The Ford Barn - View Single Post - UPDATE....Ok so a brand new radiator and it still runs hot

Purdy Swoft · 08-20-2011, 10:12 AM

Antifreeze raises the boiling point. If a model A is running 190 degrees it is running hot. 212 degrees is the boiling point of water so the fact that antifreeze lowers the boiling point doesn't really pertain. Modern cars with pressurized cooling systems that prevent the coolant from exiting via the overflow tube run at higher temperatures than the model A was designed to run. model A cooling systems are primitave as compaired to modern cars that were designed to run at higher temperatures . Model A heads only have fourteen head bolts-studs and are known to teeter on the block on every compression stroke, not so with modern cars and that is one reason that so many model A's develope head gasket problems.

Timing, I have three model A's running with 5.9 heads and have another with an F3 head and have ran other model A engines with heart shaped combustion chambers so I do have some real world experience with high compression heads. Higher compression does need less advanced timing. I have found it easier to set the timing with less initial advance at the rotor tip than having to constantly fiddle with the spark lever. The way that I do this is when the timing pin drops into place is to lock down the dist cam just before the trailing edge of the rotor tip aligns with the contact in the cap with NO clockwise backlash rotation. counter clockwise rotation doesn't effect timing. This applies to higher compression heads and I run at speed with the spark lever at full advance. I dont lug my engines at any speed. I usually try to keep the momentum built up. when driving on the highway I like to keep speeds of at least 50 mph. This helps on the hills and keeps plenty of cooling air flowing through the fins of the radiator. Creepy take offs and running at speeds that the engine lugs on hills to the point that the engine knocks isn't helping save the engine. That is not to say that the spark lever can't be used when needed. I set my points at .022 this way you won't have to reset the points as soon when the points block wears down and my cars perform well at this setting.

I once ran a light duty two row radiator that wouldn't cool a good tight engine, this was not an 8 fin radiator. I have never heard of an 8 fin two row radiator. are you sure that you are running a brassworks radiator?

08-20-2011, 10:12 AM	#24
Purdy Swoft Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Alabama Posts: 8,099	Re: Ok so a brand new radiator and it still runs hot Antifreeze raises the boiling point. If a model A is running 190 degrees it is running hot. 212 degrees is the boiling point of water so the fact that antifreeze lowers the boiling point doesn't really pertain. Modern cars with pressurized cooling systems that prevent the coolant from exiting via the overflow tube run at higher temperatures than the model A was designed to run. model A cooling systems are primitave as compaired to modern cars that were designed to run at higher temperatures . Model A heads only have fourteen head bolts-studs and are known to teeter on the block on every compression stroke, not so with modern cars and that is one reason that so many model A's develope head gasket problems. Timing, I have three model A's running with 5.9 heads and have another with an F3 head and have ran other model A engines with heart shaped combustion chambers so I do have some real world experience with high compression heads. Higher compression does need less advanced timing. I have found it easier to set the timing with less initial advance at the rotor tip than having to constantly fiddle with the spark lever. The way that I do this is when the timing pin drops into place is to lock down the dist cam just before the trailing edge of the rotor tip aligns with the contact in the cap with NO clockwise backlash rotation. counter clockwise rotation doesn't effect timing. This applies to higher compression heads and I run at speed with the spark lever at full advance. I dont lug my engines at any speed. I usually try to keep the momentum built up. when driving on the highway I like to keep speeds of at least 50 mph. This helps on the hills and keeps plenty of cooling air flowing through the fins of the radiator. Creepy take offs and running at speeds that the engine lugs on hills to the point that the engine knocks isn't helping save the engine. That is not to say that the spark lever can't be used when needed. I set my points at .022 this way you won't have to reset the points as soon when the points block wears down and my cars perform well at this setting. I once ran a light duty two row radiator that wouldn't cool a good tight engine, this was not an 8 fin radiator. I have never heard of an 8 fin two row radiator. are you sure that you are running a brassworks radiator?