In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.
What Radiator For Boat Towing?
buddyb
Member Posts: 5,235 ✭✭✭✭
After 28 years and 320,000 miles I had to put a rebuilt engine in the old El Camino.When I fired up the new engine with the intent to run it at about 2000 rpm for 20 minutes to break in the cam,the radiator boiled over after less than 10 minutes.The new coolant was filthy in that short run time.I know I screwed up by not replacing the radiator when I replaced the engine.The engine is a almost stock 305 with a RV cam,Edelbrock 500 cfm carb,Edelbrock performer intake and shorty headers.I plan to use it to tow a 19 ft bass boat.What radiator should I use? I dont know whether to use stock or if the double or triple core would be better.Thanks
Comments
When you were breaking the cam in what oil were you using?There was alot of talk awhile ago on nastyz28 and montecarloss about cams going flat.Seems that newer oil doesnt have the additives (phosphates)it did a few years back.The fix was to run 15-40 deisel oil in it for cam breakin.
Sounds as if it is setup to tight if it overheated in less than 10 minutes. It takes longer than that for a new factory car/truck engine to reach full operating temp. Also running a rebuild engine at 2000 rpm from the get go is not a bright idea either. The cam manufacture may recommend it. But piston rings, rod and main bearings are more fragile at start up than the cam and it's related parts.
At 2 grand you can not watch the engine and get accurate timing, Carb vacuum (14.7 ratio) settings, oil pressure or water temp readings. And you sure can not get it if a "camper cam" as we call them is used.
Flush and refill the cooling system with 75/25 (3 parts coolant, 1 part water) mixture.
Restart the engine and check everything as it comes up to temp while idling at no more than 1000 rpm.
Use a light to check the timing.
Vacuum gauge to check the fuel/air ratio.
Watch the oil pressure as the temps raise.
Watch the water temp.
If you are using a clutch fan. Use a large box type fan to keep cool air passing through the radiator. If using an electric fan hard wire it directly to the battery or other power source so that it runs continuously until you get all of the settings checked and rechecked.
That new engine may sound cool sitting there thumping and roaring away. But it is doing nothing but destroying itself if the settings aren't correct.