HOT day in my TANK(in a parade)

[BIG MIKE]

OK guys I had my tank out in a parade yesterday it was bloody hot! 1st of all it took less than 15 minutes to go from 0 to 200 degress on the temp gage at 9mph for a 2 mile parade in the sun. she boiled over and most of the coolent went into my gallon reserve coolant tank and that started to overflow. I don't have thremos but I need to slow the coolent down in the rad. the coolant dosent have enough time to cool down, it was like a non stop steam engine. someone told to do this get 2 washers with a 5/8 hole to slow the water down to cool OR get 2 thermos and pop the centers out. my fan blade SUCKS big time , i'm getting a new one here from a member here on the fordbarn , this should help too. I have a cowl installed as well. let me ask you this since my motor is behind me and I have 4 side engine covers should I take them off on a hot day exposed to the sun or leave them on? thier is enough ventage in the rear of the tank to allow the hot air to escape with the side covers on. also she starts to ping and pop under a load ONLY when the motor is past 212 degrees. on my rad to clean the outside witch I never done it is like caked on with paint on the fins should I power wash the rad? I used yesterday an additive "Water Wet" in my Rad as I mentioned above she still went over 200 degress. I bet the hole rad was about Guessing 240 degrees. so my main issue is HOW to slow the waster down in the RAD! Cheers waiting for your imput, Cheers Lads

[JWL]

Slowing the water flow rate will make matters WORSE. Yes, if there is any type of crud or blockage of either the air or the water flow you can improve cooling by increasing those flow rates. You said there is a good exit for the hot air but is there also a good entry point for the cooler, fresh air to enter the front of the radiator? Does the system have a pressure cap so the simple expansion of coolant does not result in overflowing?

I am concerned there might be combustion gas leakage into the coolant at the head gaskets. Have you checked for that?

[41ford1]

Listen to JWL. He brings up a very good point about combustion leakage. Yours seems to warm up fast. Besides that there are 3 factors to engine cooling:
Water flow - more is better, for heat transfer from the block water. This requires a clean block and radiator core along with good pumps.
Air flow - again more is better, to transfer the heat from the radiator to air. Make sure there is no blockage of air to, through and out of the radiator. Add an electric fan if neccessary.
Ignition timing - Timing does not want to be "late" or "retarded". If it is EGT is raised heating the water cooled exhaust ports.
Happy hunting as I just ran this chase. In the end I found late timing in the pickup. Corrected it and now it runs much cooler.

[richard crow]

hi mike if i remember right you have had this tank quite a while . i have seen phots on the old ford barn you never complained about over heating if this cond just came on do like jwl & 41ford1 say but do one thing first retorque the heads.some time that ,s all thats needed p.s do any of the mice you raised ever come to visit you.

[BIG MIKE]

Thier is plenty of space for Fresh air , I don't have a presure cap, the rad is a 34 did they have presure caps back then?, the other day I drained rad Clean as a wistle, then flushed block clean. should i power wash the fins on the vents. Water pumps are good, hoses are new, fan blade shot! I think that may be the problem. OK so no go on the washers !! thanks. Combustion Fuel into the head gaskets thats a new one what do I look for? gas film in the coolent? the timing would that be the vacum brake? this all started to happen around this time last year the last 4 years she ran cool at 180. in ww2 these vehicle's were known to over heat all the time. i'm just goping to have to wait until I get my new 6 bladed fan. on the timing ware do I adjust?., thanks lads

[BIG MIKE]

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LOL Richard, the Mice never returned , But when I released them the full grown. Yes your right I never had overheating problems before . Cheers mate!

[BIG MIKE]

Oil is fine aswell no Coolent getting in it, if it was it would look chocolatly carmel colour

[Terry,OH]

You can run water through the fins of the radiator to make sure the fins are clean and air can pass through, but I would NOT pressure wash unless you stay far away from the fins. High pressure water will probably bend the fins and clog the air flow. Just looking through the fins with a light on the other side may tell you a lot. If the fins look open and the radiator is dirty from oil film you can soak it in soap and then flush with tap water. If a lot of the fins are bent you can straighten them out with a small needle nose pliers. I also agree with JWL and 41ford1, and their suggestions.
You need More water and air flow not less.

[BIG MIKE]

OK here is a good ? when the engine is running with rad cap off and looking at the coolant should it be moving of just standing still?

[41ford1]

I think it depends on where the filler neck is located. If is near an inlet hose you should see movement. If it is close to the center you might not see any movement until you rev the engine. Is the '34 rad a recent change? Is it the same cooling capacity as the original tank rad?

[Kurt in NJ]

If you have paint caked on the outside of the fins that will limit heat transfer.
Perhaps taking the radiator to old time radiator shop that still has a cleaning tank --and consider having the tubes rodded out ---

take the hoses off at the top and look inside with flashlight and mirror, if you see more than 1 or 2 tubes stopped up at the top think of how many that you don't see, figure the percentage that you don't have working ---- I have 2 radiators for my 36. one looks perfect on the outside, the other looks rough, both have 50% of the tubes clogged off at the top, I know that I will have to take the rad apart to clean inside, I did it on my 46 the cheating way ---a bent coathanger through the hose and cap holes to get as many as I could get and that kept that car cooler than it was, the outside got paint remover and carb cleaner wash ---I was 17 and didn't know any better but I got away with it.

there can be another problem with heat transfer, the tubes have to be connected to the fins, if the fins move on the tubes the bond has been lost ---that usually means a new core.

