John...the problem with my car is that the radiator is original and had little to no maintenance in its life..I may remove it this winter and get it cleaned out...hope Rick doesn't have to do that and the new hose with the spring works out.

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My first parade at Carlisle 2010

Got my new hose today from corvette America. If all go right I'll be putting it on Thursday afternoon( got a interview in the morning) ....so I will post after I try it out will let you all know if successful. Rick

|UPDATED|11/27/2012 5:56:50 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

Hope the new lower does the trick.  Running abit without the t-stat in place would also let you see it the radiator is indeed cooling enough.  If there is a build up of rust and/or scale in the radiator that could impede the cooling.  A fellow on the Model A club I've joined has recommended running pure vinegar in the cooling system to dissolve the crub.  He claims it cleaned everything out clean as a whistle.  I know the cooling systems between a Model A and a C3 Corvette are quite abit different but they're very similar in function.

 

Also make sure the radiator support seals are in place.  Any air slipping through the gaps between the radiator support and the radiator is air that isn't helping to cool.

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Jim Olson 

"The Toys"...!!!  Save the Wave!

Where I've been in a Corvette...!!!

Just two comments.

Good flex fans work fine & will tolerate 10K RPM. I've used them on various cars for many yrs with no problems. If your car is overheating & you have a correctly placed fan, clutch,flex or electric you have other issues. Making sure all air goes through the radiator is a real problem & will cause overheating at highway speeds on C-3's. If your bottom hose is being sucked in your radiator is probably clogged. Water wetter will really help bring the temp down 10-20 degrees & running a 25% antifreeze mixture will help too. water dissipates heat much better than antifreeze, but you need some antifreeze to control corrosion. I personally use flex fans on 2 high performance engines & they keep the engine right at 175-180 degrees in all weather. I also have one with electric  fans that also work  fine. Flex fan can be noisy , but if you exhaust is noisy you'll never notice it.  So I think it really comes down to a personal choice. Flex fans can be adjusted in & out to really get the proper air flow which is critical to coolling efficiency.

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I found this on Willcox Corvette and thought it might help.

http://willcoxcorvette.com/instructions/johns_cooling_article.pdf


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Well I got everything changed,man what a pain in the *#*.I also did a couple of small fixes. Well ran out of time so tomorrow is the big day to see of I fixed the overheating problem. If not then the only thing left is the radiator. Rick

I am another one in the no flex fans club - I race in SCCA events and they are not permitted for a darn good reason. And I have had them let go, with one in particular creating a nice hole in the hood of a classic 1969 Ford LTD.  A fan with a clutch will be as effective in cooling, if not more so, and is much safer. Check the clutch!  Other items to check that caused some heat problems with my C3:

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C3: 1979 Corvette Coupe, Auto, L-48, Red/Doeskin (my wife's fave);

Rick, if you do have to replace the radiator get the direct fit aluminum one. I got mine from Corvette America but MAM and Corvette Central sells the same one. Made an amazing difference in my car! Good luck and hope it works out!

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"Down on the Boardwalk...

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Well I let the car  running and got it up to temp....then drove it for a little the temp got to just below the 200 line and stayed there.(I have a 195 thermostat) So hopefully this solves my overheating problem.                                 Rick

Yeah! I love when aproblem gets solved! Great to hear, Rick!

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"Down on the Boardwalk...

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