My 1956 235 engine is having trouble staying cool. It is a fresh rebuild with everything new, except the radiator was "rebuilt" (Cleaned). It has a new water pump with a 6" pulley and a good fan (the big one). I am running a 180 degree thermostat.
When I am driving it hits 180 on the dot, but when It's stopped or if I let it idle, it doesn't take long before it starts to warm up (200+ in about 10 minutes) If I get going again it will slowly cool back down. It also slowly gets hot in stop and go traffic. It's only happy if it gets a constant flow of air.
The only thing I can think of is when I got the radiator back from the shop, I painted it with high heat black. I thought too much paint on the fins would not allow it to cool properly. I can still see through it though.
Or maybe I just need a new radiator.
Some input would be awesome. It's no fun to drive when I have to worry about overheating!
The engine is in my 1950 Chevy Pickup
