Re: Argh still overheating 49

Posted by PackardusOctavus On 2019/6/17 8:59:38

Thanks for all of the helpful advice. When I got the car, I took it to the local radiator guy and was under the $400.00 understanding that he had rodded out the radiator. Well, I got an endoscope and put it into the top tank. There I found what appeared to be a cloth like material that had obviously been wet and dried. Since the grill and bumper was off, I pulled the radiator for closer inspection. I got some of it out, and it was essentially dried cloth fibers in the top tank clogging the tubes. So I took it to another place and had it recored. I took the old core and blasted it with the pressure washer, and more cloth like material came out, but not that much. Since the core was trash, I took a steel rod and tried to push the crud out. No dice. 3/4 of the tubes were clogged SOLID. Before putting the new radiator in, I pulled the dist tube, which was in fine shape, and blasted the inside of the engine with the pressure washer. Up thru the water pump opening and out the thermostat neck, and then the other way, until the water ran clear both ways. Then i did it again. Since replacing the water pump is a pain, I replaced that while it was all disassembled. Even got the right hose clamps from Kanter. Put it all back together, and its 179 degrees at the water temp sending unit, about halfway on the gauge. Oh happy day! Notes: Radiator weighs a ton, and getting the lower rad hose on and off is a chore cause there's not much room to deal with the hose clamps. Water pump fits above the engine mount arch, and its a close thing; takes a little English to get the bolts lined up, and one bolt is behind the engine mount arch, and can't be turned with a ratchet; ya gotta use an open end wrench the whole way. The recore is expensive, but it is a common dimension and not a problem to get if you are willing to pay the price. I found a place to make an aluminum radiator, but the meet judges can't possibly miss that, so I opted for the original one. If you have to take out the radiator, paint everything up there while its out because you don't want to have to do it twice.

Rechromed bumpers and grill should be in this week!