The Ford Barn

steamgas · 09-15-2023, 08:22 AM

i have a problem with my radiator boiling over when i go up a hill. can someone help me solve this problem?

Patrick L. · 09-15-2023, 11:20 AM

Not much info to go on.
But, the problem is usually the radiator itself. You may be able to take to a radiator shop and have clean it. Or , you buy a new one.
These monsters tend to build up rust in the rear of the water chambers, remove the side water fitting, take a piece of speedometer cable in a drill motor and clean the inside of the engine block.
Are you using a thermostat ? If you are it could be the problem.
This is all assuming the fan belt is tight enough.

johnbuckley · 09-15-2023, 11:56 AM

easy things first ....
overfilled? top up to baffle only ( about 2 inch below rad cap)
crud in rad or engine? - flush thoroughly as in post #2
water pump working OK?

Gene F · 09-15-2023, 05:37 PM

Either the radiator too small (a Sears unit from back in the day...), or more likely the head gasket. Try tightening it first.

1crosscut · 09-15-2023, 09:50 PM

Have you actually measured the temperature of the coolant?
Stick a cheap dial meat thermometer directly into the coolant and let us know what the temperature is.

Knowing the temperature will help with diagnosis.

I think that your temperature is probably fine but the problem is a head gasket that is letting combustion gases into the cooling system when your engine is under load going up a hill.

Big hammer · 09-15-2023, 10:33 PM

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Late timing or not using the hand timing lever improperly, can cause overheating, carburetor running too lean also can cause overheating , lugging the engine at low rpm’s can cause overheating

More information is needed to help you figure out the overheating

nkaminar · 09-16-2023, 06:28 AM

Always go down hills, not up.

8EL · 09-16-2023, 08:10 AM

Climbing a hill is requiring more work to be done by the engine, which causes more fuel to be consumed, therefore more heat being generated. This points at the heat ex changer's (radiator) inability to reject this additional heat being generated. The cause for this is usually rust and scale accumulation that reduce flow and the reduced flow that is present and the heat being carried by it is being insulated from the tubes which exchange this heat to the air flowing through them. Double negative, vicious circle....

If this is the case then this same scale has collected in the block causing the same issues. Pull the radiator have it back flushed or do it yourself, and back flush the block with a garden hose. A short piece of radiator hose and a couple of fittings (nipples/house adapters) can easily be fashioned to fit the outlet (you are back flushing, introducing flow in the opposite direction of normal flow to aid in dislodging the scale) to your garden hose. Do not do this if the block is hot, as the cold well water could thermal shock the block resulting in serious issues, possibly warping the cylinder head casting. No risk of this would be incurred at ambient or slightly above ambient temperature.

Does it also overheat if running at high speed for prolonged periods?

nkaminar · 09-16-2023, 02:01 PM

To test the radiator for proper flow, remove the upper and lower hoses and block the lower outlet with a ball or some sort of plug. Fill the radiator with pain water. Remove the lower plug. The water should completely drain in 2 or 3 seconds. You can do this test with the radiator in the car.

Chuck Sea/Tac · 09-16-2023, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nkaminar

To test the radiator for proper flow, remove the upper and lower hoses and block the lower outlet with a ball or some sort of plug. Fill the radiator with pain water. Remove the lower plug. The water should completely drain in 2 or 3 seconds. You can do this test with the radiator in the car.

I would have to disagree with that test, and here’s why. The flow rate has to match the flow volume. I don’t remember what the gpm Ford designed the cooling system for, so just use a number off the top of your head. If you were to have a radiator with 1/2 of it tubes pinched off, and filled it with water, it would pass the “dump” test, but it would be only flowing half the volume of water it was designed for, and needed, to remove the engine heat. So for an accurate test, you would need to run the design gpm through it, which wouldn’t be easy. Possibly, if the radiator volume capacity were known, you could verify it actually holds that much, and then see if it evacuates in a timely fashion as mentioned. I would think if the radiator holds the design volume, that it would flow properly as well. Jmho

johnbuckley · 09-17-2023, 02:24 PM

totally agree with you Chuck Sea/Tac , and you've summed it up very well. I too reckon that dump test has so many variables it is hardly worth doing

steamgas · 09-19-2023, 07:12 AM

i did check the temperature it was 140-160 f. the coolant seams to stay at the top of the radiator tubs. i thought about the head gasket but wanted other opinon's

nkaminar · 09-19-2023, 07:53 AM

A radiator shop can sense exhaust gas in the radiator that would indicate a head gasket leak. How long ago did you re torque the head nuts?

1crosscut · 09-19-2023, 08:28 PM

Well at that temperature you certainly are not overheating.

