Well after enjoying driving the BelAir around for the winter, with temps in the forties, now the temps are up and the car is overheating again !!! 
Because the temps stayed fine during the winter, I decided that a bigger, more better, aluminum radiator was the cure. NOT !!!
: 
I spent the big $$$ for an aluminum two row 1.25" radiator from Griffin Radiators. I installed it at the beginning of last month and have been experimenting with various things since. Because the radiator shroud I have is not the 409 shroud, it didn't fit the new radiator well. It was about 3/4 to 1" away from the radiator in front and covered most of the fan blade, neither is good, as I understand things ? With the mechanical fan, the car ran cooler in open air and high speeds, but still overheated quickly in traffic or at a light. However, I was able to pull the temps down if I could get out and moving again.
I removed the mechanical fan and shroud and installed a 3K cfm electrical fan with shroud and set it to come on at 130*. It takes a little longer to get up temps in traffic but still climbs to 230* or higher. With the electric fan the temps do not come down at higher speeds, even at 65-70 the temps start climbing slowly until I get off the freeway ? If I cruise at 35-40 the temps will start to come down, but then I have to stop for a light or something and they climb again.
I have tried restricting the flow, opening the flow and flowing the flow at the thermostat housing. Restricting flow makes it warm up faster, but just keeps climbing even at highway speeds. Open flow (no thermostat) heats up slower but climbs faster in traffic and still won't cool down at highway speeds.
As some of you know this is not a new problem !!! Last summer we walked down the list of things to check. Fan clutch, fan blades, fan shroud, fuel mixtures, and on and on... I'm totally at a loss !!!
It is my, obviously less than knowledgeable opinion, that I have something internally wrong with the motor that is restricting the flow of coolant or causing it to overheat. I have heard that the head gaskets should have been opened up at the water opening ? I didn't do that, but don't remember that they were small, but then I didn't know to look, at the time I installed them. The block was quite rusty on the outside when I got it as a completed short block. The soft plugs were installed so I don't know what the water passages looked like.
Sorry for such a long post, but I'm looking for knowledgeable assistance and wanted to provide background. If you have taken the time to read this and have some advice please provide some assistance.
As much as I love the 409 and all the interest it draws at the shows, I also am frustrated by the fact that I can't enjoy driving the car. I have a perfectly good running 327 on an engine stand and it may replace the 409 if things don't improve soon !
Because the temps stayed fine during the winter, I decided that a bigger, more better, aluminum radiator was the cure. NOT !!!: I spent the big $$$ for an aluminum two row 1.25" radiator from Griffin Radiators. I installed it at the beginning of last month and have been experimenting with various things since. Because the radiator shroud I have is not the 409 shroud, it didn't fit the new radiator well. It was about 3/4 to 1" away from the radiator in front and covered most of the fan blade, neither is good, as I understand things ? With the mechanical fan, the car ran cooler in open air and high speeds, but still overheated quickly in traffic or at a light. However, I was able to pull the temps down if I could get out and moving again.
I removed the mechanical fan and shroud and installed a 3K cfm electrical fan with shroud and set it to come on at 130*. It takes a little longer to get up temps in traffic but still climbs to 230* or higher. With the electric fan the temps do not come down at higher speeds, even at 65-70 the temps start climbing slowly until I get off the freeway ? If I cruise at 35-40 the temps will start to come down, but then I have to stop for a light or something and they climb again.
I have tried restricting the flow, opening the flow and flowing the flow at the thermostat housing. Restricting flow makes it warm up faster, but just keeps climbing even at highway speeds. Open flow (no thermostat) heats up slower but climbs faster in traffic and still won't cool down at highway speeds.
As some of you know this is not a new problem !!! Last summer we walked down the list of things to check. Fan clutch, fan blades, fan shroud, fuel mixtures, and on and on... I'm totally at a loss !!!
It is my, obviously less than knowledgeable opinion, that I have something internally wrong with the motor that is restricting the flow of coolant or causing it to overheat. I have heard that the head gaskets should have been opened up at the water opening ? I didn't do that, but don't remember that they were small, but then I didn't know to look, at the time I installed them. The block was quite rusty on the outside when I got it as a completed short block. The soft plugs were installed so I don't know what the water passages looked like.
Sorry for such a long post, but I'm looking for knowledgeable assistance and wanted to provide background. If you have taken the time to read this and have some advice please provide some assistance.
As much as I love the 409 and all the interest it draws at the shows, I also am frustrated by the fact that I can't enjoy driving the car. I have a perfectly good running 327 on an engine stand and it may replace the 409 if things don't improve soon !
. It never boils over, just goes to 240* on its own once in a while... I can't recall if you've verified that or not when you were previously dealing with it last year.
