OK, I need some advise. I have a 67 Mustang with a 1970 351c and I am currently running a 3 row stock 289 radiator with shroud, flex fan and water wetter. The car still runs between 217 and 220, that seems hot to me, is it? I'm not sure why this radiator will not cool this motor. I took it out last week and had it cleaned at the radiator shop, they told me it was 30% blocked, thought for sure that was my problem, put it back in and nothing changed! This is how it has been since I bought the car, so I do not know if it always ran this temp or not, it was in rough shape when I got it.
67 mustang radiator
- Thread starter tlindsey18
- Start date
Az Pete
10 Year Member
Do you know what thermostat is in the car? Should have a 180-195. Timing and carb settings can also effect temps. How about the hoses? Are they collapsing when hot, restricting the flow?
I had a 195 T-stat in my 67 with the stock radiator. It was running hotter than I felt comfortable with, even with a taurus electric fan. (I'm not sure of the exact temperature but it was always very close to pegging the stock temperature gauge.) I swapped out the 195 for a 180 and saw improvement. Temperature gauge doesn't exceed the halfway point even during the Texas summer. Admittedly I haven't driven it more than 15 miles at a time. I never drove it over 15 miles at time with the 195 either.
I noticed yeaterday that I have NO movment of fluid in my radiator.....I was going to burp it and the temp got all the way to 210 and never indicated flow through the radiator???? I changed the stat twice and ALL hoses including heater hoses are getting hot, is that due to the steam from the water and maybe the pump is not working? Or can water move through the hoses slightly with the pump not working? Bafffffled I also checked the stat and it is working properly..
The 351C requires a unique thermostat. A non-351C thermostat will not operate the special bypass-block properly, and the engine will overheat. Even if you have the right thermostat, if the brass seal ring below it is missing, it will overheat. With both in place operating properly, you should be in good shape, the 351C had a special arrangement that sealed the bypass when the thermostat was open, to increase cooling efficiency.
This picture make it appear that the bypass ring is FLAT.....I have a brass dish looking ring in there but I am wondering if there should be a flat ring that lays on top of that???? I have wondered if i have all the componants to that bypass in place, but I cannot find a good picture or parts break down to show me??????
No, it's not flat.
The 351C thermostat has this cup in the center, to seal the hole in the brass plate.
Problem resolved....embarrassed to admitt this but i guess I should for others with similar issues. It was a faulty after market gauge all along, temp runs around 185 to 195 in traffic. The needle sat on 130 instead of bottomed out on 100 and I never thought anything about it until I got to looking at new gauges......LIGHT BULB!!!
Just a comment on the radiator you are using. It is a 289 3 row. You should really be running a 4 row copper IMO. Now being where you live it may not get all that hot you might be fine with a 3 row. In LA during the summer in traffic, you would be overheating.
