First a couple of questions from a person who knows what hot is!
Does it heat up at a idle, or traffic, then cools down a little when it starts moving forward.....or does it get hot all the time regardless if it standing still or moving?
Is your 351(?) block bored out?
A/c condensor in front of the radiator?
Is the radiator inlet on the same side as the outlet (one directly above the other)?
Now on to a couple of tips & tricks to keep your cool.
Thermostat: I know I been told to use a 180d stat. The reason behind that is that the 180d will stay open once the motor reaches operating temp. However, (knowing that a Ford motor does run better at 140d - recommended) I use a 160d stat with 4 - 1/8" holes drilled thru the flange. As broadcasted from "My Classic Car" several years ago. It does help - a little.
Coolant Additives: No! I wasted $40.00 on that stuff that was guranteed to work. All I can say is most coolant additives can really work over the inside of a hose real fast. Needless to say, the hoses will rupture when you least expect it. To add to that, don't expect a whole lot of cool from any of those products.
Fans: Well, if you are running an a/c condensor out front, go with either a 6 blade stock or a 2800 cfm electric (might need to up the amps for the electric). I heard a clutch fan works good. But, I haven't investigated the probabilities on whether it will fit & work. Flex fans (the type you can shave with) are ok on the quarter mile. In traffic, forget about it. They don't really move that much air, at an idle, & flatten out at higher speeds, thus blocking (in theory) air movement across the motor. This all goes without saying you will absolutely need the fan shroud - post haste.
Carb & jetting: If by chance your motor gets hot, just running down the road, then the jetting in the carb might be too lean. A richer jetting will cause the combustion chamber temp to drop & in turn will cause a cooler running motor
Last but on least. Keep the engine in tune. A degree of advance on the timing will bump the combustion chamber temp up 20d. Going the other way, labors the motor to run & that as will causes temp problems.
These are my general "rules to keep cool" (there's more). But, I do need to have a few of the questions, I asked, answered.
Does it heat up at a idle, or traffic, then cools down a little when it starts moving forward.....or does it get hot all the time regardless if it standing still or moving?
Is your 351(?) block bored out?
A/c condensor in front of the radiator?
Is the radiator inlet on the same side as the outlet (one directly above the other)?
Now on to a couple of tips & tricks to keep your cool.
Thermostat: I know I been told to use a 180d stat. The reason behind that is that the 180d will stay open once the motor reaches operating temp. However, (knowing that a Ford motor does run better at 140d - recommended) I use a 160d stat with 4 - 1/8" holes drilled thru the flange. As broadcasted from "My Classic Car" several years ago. It does help - a little.
Coolant Additives: No! I wasted $40.00 on that stuff that was guranteed to work. All I can say is most coolant additives can really work over the inside of a hose real fast. Needless to say, the hoses will rupture when you least expect it. To add to that, don't expect a whole lot of cool from any of those products.
Fans: Well, if you are running an a/c condensor out front, go with either a 6 blade stock or a 2800 cfm electric (might need to up the amps for the electric). I heard a clutch fan works good. But, I haven't investigated the probabilities on whether it will fit & work. Flex fans (the type you can shave with) are ok on the quarter mile. In traffic, forget about it. They don't really move that much air, at an idle, & flatten out at higher speeds, thus blocking (in theory) air movement across the motor. This all goes without saying you will absolutely need the fan shroud - post haste.
Carb & jetting: If by chance your motor gets hot, just running down the road, then the jetting in the carb might be too lean. A richer jetting will cause the combustion chamber temp to drop & in turn will cause a cooler running motor
Last but on least. Keep the engine in tune. A degree of advance on the timing will bump the combustion chamber temp up 20d. Going the other way, labors the motor to run & that as will causes temp problems.
These are my general "rules to keep cool" (there's more). But, I do need to have a few of the questions, I asked, answered.
