Safe Operating Temperature - 427 Side-Oiler

I have an overheating problem in my '63 Galaxie, 427 Sideoiler (no AC)
bored .030 over to a 454 - seems to be heating up bigtime when I'm not
moving. Last time it scared me I had been driving with temps around
195. I stopped to go to the ATM and when I came back the car was
pushing 215. That's a 20 degree jump in less than 5 minutes. Scary
stuff.

This weekend I changed out the thermostat (put a new 160 in), did a
cheapo Zerek radiator flush, and added new coolant w/ water wetter.

Started up the car, heated up til' 160, leveled off, then started
slowly bumping up the temperature. I got nervous at 215 and turned it
off.

As far as a I know the heater core is working. There is no fan shroud.
Fan sits about 3 inches back from the radiator. Radiator looks like a
rebuilt original (car was a 289 car originally) - I looked inside
during the flush and it's a 3-row, and there was minimal corrosion. It
DOES, however, look small next to that 427.

What's a safe operating range for an engine of that size?

Any other suggestions as to what the problem might be? Oil? Other?
If it's the water pump, how can I know if it's failed? Best case
scenario is that I'd like to get the problem fixed so driving in 90
degree weather isn't a problem...it gets hot & humid here haha.

Also can anyone suggest a good shop in the Baltimore area where I can
get this looked at, if it gets out of hand?

Thanks!

Jason

"Willis" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>
> I have an overheating problem in my '63 Galaxie, 427 Sideoiler (no AC)
> bored .030 over to a 454 - seems to be heating up bigtime when I'm not
> moving. Last time it scared me I had been driving with temps around
> 195. I stopped to go to the ATM and when I came back the car was
> pushing 215. That's a 20 degree jump in less than 5 minutes. Scary
> stuff.
>
> This weekend I changed out the thermostat (put a new 160 in), did a
> cheapo Zerek radiator flush, and added new coolant w/ water wetter.
>
> Started up the car, heated up til' 160, leveled off, then started
> slowly bumping up the temperature. I got nervous at 215 and turned it
> off.
>
> As far as a I know the heater core is working. There is no fan shroud.
> Fan sits about 3 inches back from the radiator. Radiator looks like a
> rebuilt original (car was a 289 car originally) - I looked inside
> during the flush and it's a 3-row, and there was minimal corrosion. It
> DOES, however, look small next to that 427.
>
> What's a safe operating range for an engine of that size?
>
> Any other suggestions as to what the problem might be? Oil? Other?
> If it's the water pump, how can I know if it's failed? Best case
> scenario is that I'd like to get the problem fixed so driving in 90
> degree weather isn't a problem...it gets hot & humid here haha.
>
> Also can anyone suggest a good shop in the Baltimore area where I can
> get this looked at, if it gets out of hand?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Jason
>
You be a man in need of a larger radiator. (grin)
It sounds to me like your cooling capacity is insuficent. If it only acts
up at idle a fan shroud would help a lot.

--
Alan Gallacher
Born to Tinker!

Anumber1 wrote:
> "Willis" > wrote in message
> ups.com...
> >
> > I have an overheating problem in my '63 Galaxie, 427 Sideoiler (no AC)
> > bored .030 over to a 454 - seems to be heating up bigtime when I'm not
> > moving. Last time it scared me I had been driving with temps around
> > 195. I stopped to go to the ATM and when I came back the car was
> > pushing 215. That's a 20 degree jump in less than 5 minutes. Scary
> > stuff.
> >
> > This weekend I changed out the thermostat (put a new 160 in), did a
> > cheapo Zerek radiator flush, and added new coolant w/ water wetter.
> >
> > Started up the car, heated up til' 160, leveled off, then started
> > slowly bumping up the temperature. I got nervous at 215 and turned it
> > off.
> >
> > As far as a I know the heater core is working. There is no fan shroud.
> > Fan sits about 3 inches back from the radiator. Radiator looks like a
> > rebuilt original (car was a 289 car originally) - I looked inside
> > during the flush and it's a 3-row, and there was minimal corrosion. It
> > DOES, however, look small next to that 427.
> >
> > What's a safe operating range for an engine of that size?
> >
> > Any other suggestions as to what the problem might be? Oil? Other?
> > If it's the water pump, how can I know if it's failed? Best case
> > scenario is that I'd like to get the problem fixed so driving in 90
> > degree weather isn't a problem...it gets hot & humid here haha.
> >
> > Also can anyone suggest a good shop in the Baltimore area where I can
> > get this looked at, if it gets out of hand?
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > Jason
> >
> You be a man in need of a larger radiator. (grin)
> It sounds to me like your cooling capacity is insuficent. If it only acts
> up at idle a fan shroud would help a lot.
>

yeah, you need a fan shroud...

I'm in your area, I'll be happy to install it for you as long as I get
to thoroughly test drive it afterward <SEG>

nate

I'm not an expert on the Galaxie but am pretty sure that by the early
60s, they and their similarly powered Ford stablemates were supposed to
have a sizable fan shroud, often adorned with a big sticker warning you
not to insert any body parts that you want back:

http://www.galaxieclub.com/internati...ayrest030.html


Also, make sure the fan clutch, if fitted (probably so), is working
properly:
http://www.ifsja.org/tech/ac/fan_clutch.shtml


And don't forget the silly things: making sure all the hoses are
hooked up right, the radiator's pressure cap is in good shape, and
there's enough coolant of more or less the right proportions of water
and glycol.


Best of luck,
--Joe

Not related here, but for correctness at a car show or the like, a .030 over
427 is right about 432 cu.in.
"Willis" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>
> I have an overheating problem in my '63 Galaxie, 427 Sideoiler (no AC)
> bored .030 over to a 454 - seems to be heating up bigtime when I'm not
> moving. Last time it scared me I had been driving with temps around
> 195. I stopped to go to the ATM and when I came back the car was
> pushing 215. That's a 20 degree jump in less than 5 minutes. Scary
> stuff.
>
> This weekend I changed out the thermostat (put a new 160 in), did a
> cheapo Zerek radiator flush, and added new coolant w/ water wetter.
>
> Started up the car, heated up til' 160, leveled off, then started
> slowly bumping up the temperature. I got nervous at 215 and turned it
> off.
>
> As far as a I know the heater core is working. There is no fan shroud.
> Fan sits about 3 inches back from the radiator. Radiator looks like a
> rebuilt original (car was a 289 car originally) - I looked inside
> during the flush and it's a 3-row, and there was minimal corrosion. It
> DOES, however, look small next to that 427.
>
> What's a safe operating range for an engine of that size?
>
> Any other suggestions as to what the problem might be? Oil? Other?
> If it's the water pump, how can I know if it's failed? Best case
> scenario is that I'd like to get the problem fixed so driving in 90
> degree weather isn't a problem...it gets hot & humid here haha.
>
> Also can anyone suggest a good shop in the Baltimore area where I can
> get this looked at, if it gets out of hand?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Jason
>
>



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Willis wrote:

> As far as a I know the heater core is working. There is no fan shroud.
> Fan sits about 3 inches back from the radiator.

Theres the big problem. You NEED a fan shroud. Big-blocks are rarely
happy sitting in traffic without a fan shroud. I can't stress enough
what a HUGE difference a shroud makes.


Radiator looks like a
> rebuilt original (car was a 289 car originally) - I looked inside
> during the flush and it's a 3-row, and there was minimal corrosion. It
> DOES, however, look small next to that 427.
>
> What's a safe operating range for an engine of that size?


Mechanical damage isn't going to start until the coolant temps hit
230-240 degrees and stay there, but a happy big-block should run right
where the thermostat opens. It shouldn't creep up a whole lot, either in
traffic/idling (an air-flow problem) or at highway speeds (a restricted
coolant flow problem.

