I'm a believer in the vinegar wash.....for good or for evil......experienced restoration guys recommended it and all sorts of gunk came out.

To mix the new anti-freeze and water - I recommend using distilled water from the grocery. It has to be treated with one drop of ammonia per gallon to make sure it is a "base" solution. 

Untreated - it combines with carbon dioxide from the air and becomes slightly acidic - which you don't want. The drop of ammonia "kills" the acid - it is commonly used for laboratory purposes.

  

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona

I will definitely try the plug in the bypass. I was also thinking of running vinegar in it for a hour or so to break up and clean out the radiator. then run clean water through it for a day or two and then go to a good mix with purified water. What do you think? Cant hurt right?

Sebastian

1958 F100 292

"Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs."

"Chop your own wood, and it will warm you twice."

-Henry Ford

The 60* drop through the radiator looks right - 220* at the t'stat housing with 70* ambient seems a bit high. My outfit usually runs right at 105* over ambient - at the t-stat housing.

What sort of highway (cruise) spark advance is in your set-up? If the spark is a bit retarded - temp rises right up. On the same evening - at the same ambient, maybe experiment with incrementally higher initial advance settings.

Putting an orfice in the bypass hose (directly under the t'stat) will drop temps a bit more. Use a brass 3/8 pipe plug with a drilled 3/16 hole - insert into the short hose - the plug can't escape that position and is easy to remove if you don't like the result. That hose is the size of a small garden hose - and it is running the hot water right past your radiator in a short circuit.  

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona

The thermostat is in the correct direction. I checked the temp after driving on the highway the other night when it was cool, low 70's, with a heat gun. Here are the findings.

Thermostat housing metal- 210-220 degrees

upper radiator hose- 180-190 degrees

Lower radiator hose- 120-130 degrees



Do these numbers look right or is that housing number too high? I am not getting any boil over but the gauge is still on the 3/4 mark when running. If these are normal is there a way to fix the gauge so it is in the middle again?

Thanks for all the help.

Sebastian

1958 F100 292

"Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs."

"Chop your own wood, and it will warm you twice."

-Henry Ford

Thanks, I have so much going on right now a simple check like that totally escaped me.

Sebastian

1958 F100 292

"Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs."

"Chop your own wood, and it will warm you twice."

-Henry Ford

It will work BUT not as well. Seems to want to run somewhat hotter if memory serves me right.The point should be toward the radiator while the spring part is inside the intake. You should be able to remove that part of the hose and see if not feel to make sure it's pointed in the right direction.

-Gary Burnette-

would the thermostat still work if it was in backwards? it is working so I believe that i put it in the right way, really dont want to pull it again to make sure.

1958 F100 292

"Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs."

"Chop your own wood, and it will warm you twice."

-Henry Ford

One more easy mistake to make is installing the thermostat backward and that will give you a higher reading.

-Gary Burnette-

is there a fix for that, would like to have that needle in the middle so I can see the fluctuation a little better.

1958 F100 292

"Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs."

"Chop your own wood, and it will warm you twice."

-Henry Ford

It could be that you just distrurbed the wiring....

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona