Only overheated my car once today!

"cletus44 aka Clayton Seams" (cletus44)
07/26/2014 at 20:49 • Filed to: None

Drove my car for about an hour in downtown Toronto on a 25 degree C (77 Fahrenheit) day and it overheated again. Only happens when it's in traffic. Should I look into this or is this just par for the course with a 45-year-old big-block car without electric cooling fans?

Radiator is brand new but water pump is pretty old. I'd really rather not spend a bunch of money on electric cooling fans if I don't have to.

DISCUSSION (28)

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
07/26/2014 at 20:51

Get a new and bigger radiator.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
07/26/2014 at 20:54

New thermostat and water pump would probably do it some good. Make sure you properly burp all of the air out of the system, too.

Anon > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
07/26/2014 at 20:55

I'm so jelous that it's only 77 degrees where you are during summer.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Vince-The Roadside Mechanic
07/26/2014 at 20:55

Radiator is brand new and pretty big! I hope the problem lies elsewhere

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
07/26/2014 at 20:56

I think that will be the way to go.

aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
07/26/2014 at 20:56

if your fan shroud is broken/missing then that would be a no.1 cause of overheating

but if its in good shape then a new thermostat and pump should help

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
07/26/2014 at 21:04

Water pump?

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
07/26/2014 at 21:12

This. It's better to deal with overheating issues now than the consequences down the road.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe
07/26/2014 at 21:20

Car has no shroud at all. Did they even come with them in 1969?

jkm7680 > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
07/26/2014 at 21:21

I'd say that it would just be a small issue that may/may not happen again.

Hopefully it won't do that any more though.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
07/26/2014 at 21:23

Solution: https://www.yearone.com/Product/1966-7…

aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
07/26/2014 at 21:24

no idea

although it wouldn't be a bad idea to see if you could find a aftermarket one to fit on it

also a broken fan shroud could mean bad engine mounts

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > jkm7680
07/26/2014 at 21:25

It's overheated once before but both times were on hot days after more than 30 mins in traffic.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > aberson Bresident of the FullyAssed Committe
07/26/2014 at 21:26

ahHA! Good call https://www.yearone.com/Product/1966-7…

Alex from Toronto > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
07/26/2014 at 21:26

you could always stop by a junkyard and pick up some electric fans

In a Mini; let them mock me as My Mini Countryman is higher than you > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
07/26/2014 at 21:52

Intercoolers!

deekster_caddy > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
07/26/2014 at 22:02

biggest fan that will fit safely in the shroud, good thermostatic fan clutch. If the impeller is worn out in the water pump you'll have issues. Test the thermostat. Should never overheat if all those things are right. Make sure timing is right too.

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
07/26/2014 at 22:12

My dad said his parents had a similar car and he said he changed the water pump twice in about the 3 years they owned it. Working on finding the pictures.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
07/26/2014 at 22:21

My buddys 77 bronco has the same issue when its in the dunes or cruising real slow. Now had a toggle switch for 1 electric fan that he flips when he is at a stop for any amount of time

Jonee > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
07/26/2014 at 22:27

I second this. It shouldn't overheat. It may be old, but they designed it to work. Thermostats get unreliable over the years, so that may solve it, but you might as well change the pump while you're at it.

Quixotic > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
07/26/2014 at 23:10

Check the thermostatic fan clutch. Shut the engine off hot, and you shouldn't be able to spin it by hand. That car shouldn't overheat. It was designed to run reliably in the hottest parts of the US. Try a compression check, cooling system pressure test, replace the thermostat and water pump, check for vacuum leaks causing lean and thus hot running. Redline water wetter can help a marginal cooling system work better too.

Quixotic > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
07/26/2014 at 23:10

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Quixotic
07/27/2014 at 07:59

Water wetter sounds interesting. And fan has no clutch. Bolted directly to the pulley.

Wurrwulf > Alex from Toronto
07/27/2014 at 09:32

IIRC, the late '90s-early '00s Taurus came with a pair of ridiculously awesome electric fans. Shouldn't be a difficult find in a Pull-A-Part.

Alex from Toronto > Wurrwulf
07/27/2014 at 14:43

even a large suv would have some good fans

MM54 > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
07/27/2014 at 20:10

It seems that a lot of times the fan shroud gets misplaced over the years and that will cause overheating issues. Also make sure your fan clutch isn't failing or failed.