Car overheating when driving in hot weather

[Valeria H.]

I recently drove my 1960 to Clemmons, NC to a judging meet several hours away. The old girl did fine until I was almost home. The temperature outside was hot. Unfortunately I had to stop for a prolonged period at a train crossing. I watched uncomfortably as both temp gauges (I had an auxiliary temp gauge installed) rose above 220. She started out after that long pause just fine but after another stop at a traffic light several blocks away she hesitated and almost did not make it through the intersection. I was able to get her off the road and into a parking lot where I drove her around slowly till the temp came down and she did fine the rest of the way home.

Yesterday the outside temp was above 100 degrees. I drove her to the gas station (a place we frequent often) to fill up and then down the street to the grocery store. As I was pulling out to go home she "acted" the same way. This time the gauges were a little below the 220 degree mark. I was afraid to stop at any lights for fear that she would not go on.

I have already had the radiator replaced and a new fan installed. Any ideas on how to keep the heat down. I love driving her.

[Edward J.]

Re: Car overheating when driving in hot weather

Valiera,some simple checks are the radiator cap is it the right one? And have it tested. correct anti freeze mix 50/50 ( to raise the boiling point so if it does run hot you have a fighting chance to keep from damaging engine).does you fan clutch working properly. do you hear it engage as the temp comes up and at what temp. does it engage. proper themostat temp. for your car, remember a themostat thats to cold will not have enough time to cool in the radiator and do its job.


Joe, make sure the tune up spec.s are close and timing and carb adusted properly and vac. advance is functioning.

[William C.]

Re: Car overheating when driving in hot weather

You don't say what engine "Bella" has, that info might allow us to be of a little more help in what/where to look.

[Paul J.]

Re: Car overheating when driving in hot weather

Valeria, from the symptoms you described it sounds like classic fuel percolation. That's why after you were moving and got more, cooler fuel flowing it stopped. The temperatures yesterday in the piedmont where you were were record setting. There could be several little things that could cause this and Ed has mentioned some of them, but I don't think that you have a problem other than the gas.

When the car starts to overheat in slow moving traffic situations there are some tried and true tricks that will definately help. One is to pop the hood. I learned this from my summer parade days. Another is to use the heater. This is tough, especially in 100+ temperatires, but it will get you through a desert if you start to overheat.

Paul

[Timothy B.]

Re: Car overheating when driving in hot weather

Does you distributor have a properly functioning vacuum advance and where is the engines inital timing set.

Sounds like the ethonal gasoline is the problem and when temps get like they have been on the east there is only so much you can do for these old cars.

[Paul J.]

Re: Car overheating when driving in hot weather

Sounds like the ethonal gasoline is the problem and when temps get like they have been on the east there is only so much you can do for these old cars.

Tim, it could possibly be just a lot of moisture in the tank/gas considering the temperatures. Obviously, the ethanol can only absorb so much and would be more prone to vaporization in these temperatures, as you suggest.

Valeria, before you spend any money on it. Put a methanol based gas treatment like STP in a couple of tankfuls and see if the problem goes away. If not, I have some other suggestions.

Paul

[William C.]

Re: Car overheating when driving in hot weather

Still would help if we knew what engine, distributor configuration and other details.

[Valeria H.]

Re: Car overheating when driving in hot weather

Valeria, from the symptoms you described it sounds like classic fuel percolation. That's why after you were moving and got more, cooler fuel flowing it stopped. The temperatures yesterday in the piedmont where you were were record setting. There could be several little things that could cause this and Ed has mentioned some of them, but I don't think that you have a problem other than the gas.

When the car starts to overheat in slow moving traffic situations there are some tried and true tricks that will definately help. One is to pop the hood. I learned this from my summer parade days. Another is to use the heater. This is tough, especially in 100+ temperatires, but it will get you through a desert if you start to overheat.

Paul

Wow, I never thought about popping the hood while driving but it is the first thing I do when I pull into the garage at home to start cooling the engine down and hook the car up to battery life support.
Thanks for the tip.
Valeria

[Valeria H.]

Re: Car overheating when driving in hot weather

Bill,
She has a 1967 327 chevelle engine that was in her when I purchased her in 1980. The distributor has not been changed since I bought her.
Sorry I can't be more help.

Why would running the heater help to cool her down???

[Jim T.]

Re: Car overheating when driving in hot weather

Valeria the heater is just like a radiator, the heater's blower motor blows air through the fins the heat of the coolant in the heater core is cooled just like you engines fan pulls air through the radiator. Reference what someone has posted above, if your vacuum advance is not getting full time vacuum from the carb it will contribute to your engine running hotter in traffic. Easy test to see if your vacuum advance is working like it should, with the engine running remove the vacuum hose from the vacuum advance and the engine should lose RPMs and connect it back up and you should be able to tell the increase in RPMs. The increase in RPMs tells you that the vacuum advance is operating.

[David H.]

Re: Car overheating when driving in hot weather

... Why would running the heater help to cool her down???

Running the heater effectively adds another radiator (albeit a small one) to the system.

[Dick W.]

Re: Car overheating when driving in hot weather

Wow, I never thought about popping the hood while driving but it is the first thing I do when I pull into the garage at home to start cooling the engine down and hook the car up to battery life support.
Thanks for the tip.
Valeria

Valeria, just pull the hood release and do not raise the hood. While driving it allows more of the hot air out from under the hood. You are experiencing what we used to go thru with the old cars of all makes. One old indian trick was to soak wooden clothes pins in a bucket of water and then before you took off, clip the soaked clips to the fuel line. The evaporative cooling of the pins was marginally effective with vapor lock.

[Joe M.]

Re: Car overheating when driving in hot weather

I have the overheating problem with the 283 in my 1960 because it has been rebuilt twice and is 0.060" bored out. I installed a phenolic spacer between carb and intake manifold and that stop gas boiling in carb, but it did not stop overheating problem in stop and go traffic. I seldom drive it this time of year due to overheating of the car and driver. I could install an electric fan, but in Texas this time of year, without A/C, it is not fun to drive it anyway.

When your temperature gauge reads 220 degrees, I would take an infrared temperature reading at the thermostat housing and see what the real temperature is. The thermostat housing is the thinnest metal on the block with access to radiator fluid and should yield the most accurate temp of the engine.