Overheating!

[mvonhobe]

I've been browsing the boards here and have put together the consensus that Square-birds get to operating temp. without ANY trouble. I also dedeuced that they get a bit hot under the collar (not to mention the hood/bonnet) when the weather gets HOT. Well, it's summer here in south-central Colorado and that means high 90's and low 100's. We're also just past a mile high. (Nope, I'm not in Denver!)
The mechanic say the water pump is fine. I replaced the radiator cap which had required no oomph to push it down to turn it on. I replaced the thermostat with a 160 degree one. I just installed a backflush tee (sorry, that's probably somewhat of a sin....) and flushed it for close to a half hour. Then I put in some Prestone Super cooling system cleaner (the kind which is supposed to remain in the system for 3 - 6 hours of driving) and will drain it all out. Now, it was HOT again today - right around 100 - and as long as I kept moving down the HIGHWAY, the temp. gauge didn't get TOO close to the letter P in TEMP. At least not for a while. Then it slooooowly crept up to the P. If I had been in town, going 30 mph, it would have hit P really quickly. Then, of course, I get to a stop light and some smoke wisps out from under the hood - from the oil cap.
At this point, I guess I'll pull the radiator and have it checked to see if it needs cleaning or if it might be PAST cleaning.
So, are these Birds just not going to be happy in hot weather??? Who else, if anyone, has had over-heating issues? Have I missed an issue with which I'm not familiar?

[Alexander]

RE: Overheating!

The 1958, 1959 and 1960 Thundebird's low profile of the front of the car makes the radiator too small for the engine. The stopgap solution that Ford used was the expansion tank, which added coolant capacity to the engine. Ford knew that there was an overheating issue with these cars, especially with air-conditioning. In late 1960 some 1960 T-Birds with air-conditioning came factory equipped with fan shrouds. Why this issue was not addressed earlier is unknown. No one reproduces these shrouds yet. Some have fabricated their own.

As you noticed, when the car is moving, overheating is not an issue. The problem occurs when the car is in traffic on a hot day. Some people have try to solve this issue by putting in an electric fan that kicks in when standing in traffic, by wiring up a switch on the carburetor. This works, but the stock generator is the weak link in the system. If you do not have a good battery, standing in traffic for too long will result in a dead battery.

Some have tried high-flow water pumps with some success. These companies offer high flow pumps. Before buying, make sure that the water pump shaft length is right for your car.

http://www.stewartcomponents.com/html/products/ford/stage1.asp

http://www.4-lesco.com/edlebrk/edle24.html

I have been tempted to try the following coolant in my car, because though I have not overheated, in the last few years my 1959 has been suffering from vapor lock in hot traffic due the changes in gas formulation. The only problem with Evans coolant is that besides the expense is that it requires you to remove all the water from the system and you need an overflow tank as the coolant expands a lot at operating temperature. You will also need to use a modern 7lb or less pressure cap that is designed for overflow tanks.

http://www.evanscooling.com

Alexander
1959 Hardtop
1960 Golde Top

[mvonhobe]

RE: Overheating!

Thanks for your reply and references, amigo.

I just got my Shop Manual and was browsing through the front under Engine Trouble Diagnosis, under the subject Engine Overheats. Under the sub-heading Exhaust System, is the advisement to check:

Exhaust gas control valve inoperative or sticking (352 engine). Restriction in system.

Is this valve on the passenger side exhaust header? How is it tested WITHOUT pulling the header or exhaust pipe or must that happen? What it's function and how does it do so properly? Does it restrict exhaust flow until and a certain engine temp. is reached and then open a baffle?

I haven't been able to locate any other references to this exhaust gas control valve in the rest of the manual although I haven't exhaustively (!!!) scrutinized it yet.

Matthew

[mvonhobe]

RE: Overheating!

Ooops! Just found more reference to the valve. The exhaust manifold DOES have to be removed.....criminy. I promise to read THE BOOK more thoroughly before posting in the future.
x(

[Alexander]

RE: Overheating!

You should be able to see that thevalve is properly functioning by revving the engine and seeing if the external counterweight moves on the exhaust gas control valve. It should move a quarter turn.

Alexander
1959 Hardtop
1960 Golde Top