Even if I never get the car to run at a reduced temp, at least I got my last post posted!

Wayne

Wayne
Located in Lineboro, MD
55 Retro Bird
65 Cobra FFR
69 Dart

wayne, Tim suggested when posting to add another line below main reply, he uses bla bla bla, i use y y y and dont seem to have any problems since so far??  i start to think it may be browser problem but not real cluey on that part. regards bill.

YYY

  AussieBill            YYYY    Forever Y Block     YYYY

 Down Under, Australia

Hi Wayne;  Casco has a fan schroud for an electric fan with the alum. rads.  This might help.  Also  I'm running a smaller water pump pulley from Concours.   Engine is stroked 331, with John's heads, Modified G's   Been in several parades --  also 100 deg weather.  Holds at about 190.  Also drill some holes in the side of the thermostat' helps get some of the air pockets out.  Hope these things help.  God Bless   Eddie

Eddie

Lake Forest, Ca. 92630

From your description, this sounds like an air flow issue through the radiator at low speed. A coolant crossover at the back of the block likely will not help in this instance. A short cut fix (if this is an early ‘Bird’) is do away with the one inch spacer behind the water pump and then space your pulley back out the missing one inch. This has been proven to work in some instances for the parade cruiser crowd. And already mentioned is the installation of a restrictor in the bypass hose which is another quick fix for those engines that are just over the edge and need some help in bringing the termpertures back in line.

Here are some other threads on the ‘steam holes’. Those holes are obviously too small to be called ‘coolant holes’. The original intent of those holes is to simply remove the air pockets that can get caught under the decks in the block which turn into hot spots under the right conditions.

http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/Topic31939.aspx

http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/Topic10608.aspx

http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/Topic35997.aspx

And here’s a picture of said hole in a CITE head with the resultant crack going through it.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

I don't know where you are checking the temp (infared thermometer)  - I usually use the thermostat housing as a common point of reference - but 205° doesn't sound too bad for hot idle. My T-bird usually runs 100°-105° over ambient. 

This photo shows the stuff I've most recently installed - (1) smaller diameter Ford 302 single groove pulley with adapter spacer for alignment (already had six blade fan and factory shroud) (2) 180° high flow thermostat with three bypass holes drilled in the nose (3) 3/8 npt brass pipe plug drilled with 3/16 hole insterted into bypass hose

The multiple holes in the thermostat substitutes for the usual flow through the bypass hose at start-up

The 3/16 hole in the bypass plug allows for an air bleed at shut-down

pulley size reduction gets the fan speed up at idle 

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona

I check the temps with a gauge and the sending unit is in the water jacket in the block. I just used an IR on the freeze plugs to double check the gauge reading. I think I’ll try more fan(s) and/or a shroud. I have another fan I can mount as a pusher to help the existing one. That should tell me if I’m heading in the right direction. I may also try the smaller pulley. I have to check my parts bins but I think I have a 302 water pump pulley in there. Thanks for the ideas!

Side note: Saturday is my parent’s 50^th anniversary. My Dad got this car in 79 and we have spent the last year and a half working on it. They will ride to the church in it on Saturday to renew their vowels. This will me my Mothers first ride in the car.

Thank You,

Wayne

Wayne
Located in Lineboro, MD
55 Retro Bird
65 Cobra FFR
69 Dart

I'll add some blasphemy. Ford screwed up when they made the T-Bird. The problem is not an air flow problem, it is a water flow problem. The T-Bird water pump spacer is the problem!!!!!!! It causes the pump to be very inefficient at idle, little or no water circulates. Yes moving more air helps slightly but the engine will still overheat. At higher RPM the pump will move water.

So far, Casco has the best solution with the added blades to the back of the impellor. Yeah it looks a little primitive but it does work.

http://ford-y-block.com 

20 miles east of San Diego, 20 miles north of Mexico

Do you have the 1" spacer behind the water pump? T-birds had this to allow the generator sit in front of the block. I had the similar problems years ago but once I went to an alternator and eliminated the spacer I never had any cooling problems anymore.

  Vic Correnti

I am running the spacer but I also have the better pump from casco and the stainless plate to go between the pump and the spacer. I'll try the combined smaller pulley and increased fan and see what that gives me.

Thanks All,

   Wayne

Wayne
Located in Lineboro, MD
55 Retro Bird
65 Cobra FFR
69 Dart

The testing done by CASCO (results shown on their site) - shows the stainless spacer plate didn't help at all. I think the improved impeller is the answer....John Mummert is exactly right, anything that puts more hot water through the radiator is good. The smaller pulley has revved up the pump on my outfit (about 20%) - but it doesn't really help to spin the fan that much faster. Makes a lot of noise and I would like to re-configure and use a clutch type fan drive - next on my list.

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona