Thread: 350 too HOT!

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I have a 1937 Ford with an RHS 350. I've had the car about 12 years and had cooling problems forever. During that time I have replaced the radiator with a Walker Corbra made for this application. Next I put on a edelbrock aluminum high volume water pump. After these parts still had problems in traffic. I finally replaced the mech fan with 2 electric perma cool 12" puller fans. Together these fans are supposed to move over 3300 CFM. Now the car runs a little hot around town, 190-200, but more importantly on the highway it runs even hotter especially on a hot day.

I would really like to take the car to the Turkey Rod Run this year, just can't get there without melting it down.

Any ideas would be greatly apprieciated!!!

Now that spring is starting to hit, we are seeing lots of questions about cooling. My own Jeep got up to 240 in traffic the other day, so I moved some stuff around.

As for your problem, I think your problem is that the air when you are moving is not going through the radiator, but rather, around it. I think these model Fords are known to trap air inside the engine compartment, especially when you add a V8 in there, taking up more space. It leaves nowhere for the air to exit, so the incoming just goes around the radiator. The grilles on these were smallish anyways.

Have you tried running without hood sides or a hood to see if that helps. If it does, my theory may be correct. If that is the case, you will have to provide some way for the air to pass on through. I don't remember the exact fix, but I do remember some past issues of rod magazines addressing this issue in articles.

Two things affect cooling, water flow and air flow. Generally, if a car cools going down the road but heats up at traffic lights, it is because the cooling fan isn't moving the same amount of air as the wind. And even though your problem is the reverse, which would seem to be water flow, I think it is what I described above, because of what I remember reading.

But, you might also try a high volume water pump, a REALLY GOOD thermostat, a shroud, and maybe a single very large fan. One thing in your favor, there are enough guys running similar setups in 37-40 Fords, that someone has to have fixed the same problem.

Someone else on here may have better info, but I just thought I recognised your problem from my reading, and thought I'd kick out this info.

Hope to see you at Turkey Run. I swear, this year my Son's and I are actually going to have 3 finished cars to take. We missed having ours done last year, but come hell or high water that won't happen this year.

Good luck with your problem, at least you have the right radiator in there.

Don

PS: I think I just remembered what the fix was. They cut out or louved the inner fender panels to let the air escape. (I think) The article was something like "keeping your 40 cool" and I'll try to dig it out, (I only have 4 zillion magazines to look through !!!!)

What do you have for a thermostat? Do you have a water/antifreeze mix in the cooling system? Does your lower radiator hose have a spring in it to keep it open?

How much compression do you have? What is your timing set at? Do you have a shroud on the radiator? Ceramic coated headers or header wrap will also help lower underhood temps. If you have an automatic, what type of tranny cooler do you have?

While we are on the subject; What is better a puller or pusher electric fan???

Puller with a shroud if you have room is best, but pusher if you have too.

Don

I pirated this picture from Ratrodrider, hope he doesn't mind. It illustrates exactly what I was trying to say in my previous post. See how the grille is shaped, it allows air to flow all around it, and avoid going through the radiator, especially if there is no place for the air to exit the engine room. The more I think about it, I remember some company selling splashpans and the like to fit inside the area right behind the grille to channel air flow directly through the radiator.

I just have feeling that is what is going on in this tight engine room. Like I said, if I can find that article, I'll post the info.

Don

since you're starting to see warmer weather now... instead of running an antifreeze mix... maybe you should see about running water wetter.... the redline water wetter has shone up to 20 degree cooling difference..... also make sure you're not running lean and/or too advanced on the timing, both of those will cause unneccisary heat as well

Wow, thanks for all the posts!

The thermostat is a 160 degree high flow.

About 50/50 on the antifreeze with water wetter.

Timing is a problem just set it by ear but will check it anyway.

Compression is no more that 9 to 1.

Using ceramic coated rams horns.

Believe it or not I tried a shroud and it made the problem worse. Even walker couldn't believe it.

Turbo 350 with a seperate trans cooler under the car, away from the radiator.

I will be taking the engine skirts off and see what affect it has on the temp, I'll let ya know what it does.

Thanks again.