On 31 May 2005 13:06:25 -0700, "Willis" >
wrote:

>
>I have an overheating problem in my '63 Galaxie, 427 Sideoiler (no AC)
>bored .030 over to a 454 - seems to be heating up bigtime when I'm not
>moving. Last time it scared me I had been driving with temps around
>195. I stopped to go to the ATM and when I came back the car was
>pushing 215. That's a 20 degree jump in less than 5 minutes. Scary
>stuff.
>

215 isn't horrible. If it gets to 230 then you need to speed up the
engine to cool it or shut down. How's your idle speed? If it is
very low it could slow the waterflow to the point of overheating.

First try turning the heater on high to see if the temp drops any. If
it does then you know the water pump is ok and the flow is good but
the radiator isn't doing the job.

Does the fan have a clutch? If the fan is clutched it should have a
shroud. Usually the shroud came on a factory A/C car but even if you
didn't have one from the factotry it would be a great benefit.
Hypothetically you don't want a shroud and a fixed fan though. With a
shroud all the air has to go by the fan. With a clutched fan the air
can spin the fan at high speeds to get by but if the fan is fixed it
can hinder the air flow and cause high speed overheating issues.

Good luck. Got any pictures of your car on the net?

Steve B.

"Willis" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>
> I have an overheating problem in my '63 Galaxie, 427 Sideoiler (no AC)
> bored .030 over to a 454 - seems to be heating up bigtime when I'm not
> moving. Last time it scared me I had been driving with temps around
> 195. I stopped to go to the ATM and when I came back the car was
> pushing 215. That's a 20 degree jump in less than 5 minutes. Scary
> stuff.
>
> This weekend I changed out the thermostat (put a new 160 in), did a
> cheapo Zerek radiator flush, and added new coolant w/ water wetter.
>
> Started up the car, heated up til' 160, leveled off, then started
> slowly bumping up the temperature. I got nervous at 215 and turned it
> off.
>
> As far as a I know the heater core is working. There is no fan
shroud.
> Fan sits about 3 inches back from the radiator. Radiator looks like
a
> rebuilt original (car was a 289 car originally) - I looked inside
> during the flush and it's a 3-row, and there was minimal corrosion.
It
> DOES, however, look small next to that 427.
>
> What's a safe operating range for an engine of that size?
>
> Any other suggestions as to what the problem might be? Oil? Other?
> If it's the water pump, how can I know if it's failed? Best case
> scenario is that I'd like to get the problem fixed so driving in 90
> degree weather isn't a problem...it gets hot & humid here haha.
>
> Also can anyone suggest a good shop in the Baltimore area where I can
> get this looked at, if it gets out of hand?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Jason
>
>
No good airflow----
First buy a big block radiator. probably 4 row or bigger. Then make or
find the proper shroud. Without it that fan may as well be gone.

As long as your running good oil and are seeing good oil pressure it
isn't a factor.



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"Willis" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>
> I have an overheating problem in my '63 Galaxie, 427 Sideoiler (no AC)
> bored .030 over to a 454 - seems to be heating up bigtime when I'm not
> moving. Last time it scared me I had been driving with temps around
> 195. I stopped to go to the ATM and when I came back the car was
> pushing 215. That's a 20 degree jump in less than 5 minutes. Scary
> stuff.
>

I have a 68 Torino with a 302 in it. The factory radiator isn't really even
good enough for the 302. At idle, with a fixed blade fan, the car will
overheat if left idling too long.

Remove the engine-mounted fan from the water pump and mount an
electric fan behind the radiator. There should be enough room with the fan
gone.
See he

http://www.hotrodair.com/pg19a.cfm

This will give you some horsepower since the engine mounted fan really
sucks.

Ted

Ad absurdum per aspera wrote:
> I'm not an expert on the Galaxie but am pretty sure that by the early
> 60s, they and their similarly powered Ford stablemates were supposed to
> have a sizable fan shroud, often adorned with a big sticker warning you
> not to insert any body parts that you want back:
>
> http://www.galaxieclub.com/internati...ayrest030.html

As an aside, that expansion tank looks EXACTLY like the one used on the
Studebaker Avantis... will have to file that away as a possible
interchange (might have to modify a little, but ya know...)

nate