Bummer--I can relate to that problem. My 42 1.5 ton has a 216 made in 1952. Up until this summer it's reliability has been flawless. I just work the heck out of it and it keeps coming back for more.
Last month I pulled my tractor to a parade 30 miles away. It was 105 when I left McCook but I thought nothing of it because the truck NEVER gets hot and I have done things like this before. I made it to the parade and was almost back to McCook when I began to smell hot coolant. My old radiator finally went the trip. No big deal, I thought, because I would just put in the spare radiator I have in my '41 parts truck. I washed the replacement radiator inside and out and put in the '42. After I loaded another tractor across town and pulled it home, I noticed the temp guage in the red AGAIN. This time it was boiling. I cooled the radiator off with a garden hose and got the engine cooled off. Upon opening the cap I saw the remainder of a mouse nest I didn't get flushed out. The next night I backflushed the entire cooling system and fished out all the mouse nest. Thinking I had the problem solved I took the truck to the farm, where it started overheating just as I arrived. The cooling system now has bubbles when the engine is running and warm, so I imagine I have a bad head gasket or maybe a cracked head. DANG!!! That was the first time the old girl let me down
The bright side to this is that Dad found me a pan so I can finish my long awaited 261 and get it in the '42. I am still evaluating my options on radiators--the one I have in the truck now looks to be in good shape. I am considering having it taken apart and rodded/cleaned. Is a 'stock' radiator from a '41 Chevy 1.5 ton enough for a 261 that will get worked hard? Do I need to upgrade to something else?
