Re: 1950 Packard 288 Auto overheating HELP

Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2010/2/8 16:58:06

Owen, Can I ask you at what water temperature do you consider an engine as overheating and why?

Sure you may ask, but my answer isn't in terms of a particular temperature but more in terms of how capable the cooling system is with coping with the engine heat under various conditons. For example, on a roaring hot day, idling in the blazing sun, if the coolant temperature rose significantly but did not boil, I'd conclude the car does not have an overheating problem.

If on a normal (let's say less than 90 degrees) day, driving at a constant and reasonable road speed, the temperature increased significantly above the normal (more or less the thermostat rating) temperature but still didn't boil, I'd say the car had a borderline problem, i.e. the cooling system was not able to fully cope with reasonably expected conditions.

My own expectation for a fully competent cooling system would be that in all but the most stressful conditions (blazing hot, minimal airflow across the core) the engine maintains a more-or-less constant coolant temperature. I'd except from that cars with shutter thermostats in the depths of winter.

If the coolant actually boils, I'd say the car has a certain overheating problem that requires attention promptly.

Those are my own thoughts, are yours significantly different?

EDIT: Let me add another example. A friend's 1950 Packard 8, on a cool (65 deg?) day, less than 10 minutes of idling from a cold start up takes the coolant temperature to about 200 degrees, though it doesn't boil. My conclusion is that this car has an overheating problem because the cooling system can't cope with a situation that the original design was expected to cope with easily.