Overheating W-block

gooser

Member
Supporting Member 1
Am at wits end. Have a 62 W block QB that has been bored to .060. One cylinder has been sleeved and only honed to maintain correct tolerances.
This beast will not run at temperatures under 200-220. I live in south Texas where the temps. in summer easily approach 100-110 degrees. This motor has been completely rebuilt with new parts and new EGGE 11.1 pistons, and balanced. We have tried(we think)everything to lower the operating temp. to no success, even a Griffin dual fan electric aluminum radiator! No success.
Hope some of you can help. Have not had this car that long. It's unrestored.
 

Iowa 409 Guy

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 15
Do you have the correct fan shroud ? Mine has the small block shroud on it but I have no issues with overheating.
 

Fathead Racing

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 7
I know this sounds really simple. There may be an air lock in the block. I have had luck with running with the rad cap loose, just to the first turn before engaging the seal. Give it a good run, ten miles. See if you can purge any air from The system. Top off the rad when you get back, still running. Rule of thumb. If it overheats at speed, not enough rad. At idle, not enough air flow.
 

bobs409

 
Administrator
I don't think those temps are that far out of line for 100-110 degree weather. I think 245 is officially "over heating". You could try a lower temp thermostat. I put in a 180 and it dropped mine down a good bit.
 

gooser

Member
Supporting Member 1
O.K., at this time, using a Griffin dual fan alum. rad. Using stock pulleys. Timing has been bumped up to 16 over the initial 12. Using the OEM Carters that have been rebuilt. Water pump is new from Show Cars(their # 7148, GM # 3755797). Have used the OEM rad w/stock shroud in the beginning to no avail. Cannot believe the Griffin won't bring the temps down.
 

Carmine

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 10
Is your gauge accurate?? Could it be broken?? Do you have access to an infrared gun that you could use to check the actual temp.? My 409 is a pretty much stock motor, stock fan, shroud, new water pump from ShowCars, about 12-14 degrees advance timing, 2 row aluminum radiator, stock pulleys and 180 degree thermostat. I've had oil consumption issues in the past, which I'm hoping have been fixed, but never a problem with overheating. Where I live, it can get into the 90's several days in a row, and I've had my car out in this. Never ran hot. Pegged at 180 degrees. Would stay there all day long driving at 45-50 mph. Turning about 2300 rpm's. The only time it might creep up is at a much higher prolonged speed or an extremely long, steep hill. Might go to 190 and then back down to 180 once over the hill or reduced speed. I am more then pleased with my engine temp. I wish I had more to offer. Best wishes with your issue, Carmine.
 

Don Jacks

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 3
OK Gooser,how much timing do you read with the vacuum advance unhooked at 2,500-3,ooo rpm? If you're not running a dist.that has vacuum advance,pull it and get one.What you need to see is 34-36 deegrees at the above mentioned rpm,plus about 12 degrees of vacuum advance at a cruise.
 

gooser

Member
Supporting Member 1
O.K. fellows. Really appreciate the input from all. Car is now back in the shop for a new set of springs, a new 3:36 posi carrier, and a new heater core. Carmine, I installed a new Autometer temp gauge. Have done infrared tests that produce results of minus 7 degrees from the gauge reading. Don, the dist. is mechanical, not advance. I installed a Petronix kit inside the dist. to keep from burning up the dual Chinese made points! While in shop, I'm installing a 160 degree stat.
Will get with you when I get the car back. Thanks so much for your help
 

gooser

Member
Supporting Member 1
Oops. Keith, when I bought the car, the fan shroud, fan, clutch, etc. was as it was when it left the GM plant. Not so now.
 

Don Jacks

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 3
Be sure to check the timing at 2500 and at 3000.What you don't want is for it to keep advancing past 3000 .If it dose,it'll need a trip to a dist.machine and a re curve.Rember the fuel that we have today isn't as good as it used to be.Factory settings will not work well under these conditions.You're not that hot,but it should run about 10-15 degrees cooler.
 

gooser

Member
Supporting Member 1
Don, be advised that the distributor is, in fact, the original with oil spout. I am really trying to keep this guy as original as possible. It's unrestored and in really incredible condition. If I can just get the driving temps down, I'll be happy. Getting this 3:36 rear in to replace the 4:11 will definitely help. I have been taching 4400 @ 55mph!!!!!! Previous owner(s) had to have been using this car at the strip.
 

gooser

Member
Supporting Member 1
Thanks Bob, but no thanks. I'm a Virginian(Richmond). My wife is from Texas. Do not want any more snow or cold temps-had it for 40 yrs. Thanks for the invite anyway!
 

Don Jacks

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 3
I lived in the northern part of Va. for 33 plus years.Some times you guys in Richmond got more junk than we did.I can understand the desire to keep the original look,but it is going to require tuning to get it right.That factory distributer can be tuned to help,but remember that one of the main reasons that the factory went to vac.advance in 63 was for stuff like this.I agree that the 3.36's should help.If you can get to a max of 190,call it good.If you can get to a small airport get 10 gallons of AV gas[low lead 100 or so.Run the car down to less than 1/4 tank and add the AV gas.If the engine runs cooler,under the same conditons,then we need to find some way to get more timing in it.A hidden MSD with timing control might be in order to get right.
 

dm62409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 12
Don, be advised that the distributor is, in fact, the original with oil spout. I am really trying to keep this guy as original as possible. It's unrestored and in really incredible condition. If I can just get the driving temps down, I'll be happy. Getting this 3:36 rear in to replace the 4:11 will definitely help. I have been taching 4400 @ 55mph!!!!!! Previous owner(s) had to have been using this car at the strip.

Somethings not right here, with the 4.11 gear, and assuming a short 26" tire, 55 mph should be 2921 rpm. Your 4400 rpm would need about a 6.14 gear to run 55 mph.
 
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