Thread: Is my engine overheating?

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How hot is too hot for an engine? I seem to be having a problem and im not sure if its too to excessive heat. When my engine reaches around 200F or so it will begin to act wierd and suddenly dies. This only happens when im standing still though. The engine starts back up in a couple of seconds of waiting. Im not sure wut could be causing this. Could it be the carburetor or what? I have no idea.

Sounds like you might be percolating the fuel in the carb. 200 Deg. is not too hot for an engine, but is sounds like your underhood temp is too high and the hot air is trapped on top of the manifold.

Wut can I do about this?

Mr. Gasket used to make a heat insulator that went between the carb and the intake, the help some. Is this on your Ranchero??? If it is, the engine compartment is small and has no room for air to exit the underhood compartment. Maybe a vent hole in the inner fender well would allow some of the heat to escape into the wheel well. On a 67 Mustang, I cut out a panel on the inner fender well and replaced it with a louvered panel I made. It did help.

Yea its on my Ranchero... I was thinking bout makin some vent holes.. Will insulating the fuel lines make a difference or is it the carburetor itself getting too hot?

Well, I'd say get a hood scoop and bond it there and cut the hole in the hood, serves no performance purpose but, gets airflow in the compartment. Louvering the inner fender, sound's pretty good to.

Insulating the fuel line would also help, but it sounds like the fuel is percolating in the float bowl. Cowl induction hoods look good on anything, and will dissipate a lot of underhood heat. Not that tough to fab a scoop and weld (not bond) it to the hood. Bonding a fiberglass scoop on a metal hood is not reccomended because of the difference in expansion rates of fiberglass and metal.

Would a RAM AIR system help this problem at all?

I'm not sure a ram air system would help your heating problem when it develops at a standstill.

does nebody know where i could get a good ram air system? jw

Before you spend a ton of money, why not try running with your hood off for a day and see if you still have the problem.

ok i bought an electric fan and shroud and flushed the entire cooling system a couple of times. I havent had the problem in over a week now. I hope it doesnt come back.

I do have another question, i didnt feel like making another post, but I am having trouble with my transmission. It seems to be slipping but Im not too familiar with transmission problems. Ill be driving down the highway at about 60 and and soon as I reach about 65 the transmission downshifts and sounds like its goin a hundred miles an hour. I let off the gas and it makes a grinding noise and this happens whenever i try to speed up. A while later the same thing will happen at about 40 mph. I have a 3 spd auto btw. If neone could help i need it. thanx

Sounds to me like you have either a shot torque convertor or (Hopefully) a sticking vacum modulator. If it was me, i would flush the tranny, and run some Wd40 down your vacuum hose leading to the tranny. If thats not it, hit the manuals.

Do u think a tranny rebuild is in hand? I have a friend who owns a shop and I can get it for real cheap. I was considering rebuiliding it newayz before this problem.

*sigh*... after a week of no problems, my car stalled 3 times today. I guess its not over heating cuz it was barely at 190 F. I was sitting at a light and my car started to cough and bounce a little and then it just died. I have no idea wut could be wrong with it now. The electric fan seems to be working pretty good though.