Thread: getting cold, anyone ever make a grille cover/screen for a 1930s Ford?

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block off the coolant and it will burn down at hwy speeds. hung open will run cold in winter , come spring it will burn up .

Originally Posted by 34_40

I know you'll dis-agree with me and that's alright. I'll just offer you this.
If you installed a new thermostat and it looked like the top one,
then I'd suggest you should replace it.
With one like the bottom one.
The first one is a "poppet" style, the second is a "sleeve" style.
The poppet simply opens then closes, whether it needs to be fully open or not. The sleeve style opens slower but modulates more evenly and can hold a more even temperature. It can also outflow a poppet style thermostat. If you went to a local auto part store and picked up any old thermostat for 4 or 5 bucks...
Then you got a poppet style and got what you paid for.

Consider this, Bucket T rods have completely exposed motors. Using your idea as a guide, they'd never build temperature and that simply isn't the case. Your radiator is very efficient, you have good airflow through it. Your thermostat is simply sending to much coolant to it.

As I said, I know you'll disagree and that's ok. It's your car and your money. I can only offer my opinion and experience.

Hmm, that's interesting. Back in the eighty's I remember lots of guys putting a piece of cardboard in front of their radiators during the winter. I always wondered why that was necessary. Maybe it was because of the poppet thermostats everyone had. It was worse with pickups than cars. Pickups had very small heater cores in those days.

Originally Posted by 34_40

I know you'll dis-agree with me and that's alright. I'll just offer you this.
If you installed a new thermostat and it looked like the top one,
then I'd suggest you should replace it.
With one like the bottom one.
The first one is a "poppet" style, the second is a "sleeve" style.
The poppet simply opens then closes, whether it needs to be fully open or not. The sleeve style opens slower but modulates more evenly and can hold a more even temperature. It can also outflow a poppet style thermostat. If you went to a local auto part store and picked up any old thermostat for 4 or 5 bucks...
Then you got a poppet style and got what you paid for.

Consider this, Bucket T rods have completely exposed motors. Using your idea as a guide, they'd never build temperature and that simply isn't the case. Your radiator is very efficient, you have good airflow through it. Your thermostat is simply sending to much coolant to it.

As I said, I know you'll disagree and that's ok. It's your car and your money. I can only offer my opinion and experience.

No disagreement, the information is very helpful. I never knew this.

So I don’t use “pep-boys” parts. I typically order the parts from Summit or Jegs.


The thermostat is an edelbrock 8605. Now being as it is called a high performance t-stat I would have presumed it would be like what you show as the second one, but in fact it looks like the first one, so I’m guessing rebranded Chinese made ‘pep-boys’ stant or similar part.

It appears that the only type summit sales that look like your second one, is from “mr. gasket”.


Being the carburetor is still having issues after the rebuild, I am replacing it, so I will order the suggested one and go from there, thank you for the info.

You didn't mention which edelbrock I take. If it is the air gap you can get drivability issues with it. Hopefully it is the performer.

Originally Posted by Driver50x

Hmm, that's interesting. Back in the eighty's I remember lots of guys putting a piece of cardboard in front of their radiators during the winter. I always wondered why that was necessary. Maybe it was because of the poppet thermostats everyone had. It was worse with pickups than cars. Pickups had very small heater cores in those days.

In Idaho I would do it just so that the heater would work faster. I also had a toggle switch wired to the AC high idle solenoid for warm up on cold mornings. But then, I was seventeen and didn't know how retarded I was.

Originally Posted by firebird77clone

You didn't mention which edelbrock I take. If it is the air gap you can get drivability issues with it. Hopefully it is the performer.

It is the air gap.

But I am replacing it along with the carb, with a performer rpm.

The intake has had a small oil leak at the rear of the intake manifold since I got the car, nothing major a few drops a month I find in the driveway.

However when we removed the fan switch we discovered it was not the correct one for the intake, it was cross threaded and the threads are really boogered up. It was being held in with a thick wrapping of Teflon tape.

Removing the carb also shows the mounting bolt locations are thread damaged another set of stupid fancy chrome Allen head bolts that were metric and forced in.

While I can re-thread the manifold, for $300 I can replace it, and use the proper bolts and gaskets.

Plus I’m not a fan of all this chrome, there needs to be a little color to draw your eye IMO.

So I’m replacing the intake manifold and carb with edelbrock block powder coated parts. Also replacing the waterneck with a taller one with a 45 degree angle to take the 90 degree bend out of the hose, with replace with the aforementioned better thermostat and the correct fan switch.

Man that car was buggered up. The air gap intake is great for racing. But hell on a street car. A bend in the top hose on top of the other "issues" is like salt in the wound isn't it!?!? The car runs an electric fan for cooling the radiator?

If so consider one of the adjustable fan controllers to start / stop the fan on your setting(s). You can dial up the temp in the winter and lower it for the summer.

Originally Posted by 34_40

Man that car was buggered up. The air gap intake is great for racing. But hell on a street car. A bend in the top hose on top of the other "issues" is like salt in the wound isn't it!?!? The car runs an electric fan for cooling the radiator?

If so consider one of the adjustable fan controllers to start / stop the fan on your setting(s). You can dial up the temp in the winter and lower it for the summer.

Yes electric fan, nice suggestion on the controller;

Something like this?


https://www.summitracing.com/parts/prm-21276

Wow-finally at least one answer to questions I asked back in post #18---------"what type of sealant on temp sensor?"

Teflon tape----------no ground to the sensor so the reading isnt valid-------also, what are you using to read the temps???? dash guage?

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

Wow-finally at least one answer to questions I asked back in post #18---------"what type of sealant on temp sensor?"

Teflon tape----------no ground to the sensor so the reading isnt valid-------also, what are you using to read the temps???? dash guage?

There was a ground on the switch, it was a 2 pole switch, not grounded by the thread seat.

One Temp gauge is installed on the other side of the intake, the other at the head and stated earlier in the thread.

As I stated everything is being changed out and we will see if it addresses all of these issues.

Originally Posted by DennyW

What year is the motor, and what is the motor, you have in there ?
If you don't answer this one, I will not ask you any more questions. hahaha

Stated in post #19.

Chevy 350 out of a 1970s Camaro according to the casting numbers.

So I guess you don't want to reply to questions-I'll just check out of this unless you decide to answer my questions----------

By the way-ask your friend if he ever heard anything about me-------

Jerry- he has been replying. He seems somewhat overwhelmed just now.

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

So I guess you don't want to reply to questions-I'll just check out of this unless you decide to answer my questions----------

By the way-ask your friend if he ever heard anything about me-------

I answered your question above in post 43

as for post 18. I thought I made it clear I don’t have all the answers.

Doesn’t matter it’s at the shop. I work 2 full time jobs 16 plus hours a day, and just don’t have the time.

It’s obvious the motor build has issues, the builder was an idiot. And at this point I am not throwing any more money into repairs or rebuilds. I’m replacing everything that is at issue or could be remotely related to the problem.

FWIW. Here is a picture of the motor when I bought the car ~2 years ago

A2CF6F2D-CCE6-4A9E-B21A-CACD5D4BABE8.jpg
2012725B-5907-4642-B973-58F9AE244159.jpg

well this morning we see a couple pictures----------its not an air gap manifold
Valcovers are finned aluminum-you would be very surprised at the amount of heat they will dispurs with cool airflow over them-four bolt? not 1970 heads------no 90 degree bend in upper hose