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Cooling issues...no confirmed solution yet

2K views 11 replies 9 participants last post by  canadian acadian 
#1 ·
So I've got a mild 327 and it's a 68 block. The radiator is supposedly from a 1960 Mustang (3 core as wide/tall as stock radiator). My temp probe is next to the thermostat housing on the manifold (mechanical guage). Thermostat is the regular ol' Napa brand at 180*...maybe balkamp idk?? And the mechanical fan isn't as close as I would like it to be. It's about 4-5" from the radiator and it's a 7-blade fan.

My problem is that my temp is at a constant 205*, no ups no downs once it's up to operating temp, and it stays the same whether along the highway or idling in the driveway. Obviously a 160* thermostat won't make a difference here, and I have tried it just for the kicks. When it's above 35* outside and I shut it off, it'll climb to 220*, and the climb itself is suppose to be normal, but when it sits that high and I go to start it up, it's hard starting for a second. Also, my timing is practically spot on when looking at my plugs, it's right on the bend of the arc (can't think of the name of it).

What do you guys think I should do? A good aftermarket thermostat? I know a guy that wants to sell me an electric fan for $50 but I've seen some on ebay for less than that but I'm not sure of either of the qualities of the fans or designs as I have not actually seen his. Obviously a fan shroud would make a difference, but being that it's a mustang radiator of stock gm dimensions on a gm V8, would any gm fan shroud work or could I use a mustang fan shroud? Thanks for any input or opinions!
 
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#2 ·
The radiator is supposedly from a 1960 Mustang
1960 Mustang?:no:
Mustangs had top tank radiators, kind of a step backward from the Nova's crossflow style, and I don't recall any Mustang radiator as big as a typical 3rd gen Nova.
Get a spacer on the fan, and a shroud. Remove the thermostat and see what it does--cheaper than trying different ones-if it changes, you can try another.
A $50 electric fan probably isn't worth a damn--although I paid just over $50 for one fron a Chevy HHR that works very well, and may fit your radiator.
 
#7 · (Edited)
1960 Mustang?:no:
Mustangs had top tank radiators, kind of a step backward from the Nova's crossflow style, and I don't recall any Mustang radiator as big as a typical 3rd gen Nova.
This radiator was the only one that me AND my boss had lying around that would keep it from overheating...even when driving down the road.

Agree, electric fan, good shroud to channel the air, appropriate radiator. If budget is not an issue, get a "Be Cool" brand. I hear they work great. Griffin is another.

If budget is an issue, find you a correct stock one. A buddy stands by some stuff called "Water Wetter", but I have never used it. He claims it lowered his running temps 10-20, but I don't think it's a fix for your current situation.
I've always wanted to try Water Wetter, or Engine Ice, but either never had a reason to or I just couldn't afford it.

I misread the post, I thought you had a 68 Nova--the Mustang unit is similar to the early Nova radiator. You could take it to a radiator shop and have it rodded out; it may be clogged. I had one done and they said it was about 75% plugged--made a huge difference afterward.
Personally, I prefer aluminum radiators, especially since they cost so little for a universal fit style. You can get direct bolt-in replacements, but they cost twice as much.
Maybe not misread, but rather mis-informed...I forgot to mention that it's a first gen. You probably realized it was a first gen because of my profile pic haha. When I put the radiator in, I ran it through with a bunch of fresh straight water with the drain open and continuously filling it up when appropriate, as to attempt to get a bunch of the crap out of it and the rest of the system. It drains at a pretty decent rate, do you think it could still be clogged pretty good? And I wouldn't buy an aluminum radiator (even though they look pretty dang snazzy, especially with SS braided cooling lines :cool:). Copper/brass radiators dissipate heat a lot better than alluminum...it's just like computers. Every stock computer comes with an ordinary alluminum heatsink and standard fan. An upgrade (which I have) could include a 100% copper heatsink, better air flow, or water cooling (which I also have). Also, how much would it cost to have a radiator unplugged? I'm at the tech school now, do you think I could do it there myself?

first year for a Mustang was '64-1/2... possible you have a Falcon or Comet radiator?
I was just told by my boss that it was a "60 mustang radiator". I guess I misunderstood him and he probably meant "60's mustang radiator.

get a 3" fan spacer,clutch fan and shroud....will cure your problems and the cheapest solution...should be able to do it all for under $100
I already have a 2" spacer on the fan and it's still a good distance away. I made my own fan shroud to attempt to get it flowing better, but it didn't make a difference at all. I have small brackets holding the radiator away from the support so the top tank doesn't push on the support...I looked at it today as I was curious, and I guess I actually have a good amount of room to move the radiator upwards and still clear the hood from hitting the cap, enabling it to be flush against the support and possibly flow through it better instead of around :(. and until I can actually get the cooling system to drop and rise in temp like it's suppose to, a clutch fan probably isn't the best idea as I need as much flow as I can get right now. I did a test without the fan sitting in the driveway and found the fan definitly is making a difference...just enough to have it sit at 205*.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Agree, electric fan, good shroud to channel the air, appropriate radiator. If budget is not an issue, get a "Be Cool" brand. I hear they work great. Griffin is another.

If budget is an issue, find you a correct stock one. A buddy stands by some stuff called "Water Wetter", but I have never used it. He claims it lowered his running temps 10-20, but I don't think it's a fix for your current situation.

P.S. There's an old rule to hot rods:

Mopars can run Mopar, Ford, or Chevy.
Fords can run Ford or Chevy.
Chevy can only run Chevy.
This holds true for parts, not just engines.
 
#4 ·
I misread the post, I thought you had a 68 Nova--the Mustang unit is similar to the early Nova radiator. You could take it to a radiator shop and have it rodded out; it may be clogged. I had one done and they said it was about 75% plugged--made a huge difference afterward.
Personally, I prefer aluminum radiators, especially since they cost so little for a universal fit style. You can get direct bolt-in replacements, but they cost twice as much.
 
#5 ·
The radiator is supposedly from a 1960 Mustang (3 core as wide/tall as stock radiator).

And the mechanical fan isn't as close as I would like it to be. It's about 4-5" from the radiator and it's a 7-blade fan.

first year for a Mustang was '64-1/2... possible you have a Falcon or Comet radiator?

regardless...

having the fan spaced so far away from the radiator could be one of the biggest issues you're having.
 
#8 ·
You have an oldddddddddddddd radiator in your car. I have found that 95% of the time olddddddddddd radiators tend to not work well because they get corroded and clogged up over the years making them much less efficient. The summit universal aluminum radiator, flex fan, 180 thermostat and no shroud is what we run in ours and it never goes above 180.
 
#10 ·
Copper/brass radiators dissipate heat a lot better than alluminum
We've all heard that for too many years.
A 2 row aluminum radiator will cool far better than any 3 or 4 row copper/brass unit that I've seen. When you cram all that material in a small, tight package, there isn't enough room for airflow in between.
I went from a 4 row c/b unit from a Buick station wagon (huge) to a Griffin 2 row (1" rows) and it made a huge difference. I would never go back to the old style stuff.
 
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