer. The new gas boils at 135. Skip modifies the pumps for the 37 to 53 engines with his exclusive turbine impeller along with body modifications to deliver almost double the flow of coolant through the engine and radiator. His pumps deliver 110 gallons each in 5 minutes, all others in the 65 to 75 gallons in 5 minutes. Most users of his pump report a 25 to 30 degree cooling improvement, many reports have been posted on this forum. One other thing you want to check is that you have a WORKING 4 lb pressure cap and fill the radiator up into the filler neck. You have a 22 quart system and lower amounts of coolant make the engine run hotter. When I say WORKING pressure cap I mean the extended rubber bottom MUST seat down on the washer like seat down in the filler neck. The rubber must hit the bottom seat before the under side of the cap hits the top of the filler neck. Before the cap hits the top of the filler neck you should feel the spring action of the rubber pressure part hit the bottom seat. IF it don't have that spring pressure at the bottom you just have a plane old cap and water is lost out the over flow. G.M.

[flatjack9]

Install a fan shroud. Works great on my 39 with a stock fan.

[John cruzin 40]

Thanks for your reply wear do i get a 3 or 4 lb pressure cap thanks again

[John cruzin 40]

Thanks you flatjack9 wear can i get fan shroud jd

[John cruzin 40]

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Thanks for all the help guys jd

[G.M.]

Originally Posted by John cruzin 40

Thanks for your reply wear do i get a 3 or 4 lb pressure cap thanks again

John your 40 radiator might be able to use a 4 lb pressure cap. Look down in the filler neck and see if there is a washer like seat about 7/8" down in the bottom of the neck. If your over flow tube comes off the filler neck all you need is the cap. Or you can cut the over flow tube off the fitting on top of the radiator, plug and solder it shut and put a new over flow tube out of the center of the filler neck. This is better than skips valve. If you need to go the 3 lb valve route contact Skip [email protected] G.M.

[Johnnydidd]

What is your ambient temperature when it gets to 210? I have fought overheating for long time now finely go it down. 210 isn't to bad with antifreeze in traffic ambient being 90 deg. 50/50 mixture boils at 265 deg. How many blade fan do you have? I have found that electric fans with shrouds work great in town driving, on highway they heat up from lack of air flow. I am using a 6 blade fan no shroud on my 53 with ac seems to work good.