Aggame · 09-19-2023, 11:05 PM

Experiencing a radiator boiling over when going up a hill can be a sign of an overheating engine. Why don't you check coolant levels?

brokenspoke · 09-20-2023, 06:54 AM

Put a roofing nail in the end of the over flow tube.

09-15-2023, 08:22 AM	#1
steamgas Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: va Posts: 138	Radiator boiling over i have a problem with my radiator boiling over when i go up a hill. can someone help me solve this problem?

09-15-2023, 11:56 AM	#3
johnbuckley Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,443	Re: Radiator boiling over easy things first .... overfilled? top up to baffle only ( about 2 inch below rad cap) crud in rad or engine? - flush thoroughly as in post #2 water pump working OK?

09-15-2023, 05:37 PM	#4
Gene F Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,973	Re: Radiator boiling over Either the radiator too small (a Sears unit from back in the day...), or more likely the head gasket. Try tightening it first.

09-15-2023, 10:33 PM	#6
Big hammer Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Land of Lincoln Posts: 3,131	Re: Radiator boiling over Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Late timing or not using the hand timing lever improperly, can cause overheating, carburetor running too lean also can cause overheating , lugging the engine at low rpm’s can cause overheating More information is needed to help you figure out the overheating __________________ Don't force it with a little hammer tap, tap, tap get a bigger hammer tap done

09-16-2023, 06:28 AM	#7
nkaminar Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 3,897	Re: Radiator boiling over Always go down hills, not up. __________________ A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past.

09-15-2023, 11:20 AM	#2
Patrick L. Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Largo Florida Posts: 7,225	Re: Radiator boiling over Not much info to go on. But, the problem is usually the radiator itself. You may be able to take to a radiator shop and have clean it. Or , you buy a new one. These monsters tend to build up rust in the rear of the water chambers, remove the side water fitting, take a piece of speedometer cable in a drill motor and clean the inside of the engine block. Are you using a thermostat ? If you are it could be the problem. This is all assuming the fan belt is tight enough.

09-16-2023, 08:10 AM	#8
8EL Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2023 Posts: 235	Re: Radiator boiling over Climbing a hill is requiring more work to be done by the engine, which causes more fuel to be consumed, therefore more heat being generated. This points at the heat ex changer's (radiator) inability to reject this additional heat being generated. The cause for this is usually rust and scale accumulation that reduce flow and the reduced flow that is present and the heat being carried by it is being insulated from the tubes which exchange this heat to the air flowing through them. Double negative, vicious circle.... If this is the case then this same scale has collected in the block causing the same issues. Pull the radiator have it back flushed or do it yourself, and back flush the block with a garden hose. A short piece of radiator hose and a couple of fittings (nipples/house adapters) can easily be fashioned to fit the outlet (you are back flushing, introducing flow in the opposite direction of normal flow to aid in dislodging the scale) to your garden hose. Do not do this if the block is hot, as the cold well water could thermal shock the block resulting in serious issues, possibly warping the cylinder head casting. No risk of this would be incurred at ambient or slightly above ambient temperature. Does it also overheat if running at high speed for prolonged periods?

09-16-2023, 02:01 PM	#9
nkaminar Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 3,897	Re: Radiator boiling over To test the radiator for proper flow, remove the upper and lower hoses and block the lower outlet with a ball or some sort of plug. Fill the radiator with pain water. Remove the lower plug. The water should completely drain in 2 or 3 seconds. You can do this test with the radiator in the car. __________________ A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past.

09-17-2023, 02:24 PM	#11
johnbuckley Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,443	Re: Radiator boiling over totally agree with you Chuck Sea/Tac , and you've summed it up very well. I too reckon that dump test has so many variables it is hardly worth doing

09-19-2023, 07:12 AM	#12
steamgas Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: va Posts: 138	Re: Radiator boiling over i did check the temperature it was 140-160 f. the coolant seams to stay at the top of the radiator tubs. i thought about the head gasket but wanted other opinon's

09-19-2023, 07:53 AM	#13
nkaminar Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 3,897	Re: Radiator boiling over A radiator shop can sense exhaust gas in the radiator that would indicate a head gasket leak. How long ago did you re torque the head nuts? __________________ A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past.

09-19-2023, 08:28 PM	#14
1crosscut Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Lincoln, Nebraska Posts: 1,909	Re: Radiator boiling over Well at that temperature you certainly are not overheating. __________________ Dave / Lincoln Nebraska

09-19-2023, 11:05 PM	#15
Aggame Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2023 Posts: 2	Re: Radiator boiling over Experiencing a radiator boiling over when going up a hill can be a sign of an overheating engine. Why don't you check coolant levels? __________________ fnaf games Last edited by Aggame; 09-20-2023 at 08:13 PM.

09-20-2023, 06:54 AM	#16
brokenspoke Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Anderson, Texas Posts: 275	Re: Radiator boiling over Put a roofing nail in the end of the over flow tube.