Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines Overheating Nova!

I have a 194 c.i. Chevy six and Clifford headers and PertronixII. My problem is that the temp. light comes on when ever i sit at a red light too long. Everything to do with the cooling system is original except for some "Water Wetter" added to the coolant and it does not have a shroud. Is there anything that i can do or BUY to fix this problem?

How about a shroud then? It would probably be your best bet to go junkyarding and find something that will fit your car, or that you can make fit. I've been told they shouldn't be under estimated when it comes to cooling. And a shroud would do the most when there's no airflow but the fan -- like sitting at a stoplight.

Just my 2 cents. Greg

Red, Do you have the proper radiator cap that will maintain the correct pressure for your cooling system? Are your hoses all good? (Sometimes they will look good on the outside, then be bad inside) And last, do you know for sure your temp gauge is correct? My '65 Chevy Pickup with a 230 began "running hot" all of a sudden. I had the proper radiator cap and the radiator was not boiling over. That truck never had a shroud. I checked everything above and found that the temp sending unit had gone bad. It actually was NOT running hot.

Red, if the engine really is hot, the shroud is probably the reason. However, instead of fixing the shroud, you might want to look at switching to electric cooling fans, which is what I did.

One other thought... your coolant isn't 100% antifreeze is it?

Greg

no there is some water in there also but i dont know the percentage. My dad thinks that the engine really isnt getting that hot and we should put on a real temp. guage.

Dear Red;

I would make sure the light is working correctly first. Put a thermometer in the radiator and find out what temp the light turns on at.

Your local parts store will test your cap free..

If all that stuff is okay check the radiator for free flow. This is done by removing both hoses and pluging the top one with a rag and filling the radiator with water to see if it comes out the bottom as fast as it goes in etc. If it does, that's okay.

Good luck, John M......

thanks for all the help guys. On monday I will have a fan shroud be made for the original radiator (crossed fingers knocking on wood)

You do not mention what year Chevy II you have but the early cars are known to have heating problems when everything is not perfect.

If your temp sender is not the issue, make sure the cooling system is clean and not plugged anywhere, the timing is not too far advanced and the carb is not too lean. Any of these can contribute to over heating. Worse case find a radiator from 65-67 as they are wider and have more water capacity.