4th of July parade in Houston, will be crawling along in 90+ degree heat. Radiator (5 yr old Berg's) has in the past boiled over halfway through. Planning next weekend to drain and refill with fresh coolant, maybe change the oil, enrich the mixture. Any other ideas? What could happen if I keep driving with boiling spewing coolant? End of the parade route I turn to a side road and zoom a bit to put air through the front....
Keep the timing advanced to best power.
Do you have a Ruckstell or other lower gear? I find they run best in parades in Low Low. That is low ruckstell and low pedal. I put the lever in neutral and tap the low pedal from time to time to keep it going the right speed. A fast idle works quite well as it will keep the fan moving.
Norm
Good, I'll be on top of the spark. Sorry, Ford standard low and high gear. I think I've read of people stopping, letting a bit of space build up, then going a little faster ahead to minimize slipping friction first gear clutch...
How about pulling the hood sides off if you really need that extra little bit of cooling?
You've identified the main reason that I stopped doing parades. The slow speeds are really hard on the car. Our beloved antiques were designed to get moving and run in high gear. The constant starting and stopping in a parade generates heat without putting enough air through the radiator to dissipate that heat. If you really like running in parades, your best bet would be an electric fan.
Run at a fast idle, not the slowest, to get more air movement from the fan. That'll help.
Is it easy to separate the hood pieces? I imagine I just push the rod out of the hinge using another slightly thinner rod.
Yeah this year the city has prohibited throwing candy as they fear kids getting run over when they retrieve it. Most of the time I've seen people with pretty good arms, tossing the candy to the crowd, not dropping it under our wheels. Last year a political group behind me complained about the exhaust coming from my 94 year old car. Trying not to feel bad about participating in America's birthday but the ratios of fun to work to damage to my car seem be getting more skewed. But do want something memorable for my little kids.
Since 2003, I've been hosting a club tour to mark America's birthday. You can do it too. Think of it as a 100 mile parade at 30 mph.
Our annual tour has become quite popular, with 15-25 Model Ts showing up every year. My wife and I plan a new route every year and find a nice place for a picnic lunch stop. We do the tour as a potluck picnic. We provide the brats fresh off of manifold cookers and everyone brings something to share.
This time of year MN sounds really good right now!
Carry a small (32 - 40 oz) spray bottle filled with water and have someone mist the radiator a bit when it gets hot.
It doesn't take much to bring the temp into the normal range.
PS. I also put a block of wood in the handbrake slot so it doesn't slip into high gear by accident.
I never slip the low band so if the parade is slow I leave a gap and periodically catch up.
Add a water pump! I have my parking brakes set so with the handle horizontal it's in neutral with the brakes off and all I have to do is push the low peddle.
"We provide the brats..."
Eric, I think that's a disrespectful way to refer to your children....
What about twisting the fan blades for a little more pitch?
That should move more air.
When you change the coolant use Water Wetter as part of the mix. It breaks down the water molecule chains (surface tension) and the water will pass heat better. http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/Red-Line-Oil-WaterWetter-super-cool ant/_/N-255s?itemIdentifier=486218
Iv always wondered about that water wetter. Is it safe for are cast iron engines?
Last year was my first attempt at a July 4th parade. The car ran great, but the heat and the stop and go was tough on it. They actually had a judges stand where each participant stopped while they announced the names, etc. So it was really slow. About 200 yards of the route was on a steady downward slope. Luckily I have a large drum Ruckstell so I didn't had to rely on the transmission brake too much. By the time I got to the judges stand, I had a steady stream of water flowing out of the overflow tube, so I just kept right on moving. As soon as I was able to get it in high gear, it cooled right down. Had to adjust the clutch band afterwards.
Decided this year not to do it. Was a lot of fun, but the car wasn't the only thing that minded the heat!
I think you'll find water wetter is nothing but gypsum. Wifey uses it in our clay soil. You might try experimenting with it.
Alrighty I like increasing the fan blade pitch, and I might rig up a little tube where I can pour water onto the front of the radiator for evaporative cooling.
Here's a pic a few years back of my little yankee doodle girl and our 48 star flag. Hopefully post a happy update later, including her little brother this year!
I would be cautious about twisting fan blades - they crack, and break.
I've seen a modern plastic universal fan with lotsa' blades. Found out a T doesn't need a fan at all, unless doing parades.
I agree with Ricks on the fan blades. Also, if you start pulling on the blades, it'll be real easy to get it out of balance. Last thing you want is to have the fan destroy that nice Berg's radiator you've got.
Do you have a passenger? arm them with a quart spray bottle filled with water if your T gets hot stop momentarily and have them get out and "Spritz the radiator" brings the temp down quickly and if the passenger is a showman while they are spritzing they can wipe the top of the radiator with a soft towel!
Don't slip the low band. Either have it fully engaged or fully disengaged. Slipping the low band makes lots of heat on its own & wears out the band lining. Just fully engage, then coast a bit.
Spritzing water will give you water spots that'll be tough to polish out.
Sorry to say, but if you can't take the heat, best to stay out of the parade.
The best suggestion so far was the electric fan.
Will,
Even though your radiator is only 5 years old, I'd do a little more than just drain and refill it. I'd run it, drain it and refill it with just water, run it, then drain it again and fill it with coolant/water the second time. A little flush out can't hurt and may just make a difference.
Will, coolant also raises the boiling point, so I run at least a 50 50 mixture and that does help to prevent boiling.
I will be eating and drinking a few brews at a local country church picnic on the 4th of July. It is an annual affair and open to the public.
Willie
Oh, I forgot, I will drive there in my T and they let me park close in as lots of people come and look at the T.
Things that cause overheating (there are many):
Bands adjusted too tight
Rear brake rods adjusted too tight
Engine / radiator passages clogged with rust
Float level too low
Mixture too lean
Timing set incorrectly
Head gasket installed backwards
Things that cause water to boil over:
Radiator over filled
Blown head gasket
Severe overheating
I've never had an overheating problem in a parade or anywhere else either here in Texas or in Arizona when I lived there.
Driving technique may be an issue too, I've seen folks who have to rev the engine to the moon and then take 2 - 3 seconds of slowly engaging the low band every time they creep forward. That's a guaranteed way to cause overheating.
Hi there Willie drink one for me. Might drive down to Georges Ranch instead, get out towards the country myself.
Lots of good reminders in these posts, thanks so much!