The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop 46 w/sbc 350 runs warm

I want to see if anybody has a few suggestions on this matter. I have a 46 pickup with a stock 350 w/auto trans,ac and i believe the engine runs hotter than it should. I have an autorad alum radiator,cooling components 2300cfm fan w/shroud that seals the radiator off,180 stat,high volume water pump and with the air off the temp will be about 200-205. When i get in traffic the temp continues to rise. As an experiment i installed a 160 stat and it still ran about 195-200. The timing is about 10 degrees advanced.I am starting to think the hot air gets trapped under hood and has no way to get out as it pretty cluttered compared to the original 6 cyl and that is what my problem might be. I feel i have done everything right. If anyone has had the same problem throw a few suggestions my way.

Mike

Gunked up block? Timing a little too far advanced or not enough?

The 350 in my Bel Air did the same thing. I tried everything, even used a wetting agent. That helped a little, but still ran higher temps than I thought it should. I read somewhere that these temps are normal for that engine, which seems odd to me.

My 350 in the '56 runs at around 210 on hot days with the air running and I aint worried about it.

I would try more timing. Easy to do and easy to reset.

The hi volumn water pump may be your problem. The hot water from engine needs to stay in the radiator for a time to let the heat exchange process take place. I don't think the hot air in the engine compartment is your problem. You will feel that at the toe board and your a/c will work it's heart out to overcome it. One way to duct more hot air out is to build an air dam to force air from under the truck up into the compartment. Take a look at your modern car. I went one step further and punched two holes in the dam and ran two hoses up to the top of the compartment to help push the hot air out. Good luck.

I have a similar setup in my '40. SBC ( 327 ), running stock rad with pusher fan, trans cooler rad mounted down low on face of radiator. Under normal driving conditions ( 75 degrees air temp outside ), with 180F. stat, truck runs around 190. In stop and go traffic, may range up to 210. Biggest issue I have is after a run down the freeway exiting into slow traffic, she wants to overheat for a few minutes - up to 230. This is assuming the water temp gauge is accurate of course.
There is no doubt that this setup generates a large amount of heat under the hood. I get a lot of heat thru the firewall.

My '46 gets warm in traffic, my cooling system and fans are way overkill, it's just that the air has nowhere to go and gets trapped.

What is wrong with running 200 degrees? How much pressure does your radiator cap have? Even a 7 Lb. cap will raise the boiling point to 233 degrees, and a 15 Lb. cap will take it to 257. If it's not boiling over it's not too hot. "Normal" temp for a 350 is between 200 and 220, with spikes to 230 or more at times.
Jerry

I guess my dumb question would be do you have a fan shroud or just blades setting behind the radiator.

If no shroud the air is not pulled through the radiator in total but pulled in from sides behind the radiator.

When I put a 350 into a land cruiser and ran no shroud I ran hot, especially when setting still.
But once I built the shroud my temps drop down to thermostat level.