Retorqueing the heads is a good idea.

[CWPASADENA]

Originally Posted by Kurt in NJ

If you have paint caked on the outside of the fins that will limit heat transfer.
Perhaps taking the radiator to old time radiator shop that still has a cleaning tank --and consider having the tubes rodded out ---

there can be another problem with heat transfer, the tubes have to be connected to the fins, if the fins move on the tubes the bond has been lost ---that usually means a new core.

Retorqueing the heads is a good idea.

A good radiator with a GOOD CORE is a must. These old original cores will eventually loose a good tight solder joint between the fins and the tubes. In a case like this, the heat will not transfer into the fins from the tubes. Also as stated before, paint and crud in the fins will drastically detract from cooling. I would STRONGLY recomend you take the radiator to a good shop and have them look at it. Have them NOT paint it. You can just put a VERY lite coat of simi flat black on it if you feel it is necessary. If you need to replace it, Walker makes some very efficient cores and some Killer Radiators.

Also, as previously stated, check for combustion leaks into the coolant. Your local auto parts store should have a chemical test kit to easily check for this. If you have combustion in the coolant, it will run HOT. This is one of the first things I would want to check.

Also Timing is critical to running cool, DO NOT RUN RETARDED.

A GOOD fan with a shroud should also help getting air thru the core of the radiator. A good mechanical fan will pull way more air then an electric, especially if you still have a 6 Volt system.

You can also spray the radiator core with a mist of water. This will do a lot to lower the coolant temp. Rig up a spray bar across the top or the core and use an electric fuel pump and a reservoir of water. When things get HOT, turn on the pump and spray the core with water. The spray bar should be on the side of the core that the air enters, not the exit side. This is used a lot in racing and other applications where things want to run hot. I think I would do this anyway. Even if you get it to run cooler, this would be like an insurance policy and give you9 some confidence that you can manage the coolant temp even on a really hot day when you are in a parade.

This is such a unique historic vehicle, it is good that you are trying to keep it running and out where people can see and enjoy it.

This is my opinion.

Chris

[41ford1]

Mike, on timing. Check it with a vacuum gauge. If you have no engine problems (bad rings or valves) the reading should be steady at about 18"hg. If it is steady and low the timing is late. On the side of the Ford distibutor housing there is a scaled plate held down with a bolt. This sets the static or initial timing by locking the position of the point plate. With the engine off loosen the bolt and slide the scale so the point plate rotates clockwise a couple of marks when you are looking at the front of the engine. Tighten the bolt. Start the engine and check the vacuum reading. Repeat adjusting as neccessary to achieve the highest possible vacuum then back off 1"hg. You may need adjust the vacuum break to prevent ping under load.

[BIG MIKE]

thanks guys, I have it out this Sunday at a friends house in Dedham mass, at the annual atique classic car and Rat and hot rod show in Dedham, as a static display. the carrieris Universal Carrier (Bren Gun carrier) Henry Ford made over 75,000 of these vehicles during ww2 Mk1 Mk2 Mk3 universal carriers as well as the T16's, I will take the rad off and clean it. It was recored 7 years ago., I have the Cowl/shourd in it. it smokes and it may have bad rings and valves. 41 ford the scaled plate is set a little of from the center an ole flathead guy set it for me years ago. I will look at this as well and do sum experiments. as for the vacuum brake, turning clockwise (in) will get me a better ready? as for another fan in a 6 volt system that fan would be a 12volt with an extra battery(12v) how do I charge that in a 6volt system? these fans draw alot of juice i was told. anyways Chris I like the spray bar Idea. my carrier after sunday will sit until Oct when the cooler parades and events come back this will give me 3 good months to tinker. Thanks guys BIG MIKE

[Cool Hand Lurker]

A pressure cap will raise the boiling point of the coolant so it will be less likely to boil over. Modern caps are about 14 psi rating but you can get them in the 2-5 psi rating for the older radiators like you have.

[Frank The Plumber]

This is like De Ja Vu. That tank is always running too hot. Every year.

I use a nice Griffin aluminum radiator and a Spaal Be Cool fan, had my old truck with the monster engine in it in the parade for a solid hour in the 92 degree heat tossing candy to the children doing 1/4 MPH behind the marching band.

I never eclipsed 165 F.

They used that carrier in Libya, Tripoli, Morrocco and Egypt. It's not chilly there, what did they do to keep them cool there?

[BIG MIKE]

carry like 7, 2 gallon cans of water.

[G.M.]

Mike as I have been telling you for years find a BIG truck radiator and get rid of that little 34 one. You have plenty of room. Don't waste your money on that small one. Cleaning it won't make much differance. G.M.

[felix37]

Mike, Walker Radiator will build you an all copper and brass radiator. They re made all the radiators for the Fed/Ex jet tow vehicles that pull the aircraft around the tarmac. The original ones were not sufficient enough to keep them cool in the hot Memphis summers.Check them out!

[BIG MIKE]

ja ja ja GM i know , your 100
% correct but it goes out 5 times a year not like you and the others with cars that you take out everyday, thiers a differance mate!