Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Categories
- All Discussions27,119
- Orphaned Marques
- ↳ Hudson21,184
- ↳ Street Rods805
- ↳ Off Topic564
- ↳ American Motors149
- ↳ Kaiser - Frazer70
- ↳ Nash71
- ↳ Packard163
- ↳ Studebaker121
- Classic American Cars
- ↳ Ford Motor Company959
- ↳ Chrysler Corporation478
- ↳ GM Corporation1,394
- ↳ Post War Chevrolets75
- ↳ Pontiac Forum119
- General
- ↳ All makes1,961
- ↳ Poll Discussions24
- Swapmeets & Events
- ↳ Events130
- ↳ Swapmeets108
- Hot Rod Corner
- ↳ Ford Rods90
- ↳ Lead Sleds67
- Special Interest Groups
- ↳ The Flathead Forum139
- European marques
- ↳ MG Car Company2
- ↳ Mercedes-Benz2
In this Discussion
- denverslim June 2008
- FastFocus May 2008
- gecar-98 June 2008
- Oldcar_Mechanic May 2008
- Steve E October 2010
Help with '53 flat head
-
Hey all, just found this site and i hope to learn a great deal here. I've got a 1953 Ford Customline with the original flathead V8 engine. Well me and my dad were working on it while he was in town visiting and we got it all tuned up and running pretty smooth, but the only problem is it's over heating. We got a new radiator cap, and i pulled the thermostats out so it would run cooler. But still nothing, it will get into the H on the gauge and when i'll shut it off i can hear the coolant boiling. The only option i can think of would be that the water pumps need to be rebuilt. Is there anything else it could be? my dad said he flushed the coolant system and put all new fluids in it. Also, if the water pumps do need rebuilt, how hard is it, and are there any directions on removing them and such?
Thanks in advance for all your help. -
You don't say what pressure the cap is. I think it should be a 3 pound cap. I just read an article on overheating flatheads and there is a guy that rebuilds these pumps with an efficient impeller. Here is the info.
George Haney
skip@fordsrus.com
941-637-6698
He may be of some help.
Ron -
Oldcar_Mechanic wrote:You don't say what pressure the cap is. I think it should be a 3 pound cap. I just read an article on overheating flatheads and there is a guy that rebuilds these pumps with an efficient impeller. Here is the info.
George Haney
skip@fordsrus.com
941-637-6698
He may be of some help.
Ron
sorry, i'm not sure what pressure the cap is, just went to autozone and got a replacement radiator cap for what came up in their system for a '53 ford.
i will give him a call, thank you! -
These old flatheads are kinda notorious for runnin' hot man. Usually cause something else is wrong.
Run no more than 50-50 antifreeze and water. Also there are some pretty good "water wetters" on the market (40 Below comes to mind) that help with overheating.
There is a theory that removing the thermostats only increase the volume of water flow and oltimers often put in a Washer (with about a 9/16 center hole) to actually slow the flow when the thermals are removed.
The problem is usually caused by either bad tuning (points, plugs, timing) or obstruction in the water jackets in the heads and the block itself. Over the years these things were usually filled with bad water and will have scale and rust slowing down the flow. Sometimes a STRONG backflush will bring out a lot of impurities, sometimes only an engine removal and a soaking in the tank, to be followed by sticking a piece of wire in all the holes and flushing while rolling the block around on the lawn. (No kidding--you'll be AMAZED of what comes out.
Good luck. -
I have had many temperature problems with a 50 Merc my father bought new back in 1950. I also have a 1953 Ford Sunliner.
The Merc began to over heat after the restoration in 1990. It had never had that problem before. After many years of work and investigations, change of radiator core, new pressure cap, etc. I found out two problems:
1. I let the last portion of the exhaust pipe be changed, in order to make it 'look new' at the exit under the rear bumper. The guy that did the work used a small diameter pipe causing a jam of gases exiting, thus raising the temperature upstream to the exhaust manifold and motor block. After I changed the pipe for a correct one, the problem was partially corrected.
2. The last repair was rebuilding the water pumps, which I figured much complicated than it actually was. I always thought of the inside-the-pump bolt after more than 30 years of sitting there, since I have rebuilt the motor. After rebuilding both pumps I made a trip and noticed no problems at all. I am using a accessory temp gage connected to one of the cylinder heads and it shows very reasonably numbers, around 200 degrees, even at mountain roads. By the way, I live in Bogotá, Colombia, a city which lays at 8.400 feet. The mountain highway from the Magdalena valley (roghly 1.600 ft) up to Bogota is pretty hard to drive.
I have read about the function of thermostats, which is --I suppose-- clear to you. Eliminating them causes no obstruction to the water flow. The bigger flow makes the radiator not to cool the water enough or at least at a slower pace, thus increasing at the end the overall temperature. That is the reason one of the replays talk about installing a washer instead.
I hope you have or can solve your temperature problem. -
the way i flushed my block when i had my pumps rebuilt in my merc..
when you have the pumps off....consider the pumps push water to the rear
of the block,,rust and dirty water settle around the 2 rear cylinders about 4 inches deep on both banks..i used a pump sprayer with a straight wand..removed a few rear head bolts that allow the pump sprayer wand to be inserted along side the cyl walls,,with a little effort and selection on head bolt holes you can access the area of the build up..flush with washing soda and hot water,,if you lower the engine a little in the front.use long skinny wire bottle or engine block cleaning brush to help stir up the scale and rust...using that process several times (some times you can apply air pressure to help also..99% of debris will flow along the bottom of the internal block and out the water pump openings.also i insert the wand and flush the block thru the waterpump opening..what ever it takes! you will be amazed at the debris that falls out...
standard over the counter flush doesnt work on 55 year old build up..
my merc will run hotter sitting in traffic,,,normal,,205 degrees july hot..i have an elec fan in front of radiator.which helps a little..i run a 7 lb cap for deep neck radiators..that only prevents boil over,, to 225 degrees..i run 180 degree thermostats year round here in NC...most of the overheating is in poor design of cooling system..email any questions!! -
Also take your radiator to a good shop & have them rod it out, you'd be amazed how many tubes can be blocked with deposits that you can't see just looking thrun the cap and hose connections!
