[maddmatt]

I'm new here, but I am having a pretty big problem with my 63 SS nova.
I have a new 350 small block and turbo 350 transmission that was just put in and it is overheating very fast. I cannot drive for 5 minutes before it gets hot. I had the same problem with a 283 & powerglide that was replaced.
I have since replaced the radiator, thermostat, water pump,
Could the pully be too big for the water pump? Or maybe it is spinning the wrong way?

 

[72GreenRally]

Hi Matt, welcome to the site!!

How hot is it getting?
What kind of fan are you using?

The only way the waterpump could be spinning the wrong way is if you have the v-belt pulleys and got a reverse flow pump. Pulley size could be an issue, both on the water pump and the crank.

What parts did you reuse from the 283?

 

[bowtie0069]

What do you have for a fan?

 

[chevyIIheavy]

what do you have for a radiator and pump also we need more info to help :yes:

 

[maddmatt]

The only thing from the 283 that i've used is the mechanical fan and pullys/belt.. everything else has been replaced from summit with the exception of the radiator hoses, which i guess ill replace to just omit it as a problem
it gets hot enough to start boiling over. as far as i can tell there isnt any air bubbles, and of course the fan is rotating correctly.
summit aluminum radiator & OEM smallblock water pump from oreillys

 

[chevyIIheavy]

how much timing do you have maybe look at that what kinda thermostat you running is there anything obstructing the radiator behind the grill is this a stock 350 or is it sorta built we need more info on your set up. if your running a stock pump it may not be flowing enough they do work but might not have the volume

 

[maddmatt]

my cousin is sort of my mechanic, which i have full faith in, but i dont know what the timing was set. the transmission and engine was rebuilt by a reputable guys out of San Antonio that my cousin has used for several years.
the engine is a 383 stroker
i have a 180 thermostat and a small transcooler in front of the radiator.

 

[chevyIIheavy]

well the transcooler is in a good spot so we can rule that out same with the thermostat how hot does it get do you have a water temp gauge with actual numbers ( not the one in the dash that says hot or cold ) see if you can get the specs from your cousin what did he set the timing at and at what rpm are you running straight water if not what is your mixture i think your water pump is bad it may be cavitating

 

[maddmatt]

thanks for the quick help so far.. i will get with my cousin tomorrow to see about the timing.
also, this is the third water pump i have tried, all being oem pumps. i am running straight water right now.
i dont have a digital temp gauge, but i do know its running wayyyy too hot, too quick, to the point of steaming hot.

 

[chevyIIheavy]

add some coolent you may want to drain the radiator and then fill it with some purified water and coolent ( 50/50 ) never put straight tap water into your radiator or cooling system for that matter. i hate to tell you this but them auto store pumps are remanufactured p.o.s. in my opinion try an aluminum pump like a edelbrock or weind i know there expensive but there not remanufactured and the flow more. the gauge doesnt have to be digital just one that is plumbed into your manifold ( good ol fashioned mechanical gauge )

 

[maddmatt]

i agree on the pump and really dont know why i just didnt replace it like evderything else..
but curious, wouldnt you think the pump i am using would be fine for the 283 i replaced? thats really why i didnt go further with replacing it with an aluminum one, because three pumps didnt fix the overheating with my other motor.
ill install a manifold gauge tomorrow just to see what it reads.

 

[NOGO]

I can only think the fan or fan shroud is the root of your problem since is everything else is new. If you run straight water you will have better heat dissipation than a coolant and water mixture so that would not cause overheating. When is the overheating occuring- low speed or high speed? A lean A/F mixture can cause overheating as well.

 

[D-Man]

Make sure the lower hose has the "Spring" in it. If it sucks closed, all of the radiator and pump in the world won't fix it.:turn:

An easy test of the thermostat would be to put it in a pot of water on your stove and use a candy thermometer (or sometime a meat thermometer will read high enough) to see when it is actually opening and that it's actually FULLY opening. I've seen quite a few junk thermostats right out of the box!!

Make sure the water pumps you're getting are for v-belt systems and not serpentine belt systems or it will be turning backwards and pumping very little.

If all of that checks out o.k., then it sounds like it time to run a compression check and pressure check the cooling system.

 

[maddmatt]

okay.... thermostat is fine, i have already tested it in boiling water, also both spring hoses have been replaced to the radiator.. i also bypassed the heater core, same problem. pressure test was done also with no problems.
i also think i blew a head gasket getting this motor too hot, so im getting more worried about starting it up to try anything else.. at least until i pull the heads which wont be for a few weeks...
heres a few pictures of what i have




i think i am just going to go with an electric pump and eliminate the pump as an issue..

 

[ChevyBelly]

I had a bent pushrod, replaced it and my engine ran very smooth, and the temperature dropped considrably. I figure the cam events werent timed properly, so everything was off and inefficency = heat. Where are you measuring the engine temp from?

 

[D-Man]

I SEE THE PROBLEM!!! It's circled in the middle of the grille of the black car in the background..:devil:oke:oke::rotfl:

It must be something contagious. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::stir::stir:

The electric pump won't move as much water as a decent belt driven pump. Can it work? Yes. But I don't think it's your answer.

If you're questioning the pump at all, Call these people...
http://www.stewartcomponents.com/
They've got the BEST mechanical pumps around....Period. They're also pretty sharp with cooling issues.:yes:

 

[jumbo66]

Head gasket maybe not the right one. This has happned before. steam hole blocked off. Did you put the motor together or some else.

 

[33hitman33]

I may have missed it, but I haven't seen a temperature listed that it was running. Aluminum rads will push out some coolant, even at 180. Are you running an overflow jug?

 

[fanbelt]

I've also seen a weak radiator cap cause similar symptoms you're having. I didn't see your temps in your post, but a cap ia very easy to check. HTH Mike

 

[maddmatt]

I dont have an exact temperature, but it is not hard to tell that this sucker is overheating very bad. if it is that pertinent, i would be able to find an IR thermometer to check it.
I cant see this being an engine specific overheating issue, as the exact same thing happened with my 283 that this motor replaced.
the engine was built by someone else, i personally have enough faith in them that the motor isnt the issue.
i have installed a new 16# cap and ran a pressure test..
im getting balder trying to figure this out !!
and d-man..... you may be on to something