I have a 62 Fleetside with a 350 in it . It over heats . I'm going to replace the radiator and shroud and will probably use Chevy duty any sugestions . Thanks LostinAl
Suggestions: Have you checked/replaced the less expensive items first ? Is the motor tuned-up and timed properly? Hoses too soft ? Thermostat Functioning ? Water pump ?? DVal
Yeah, Every thing is new , accept the rad . It leaks around the neck . I put a new flex fan on it (and I don't like it ) There is no shroud on it and there is alot of space between the fan and the rad. These are the things I think are the big issue . The rads. on these old trucks are small about 21 in. I know alot of people have put v8 in the old truks . The battery tray is keeping me from going bigger .I have another rad . In a old 60 truck with a six in it . But I want to hang on to that , the fuel pump is all thats bad on it . Thanks LostinAl
There is USUALLY no reason to go bigger with than the stock 3 core radiator if you are using a small block V8. A big block would probably be better off with a 4 core heavy duty radiator like the GMC V6's used during the 60's. I had an overheating-at-idle problem with my old 305 when I first got my panel. Solving the problem went like this. Replaced thermostat. ( no change) Replaced all hoses. ( no change ) Installed fan shroud ( some improvement, but not the answer ) Replaced Water Pump ( THAT did it ) The water pump did not "look" bad. That is, there was no leakage and the bearings had no slop. I went to Auto Zone and got one of their Good for the Life of the Vehicle rebuilt pumps. I took apart the old pump out and discovered that the water impellers has almost completly rotted away to nothing. When I made the swap last year to a crate 350 and 700R4 I replaced the radiator with a new 3 core with a trans cooler tank. It works perfect and keeps the operating temp right where it belongs at 190 degrees. DV
Thanks,DV You have gave me a little fuel for thought. The water pump is about 2 yrs old and has only about 50 miles on it , as does the whole engine I let it set to much .I think I'll start with the thermostat and work my way up like you said in our last conversation . I think the setting got to it. I also think the rad. is a two core , might go to a three . Thanks , LostinAl
I forgot to suggest the first thing. Eliminate the heater core from the equation. Take a short piece of heater hose and loop it from the water pump output to the water pump input. See how THAT effects the cooling. If there is a significant improvement then you most likely found the problem. The heater core water passages can get blocked with crud from sitting. ( like most of us will ! ) If the radiator is not leaking, then take it to a good radiator shop for a boil out. That would be the last thing in the pecking order. DVal
>How can you tell if you have a 2 core or a 3 core >radiator? Heather, If you look at the top of the radiator, see how the radiator cooling fins meet up to the upper tank. ( the big metal goodie that you pour the coolant into.) If the cooling fins are NOT even with the tank as you look down, and take a step in, you have a 3 core rad. If they are flush with the tank you have a 4 core. MOST Chevy's of our years came with a 3 core, a lot of GMC's came with a 4 core. Aftermarket aluminum rads dissipate heat better so they usually need only 2 cores. DVal
I think I saw in an earlier message that you don't have a fan shroud. This little item will cause your truck to overheat if it is missing. Brian
