Model t running hot

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: Model t running hot
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rfbuff on Saturday, August 09, 2014 - 09:27 pm:

1914 touring running hot, had rad checked. Water pump okay, what next


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By john kuehn on Saturday, August 09, 2014 - 09:40 pm:

Original radiator? Dont know about brass radiators but the old black era radiators can seem to be not stopped up but wont cool well because the fins get loose from the tubes.
They looked good, but when I got new flat tube radiators for my 2 T's it made all the difference. It was like having different cars.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By A. Gustaf Bryngelson on Saturday, August 09, 2014 - 09:44 pm:

Check timing?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Gregush Portland Oregon on Saturday, August 09, 2014 - 09:47 pm:

You could be running too lean.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jerry Dvis on Saturday, August 09, 2014 - 09:55 pm:

Can you be more specific,,,,Does it boil while running, idle?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Georgetown TX on Sunday, August 10, 2014 - 08:16 am:

Water pumps often make Model T's overheat due to poor design. They are completely unnecessary, just a source of trouble. Could be the water pump is clogged with stop leak.

I would start by taking the water pump off and flushing the entire system with vinegar, then water.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Sunday, August 10, 2014 - 08:47 am:

Something that began recently? Keep it simple first off: a good flush. Fan turning?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Sunday, August 10, 2014 - 09:36 am:

All of the above. If you do all those things and it still overheats, John's comment about loose fins probably applies. At that point your choices are: 1 new radiator; 2 recore. My radiator's tanks were OK, so I went with a recore for two reasons: 1 reproduction tanks don't quite match the originals; 2 it was a couple of Benjamins less costly.

Here are a couple of flushing videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnOZ2MZt5FY&list=UUFVx528ORtpDgCPJXbFCA6w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ3nkPm87X0&list=UUFVx528ORtpDgCPJXbFCA6w

And here's something I usually post for the new folks: http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG80.html

Welcome to the best forum on the net.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Fred L. Olenberger on Wednesday, August 13, 2014 - 10:21 pm:

Seems like I remembered grandpa putting a hand full of baking soda in the radiator when I was a kid. He was "cleaning it". Wish I had been taking notes. Does anyone know how or if that works?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Georgetown TX on Thursday, August 14, 2014 - 07:00 am:

People used to put all kinds of things in Model T radiators. I've tried several of them with no miracles yet. There's no substitute for a good radiator.

Vinegar is the most impressive thing I have tried. Drain the water, pour in two gallons of vinegar. Wait overnight then flush with water. You won't believe all the crud that comes out!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Davis-SE Georgia on Thursday, August 14, 2014 - 07:24 am:

I did that and found some of that crud was plugging holes in the radiator. All the Stop Leak in the world wouldn't fix it after that. It already wouldn't cool and leaked a little. After that, it wouldn't cool and leaked a lot. Fought it and fought it and finally bought a Berg's. Best $800 I ever spent.

When we got the touring, it cooled fine, but kept developing cracks. I would have them soldered up, but they kept coming back. I didn't fight spending that $800 NEAR as long as I did the first $800.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ron Patterson-Nicholasville, Kentucky on Thursday, August 14, 2014 - 08:16 am:

Here is a piece of advice given me by Don Lang long ago: if you have an original Model T radiator which has long since ceased to be a heat exchanger, buy a new radiator, install it, be done with overheating problems.
Then go have fun driving your Model T.
It may cost you $800, but when you amortize that cost over ten years of trouble free driving $80 a year will seem like nothing.
Ron the Coilman


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tim Wrenn on Thursday, August 14, 2014 - 08:22 am:

My unauthorized two cents is, if it's original, then no doubt it's just plain shot. Then, if it's "newer" and a round tube, they just don't plain cool well enough. And if either are "old" then who knows what someone put in them to possibly stop leaks, which also stops flow. As John & Steve said, tight fins make all the difference in the world, and like John, when I put in flat tubes, all problems really solved. I have a newer Brass Works round tube that can't hold a candle to the Brass Works flat tube I also have.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kenneth W DeLong on Thursday, August 14, 2014 - 09:10 am:

If i read right the org post was about a 14,and if so the $800 mentioned for a new rad is gone with the wind!I think the org poster is a newby so doe's he know of all the variables of model T cooling?? Flat tubes are much better but are they model T? Some places they are not so? It"s easy to spend others money but as one who bought a new rad with no cooling improvement who know's for sure?? Are there any shops where said rad can be tested for percentage of cooling verses new?? Bud.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By James Baker on Thursday, August 14, 2014 - 09:17 am:

You can also luck out with an older radiator too. The radiator on my Roadster pickup has been on it since the early 30's and still cools great. It's an unidentified brand honeycomb and I'm also proud to say my truck has never had a water pump on it!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Aaron Griffey, Hayward Ca. on Thursday, August 14, 2014 - 11:25 am:

I had a speedster with a new radiator and rebuilt engine that over heated every time I drove it, even on cool nights it would get so hot it would barf when I came to a stop.
A new Gates fan belt was the cure.
After that at any speed on any hot day it would never boil again.

My flushing system:
Put in a contailer of CLR, fill with hot water, run the car for 20 minutes and drain and flush real good with clear water..


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Thursday, August 14, 2014 - 11:34 am:

Bud, you're right about a new brass radiator being way north of $800. That's one reason I had mine recored.

As for testing old versus new I suspect that would be pretty easy if you had both. Run a car with the old one on it and stick a thermometer in the filler hole, then do the same with a new one.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kenneth W DeLong on Thursday, August 14, 2014 - 12:17 pm:

Steve,Could the shop that did your recore tell you in advance how much improvement you should expect? Did the shop show you your loose fins? Did the shop reccomend a rodding out? Did you go flat tube thicker core or round? Are you totally happy with the recore? I guess finding the right radiator shop is also a plus but how? Thank's in advance!! Bud.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Floyd Voie - Chehalis, Washington on Thursday, August 14, 2014 - 12:25 pm:

If you're running too hot...did you make sure you had the spark lever all the way down?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Davis-SE Georgia on Thursday, August 14, 2014 - 12:29 pm:

I don't know what the numbers should be, but there should be an acceptable difference in temperature across the radiator. In other words, the temperature of the water coming in the top minus the temperature of the water coming out the bottom should be at least X number of degrees. Maybe someone else knows what that number should be. If the the radiator is cooling by that amount, then the problem is excess heat generation due to mixture, timing, etc. If the radiator is not cooling by X number of degrees, then the problem is in the radiator (Or maybe lack of air flow through it).

A good rule of thumb is that you should be able to grab the water pipe running from the lower end of the radiator to the engine inlet with your bare hand and it not be unbearable to touch. If it is, then the radiator is not doing its job.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Thursday, August 14, 2014 - 01:14 pm:

I didn't think to ask how much improvement was likely. Tom didn't show me anything because I shipped the radiator to him and he didn't ask me about rodding out because I went straight to the recore. I want this car for go, not show, so I went with flat tubes. I've only run the car sitting because the rear axle is out of it, but so far it's fine. Tom did the radiator for Rob's K, and I found out about it when Rob mentioned the best little radiator shop in Kansas. Sabetha is way out in the sticks, and Tom does the antique stuff between jobs keeping farm equipment running.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By R. S. Cruickshank on Thursday, August 14, 2014 - 09:30 pm:

Just my 2 cents. I had a beautiful looking radiator that was cleaned out professionally and had a tight core. Couldn't run the car for ten minutes before it boiled over. When I took it off I noticed a rattle. Found out that the baffle in the tank broke loose and settled on top of the core. Blocked too many tubes!!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Thursday, August 14, 2014 - 11:01 pm:

There's a lot to do and check before you shell out any large cash for a new rad. I know their largely disliked but I've had 2 T's that had pumps on them and didn't remove them because I wasn't having a problem. And wasn't looking for one. Now first things first and keep it simple. If you haven't been misusing the spark lever and the fan is turning give it a good flushing out. Make sure the passages are clear. Re-fill it with a decent anti freeze mix and drive it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Thursday, August 14, 2014 - 11:06 pm:

Agreed. Only spend the dough if you've completely cleaned and flushed and still have the problem.


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