Just a guess, a wild guess. When you refilled it after doing the radiator hose, did you just fill it, or run it with the cap off and the heater on till you purged all the air from the system? I've had more than one car that would air lock, and took a while to burp out. Especially if the T stat is in an air pocket and doesn't open. Where's the overflow hose from the radiator cap running to? Does it drain on the bottom tray?

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

Strangest friggin thing happened to me today, this Y-block is taking me on a ride and not in a good way.
I did what you guy's suggested, removed the bottom radiator-hose, cut off about an inch of the end coming off the rad and re-attached it. Had myself wading in a puddle of coolant all down my back trying to do it too... refilled the system (after bathing of course) and checked for leaks. No leaks.

I decide to go on a test-drive at higher speed and get on the highway. Car gets up to temperature around 180 about 10 minutes from the house, I'm on the highway at this point just got on. About 2 miles down the highway temperature starts raising quick as an SOB and it gets up to about 240 something before I roll onto the shoulder of the highway and turn her off. Trail of water going down the road, under my car and a puddle underneath the radiator area. I open up the hood and look and see the drip-pan dripping wet but can't tell where the loss of coolant came from. The bottom radiator hose was dry on both ends, drain cock was closed, no wetness around any of the coolant or heater hoses.. I'm stumped. I'm stuck there on the side of the highway starving for about an hour until roadside assistance get a truck out to me to get her home.

I get home, go out in my regular car and pick up three gallons of distilled water because I figure I'm going to be doing some leak searching. I top off the radiator with water, it needed about a gallon to top off. I start her up in the yard there and try to recreate the conditions. No leaks right off the bat.. bone dry can you believe that? The car hemorrhages a gallon of coolant on the highway, I get it home and not a drop comes out. I figure okay.. let's get her up to temperature maybe the thermostat needs to be open. So I sit there with my foot on the peddle a bit trying to get her heated up, the car gets up to right below 180 and wont go any higher. Great now when I WANT it to start overheating it WONT. I put some cardboard in front of the radiator and push the peddle down a little higher.. still wont go above 180 and still isn't leaking.

I just don't get it, you'd think if it was a high-pressure thing that caused something to open up and leak it would still be popped open, if it was something that opened due to heat expansion it would have started leaking again when it got up to temperature... what the hell?

So to be clear, having the blades angled in towards the driver-side is wrong. Well okay.. that's a new one on me but it might explain the problems I've had with it seeming to run hotter then I'd like. Which way was it oriented from the factory?

I think the 3 blade was bad either way. The T-Bird original chrome ones were terrible.

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Was this both the chrome and unchromed ones?  I heard just the chrome plated ones had that problem??





54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

My old 57 had a dent in the hood directly above the fan and a missing blade. It happened suddenly one summer night. Vibration was terrible too!



Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

It will still blow air the same direction regardless, but less efficiently..  By the way, it is a 3 bladed fan, which Ford discontinued in '56 because of cracking in the blades close to the hub.  I figure some had blades fly off, but there was no national recalls in those days.  I believe Ford sent bulletins to the dealers to inspect them for cracks when the cars came in for service. 

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

It's the same orientation that I've seen on all the other Yblocks. I can also feel it, blowing air onto the engine, sucking it through the radiator.

Yes, it is.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Is it?