[67Cougr]

My cougar is needing some cooling help. I know that I should replace the thermostat and rad. but I would like to know what would be the best route for a radiator purchase.

Should I get just another unit from Mustangs unlimited..or go with a aluminum one and then use a seperate tranny cooler?

My car is almost stock now but I am soon to be adding a cam and different manifold and AFR heads in the near future...and it is a daily driver down here in the hot south.

Thanks in advance for the help.

-Chet

 

[ssmorby]

Radiator Help

I think you should buy the best you can afford. On my last Cougar it was a semi built 302 and I ran a stock rad with a stock fan and Brassworks waterpump. I had a seperate trans cooler for the trans and had a 2800 rpm stall convertor. It worked fine unless I was stuck in traffic and temps were above 95 F. Then it ran hot but never overheated. Bigger radiator, electric fan all help but have a cost to add. My current Cougar is too stock to do anything like that to it. Make sure you use a good thermostat.

 

[67Cougr]

That sounds good thanks bud.

I was told that an electric fan isn't good for the cougars charging system....is this true?

I would like to just get a aluminum radiator and an electric fan..but was told not too.

What should I do?

-Chet

 

[bowl]

The basics (for me):

Must have a fan shroud to get air thru the radiator insead of around it.
Go ahead and change the thermostat if you have doubts about it.
Dont run too much antifreeze. I use about 20%-25% antifreeze, not 50/50, (on the dirt track it is 100% water).
Make sure the fan clutch is good, if it has one.
Radiator should be clean inside, (not like mine, it need fixin or replacement).
But it is summer and heat transfer is not as good, not much delta T this time of year in Texas.

 

[67Cougr]

Thanks for the info.

Yeah see I need to replace my radiator and I need a fan shroud...I don't have one.

I also don't have a fan clutch but don't know if that would really make a difference.

Any info on my other questions would be helpful....thanks already though for the help.

-Chet

 

[ssmorby]

Radiator Help

I agree on the fan shroud. I installed one on mine and it helped alot. The '67 doesn't use a clutch type fan which is ok. I don't know why an electric fan is not good for the electrical system. As long as your charging system is fine I don't think there should be a problem. I personally did not need to use an electric fan.
A clutch fan just freewheels until it reaches a certain temp and then engages to pull air thru the radiator. I don't think it necessarily improves cooling. It can reduce drag on the engine since it is not engaged all the time.

 

[bowl]

An elec fan probably draws a lot of amps and the stock alternator might have trouble keeping up with demand and heat up and catch fire inside the alternator, smaller gauge wiring can heat up too, if done right, you can probably run an elec fan. Might involve upgrading the voltage reg (sloidstate), alternator and using appropriate gauge wire, a relay and circuit protection just for the fan. These are old cars, now you are the engineer.
I might start making my own shrouds.

 

[Joel Henry]

radiator

I had a radiator made for my cat using the original top and bottom tanks. It is a 5 row, or a 5 core however you call it and it only cost 300.00 dollars. It fits without modifying anything and does not get hot at all, it stays at 180 when its 107 degrees and your parked in a traffic jam.

 

[bowl]

Did you get that done in Austin?
Awe hell. Thats not too far from me, whats the name of the place.

Thanks, richard

 

[DroptopCougr]

Yeah, a 4 or 5 core radiator is definently the way to go. That coupled with a 160 thermostat keeps my car cool even down here in hot, sunny Florida.

 

[Cougrrcj]

Warning!!!

Running without a thermostat, or running one that's too cool can actually hurt your engine!

Running an engine too cool can cause a multitude of problems. Sludge buildup under the valvecovers being one. Not getting the oil warm enough to boil away water condensation and other impurities is another. Actual metal-to-metal wear is increased at lower operating temperatures. Piston ring to cylinder bore wear is greatly accellerated below 180 degrees. Why do you think that the factory engineers specify 195 degree thermostats from the factory? Do you think you know something that they don't?

Running a cold thermostat is just a crutch used by the lazy mechanic to get their car to run cooler rather than acually fixing the problem. A good, clean radiator (clean both inside and out) is the only thing you need for proper cooling. The better it can conduct heat, the better. Rust, scale or other deposits on the inside will greatly reduce its capacity to cool. Likewise, a buildup of bugs, dirt, or paint on the outside will also hamper cooling. If you're having overheating problems, take your radiator to a shop to be boiled out. If that doesn't fix your problem, only then should you start probing further.

Check your thermostat for proper operation by placing it in water, then bring the temp up, monitoring the temp with a candy thermometer. Make sure it opens when it says is should! If it doesn't, replace it with a new one of the proper temp rating!

A fan shroud helps immensely in funnelling the air through the radiator, especially sitting still at idle like in traffic. Forget those cool-looking aftermarket flex fans. Stick with a fan of proper diameter for your shroud.

Also, pure water does not cool the engine as well as an anti-freeze-coolant/water mix. If you live where the temp will get below freezing, run a 50/50 mix. If you don't, run at least a 25% mix. The anti-freeze acts as a 'wetting agent' and will actually improve thermal conductivity!

Milo

 

[Cougrrcj]

More of the same...

(Tips from the Senior Motorhead...)

Many times much of your radiator core is blocked with rust scale. When you drain your coolant, if it looks the least bit rusty, have your entire cooling system flushed. Those cheap aftermarket kits do a remarkable job of dislodging the rust sludge buildup inside of your motor. The cooling system flush products that are on the market are a mild acid, and will help to remove deposits from the bare metal inside the engine block. Bare metal conducts heat best.

That rust you see is coming from the cast iron parts of your motor. Ford factory engineers designed in a couple of zinc rods to alleviate some of the corrosion (rust). They are machined to fit in the water jacket from the cylinder head deck down to the main bearing cap webs. These can be identified if you have ever taken the freeze plugs out of the side of your engine block. The zinc rods areabout 3/16-1/8" in diameter. They are eaten away over time, sacrificing themselves (they will corrode first) before your other cast iron parts.

A tip to reduce the formation of rust in your cooling system is to use anti-freeze with a rust-inhibiting agent. The probem is that these agents go away with the passage of time. That is one of the main reasons you should change and replace your coolant every couple of years.

Another tip is to add another sacrificial zinc anode to you coling system. Just a hunk of pure zinc metal suspended inside your radator will work wonders. Replace it when it is eaten away.