Thread: Meller's "Last" Hoorah - '62 Fairlane

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It sure sounds like you've got air trapped. Loosen the 5/8" hose connection on the intake manifold. Burp the air out of manifold. If you have to, remove the hose from the intake to make sure you really have fluid at the conenction and not air.

But yes, the air should eventually work it's way out.

OK You All, I might have been the old phart that cried wolf this morning because. I just went out and finished adding the coolant that I took out before the shroud/fan installation, wiped the fill hole and cap real good and replaced it. Cranked it up and as it warmed up it "only" got up to around 188 and ?then? it dropped down to 170 and slowly eased back up to less than 180. It did not puke any this time and never got up to 190.

Maybe I should take up knitting you think?

Glad you got it filled & operating, Em.

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

You can reverse fill it by removing the upper hose and pouring the coolant into engine until it reverse filla the radiator to the top

Just curious, Jerry, how do you do this "reverse fill" with a thermostat in place?

That is good news!

Originally Posted by 34_40

That is good news!

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUbetcha, my friend, I don't usually panic but I just I let my bucket get too full around here and I had run out of "Chill Pills" (aka Patience) - - but life is good now. Check your PMs

I did and thank you! So now "we" can fix the suspension and get some mufflers right?

RiiiiiiiiiiiiiiGHT

You never did say how the ham turned out??? 8-)

Fantastic - - - - now it's leftovers for a looooooooooooooooooooong time

Em,
On your radiator/cooling system, did you install a coolant recovery tank and a cap that allows back flow on cooldown, or are you still running expansion room at the top of the tank? Just wondering, because a full system with no air is better for cooling and to help prevent corrosion.

On that loop of hose connecting the pump & manifold (heater lines), that line is like having your heater in service but not taking any heat out of the system. It does take a little bit of the coolant flow into an endless loop of heat gathering, but it shouldn't be a problem given the comparable flow volumes. If you still have a cooling problem you could always drain down the level a bit, cut that small line and plug both hoses which would simulate the heater being off, and see if it makes any difference (I doubt you'll see any change, but it would put 100% flow through the radiator).

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

You can reverse fill it by removing the upper hose and pouring the coolant into engine until it reverse filla the radiator to the top

Jerry, still wondering if I'm missing something on doing a "reverse fill" with a thermostat in place? Not being critical, but it seems to me that the thermostat will block all flow into the engine? Maybe you were thinking a race application with no stat? Or I'm overlooking something again?

Roger, I think I'm good to go with the proper cooling now but not bragging just yet. Here's what happened on the last crank yesterday.

I cranked it up and as it warmed up it "only" got up to around 188 and ?then? it dropped down to 170 and slowly eased back up to less than 180. It did not puke any this time and never got up to 190.

I do want to fix up a puke bucket (aka overflow tank) and I will after I get it back from the muffla man, hopefully this week. Being the weird dude that I am, I'm thinking about using a large plastic Mallox bottle but I need to make a carrier for it that looks neat and allows easy removal of the bottle. Mallox bottles are Ford Blue also, as if that makes any difference. Eventually I'm gonna drill a hole in the thermostat, plug the "Jerry Line" and fabricate a puke bucket - - - along with doing everything else around here because the Wiffy's mobility is shot to hell. Not complaining I just have to get things in proper importance yanno????

Em,
I understand the need to keep priorities straight!

Just to clarify, a "puke tank" is a totally different animal from a coolant recovery tank. The "puke tank" is there just to keep coolant off the track, required at drag strips & other venues where the wet surface causes head aches. You run an old fashioned, "puke only" radiator cap, and have to keep expansion room in your radiator.

A coolant recovery tank is piped so that the tube from the radiator overflow enters (or extends to) the bottom of your tank, and you run a "two way" cap that pukes on over pressure, but then sucks back the coolant when it cools. With the coolant recovery tank your system runs full, with no (or very little) air at the top of the radiator. Your Mallox bottle might work, (the volume is pretty small) with a couple of solid tubes brazed in the cap, one short to vent the bottle, and one extending down close to the bottom for the overflow/recovery tube. It's all in what you're wanting to accomplish. For your hot region I'd go with a coolant recovery system, and a universal "kit" from an auto parts store would be a lot easier, or visit a salvage yard and find a tank that fits your space and buy a new cap & some tubing.

Roger----for filling the engine, anywhere on top is good to use---there are kits out there for flushing that are valves that go in the heater lines and you just hook a garden hose to--

If the water won't flow into the engine you might have to remove the themostat or fill it before you put the stat in---another deal these days with engines that have been around for both v belt and serpintine is the rotation of the water pump-----

As for the puke tank and recovery type rad caps---thats not necessary on vehicles with vertical rads---its necessary on crossflow rads that are lower than the fill/high point of the system---if a crossflow isn't completely full there will be air going across the top rows of rad tubes and mixed with water at the other end going into engine then in a foamy/bubbly state which won't transfer heat and then that creates hot spots which then get hotter and hotter----------

Another issue with the recovery caps( they are higher pressure ratings) on earlier rads is they can cause failures of the rad tank seams because of the increased pressure

Em---the Jerry line can be clamped off with a small c clamp, vise grips or hose clamper pliers

An item of interest for all--the 92-97 LT1 GM engines had a small bleeder screw fitting ( 1/8 npt ) that I use in a lot of cases to be able to bleed off air in systems---I buy them by I think 10 packs---I'll see if I have the part number somewhere---makes it easy to get rid of air in systems where you can't risk ---Oh, it'll probably be ok after a couple of warmup/cool downs

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

Roger----for filling the engine, anywhere on top is good to use---there are kits out there for flushing that are valves that go in the heater lines and you just hook a garden hose to--

Yeah Jerry, I fully understand the fittings and adapters that can be used to back fill/flush. The issue here was Em trying to fill his system that has a stat installed. Pulling the top hose and back filling in this instance simply won't work, especially since Em has made it clear he's not up to pulling the stat to drill a vent hole right now.

Em glad to hear the problem is sorted out! I had to go to work and didn't get a chance to follow up. I don't think at this point that you need to do anymore with the thermostat. Overflow tanks are nice as stated by Roger to keep the air out and the tank full. If the original didn't have one, you probably don't need one as Jerry stated, unless you keep finding your losing coolant over time. I'm trying to recall if my 68 Mustang had one, but it's been a long time since I've had that car.