STILL overheating 210*+ sitting idling

[brads70]

Have you tried "water wetter" yet? We use it in stock car racing and it works pretty good!
http://www.redlineoil.com/products_coolant.asp

[Moparal]

What is your piston ring gap?

[miketyler]

yes, I use Water Wetter in all my vehicles actually. Unsure on the ring gap since I never had the engine apart that far. Maybe I am getting too caught up in the idle temps. Once I get my phenolic riser and fuel regulator on the new carb I can drive this thing and see what it does. All my tests were with AC on. Anytime I am driving in Texas summer temps the AC will be on.

This does tell me that the electric gauge I added isn't worth spit with its 25-35* false over temp readings.

[miketyler]

I got the phenolic carb spacer and regulator parts today and put them on. Car runs great and idles steady now. Didn't die going around a corner and no inidcation of fuel boiling. OEM gauge was horizontal or a smidge above as long as I was cruising.

On the back streets at slower speeds however, needle came up above this and at one point was nearly 3/4 of the way up. It was over 100* and I was running the AC.

I am ready to hve someone more skilled than I take a look at this thing.    

[73EStroker]

If you are getting the temps that your guages say then when you shut it off she will be on the verge of boiling. Those water pumps look cheap for quality. I am talking about the impeller here. Try a good old standard MP water pump. My B engine has one from 440Source and it is a cast impeller, no shroud, big honkin 19" fan hauls a hurricane at idle and a replacement Chinese welded 26" alum x-flow rad (CP knows what the details of the rad is). Can sit idling forever and won't go above the 180deg tstat. Even in a shed with 2000RPM for 17 minutes she still sat on the t'stat with a new tight engine.

[Bluemonster71RT]

I'm not sure if you water pump is high flow. But I have seen some that flow to much to fast for the application which causes the coolant to actually not get cooled.

[bb71challenger]

Am I wrong or will the engine heat up more with the cap off like the ones where the temp reading is being taken by a digital thermometer? I thought the system needed pressure to help keep itself cool?

[72cudamaan]

pressure just raises the boiling point. Since you aren't boiling yet,it should not matter. I know that you said the radiator was rebuilt, but have you checked the flow rate on it? You should be able to pull off both hoses,put a garden hose in the top and have it drain out the bottom with almost no overflow out of the top.

[miketyler]

I have not tried that. So with a garden hose wide open it should free flow out the bottom with little to no backflow out the top?

[72cudamaan]

yep, u got it.  wouldn't it be cool if that was it ( pun intended)

[72cudamaan]

Oh by the way, what is your antifreeze/water ratio.  Plain water is no good and straight antifreeze is even worse. A hydrometer is cheap and easy to use. We have had some customers with a slight coolant leak and topped off with antifreeze. The car overheats,and when we tested, ratio was way off. So we drain everything and mix 50/50 (and tighten the loose hose clamp) and its all good.