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I'm still chasing the 903 running warm. How much water flow do you see if you look inside the top of the radiator? I don't see much water movement even with the engine reved up. Not sure how much you should see. I don't know if baffling in the upper tank would reduce any water flow you would see. I was on a club tour yesterday and the consensus was it definitely lack water flow which points to a wate4 pump issue.

Suggest that you search this site's forum entering "oxalic acid". You will see several post on over heating.

Good Luck

Always good to check for good water flow though the radiator. Only problem is it requires removing the radiator, plugging the lower outlet, filling it up and checking how well it empties with normal air pressure. The water should gush out if radiator is clean.
Wes

Better yet, do a test that gives a quantitative measurement and compare it to the OEM specification. Local radiator shops around here are equipped to make the flow rate measurement.

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I think you misunderstood me. Radiator flow has been checked out of the car. What I'm trying to determine is how much coolant flow should you see when looking directly into the top of the radiator with the engine running.

I'm not seeing much coolant flow so I don't know if that is normal because of baffling or should I see some coolant flow. With no thermostat on 32 cars (except the front shutters), the water pump should be circulating water immediately upon the engine running. I'm trying to see if the water pump is truly circulating coolant.

As I said earlier, the club members feel they have never seen what looked like no coolant flow in any cars they have seen which led them to believe that I have a bad water pump.

My only reference point is from my '34 which has essentially the same radiator arrangement and style as yours. The filler neck is so for forward of the actual tank that it's only with difficultly that I can even get a glimse into the upper tank and then only if the coolant level is low enough that none is in the filler neck itself - and I've never seen any flow or turbulence there though I must say any observations I've made were always at idle. I'll have the car out within the next few days and I'll set up a good motor speed with the hand throttle and see what I can see and let you know.

Thanks for the info Owen.
Can you also share with us the next page indicating the flow rate?

What you see if the full text of the article, there is no following page. I'm guessing you are looking for the actual flow rate specification?

In the 1934 Service Letters there is a chart with flow rate specifications for models back to the 116. For later years see the individual year specifications.

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Owen,
Did you have a chance to observe the water flow in your radiator?

Sorry, I did not and the car is now laid up for the winter. I'd be glad to do it in the Spring if you remind me.

Have you checked the pump impellor clearance? Pump output drops off very dramatically with even small increases in clearance. The 1937/38 shop manual for the Super Eight which uses essentially the same pump calls for a clearance of 0.010" to 0.034" between the pump body and impellor.

Also important to pump flow volume is the pump to block gasket dimension which sets the rear clearance of the impellor. Gasket (copper ring) should be 0.025".

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