Can't keep it cool!

[david84660]

Hi Guys:
I have a 1966 Suburban that I am working on. It has a 350 that has been bored. I am having a hard time keeping it cool when I tow a trailer and epically when it is idling after a tow. I would like to put in a new radiator with an electric fan. Does anyone know of a radiator and fan combo that will fit and work? Thanks.

[Mr_Mac]

David,

First, welcome to the board! We're always happy to 'see' new faces!

As for your question, a couple of things come to mind forst and foremost. When was the last time your radiator was flushed/cleaned? Do you have a transmission cooling system installed? Is this severe over-heating or just hotter than you'd like?

Do you have room in front for an auxillary fan that pushes? You may be able to go with a pushing fan instead of a new radiator/fan combo. You may even look into installing an engine oil cooler.

[david84660]

Thanks for the reply. The radiator that is in it now is not very old. The truck gets hotter than I like when I am towing. When I am done with the tow and just trying to get the trailer parked the tempter get hotter very quickly to the point I have to shut it down. The transmission is cooled thru the radiator. I don’t think there is room in front of the radiator to put a pusher fan. Thanks for your time and help.

[Steve]

David you might replace the thermostat with a 180 deg. hy-flow. A flush wouldn't hurt, refill with 50/50 mix, and add a transmission cooler too, run your lines through the rad first then the cooler (it aids the warm up of the trany) and get a fan that has more blades on it, you got a 4 blade one there I bet get a 5 or 7 blade fan or remove the 4 blade and get an electric puller. Get one that has a type of shroud on it, and block switch to turn it on and off automatic like.
BTW When was the last time your trany has had a new filter and oil changed??
If your engine is getting HOT your trany is too. And it won't last long like that.

Steve

[Jon]

David, do you have a fan shroud? Is your fan close to the radiator?(it should be) I have found in the past that, without direct air flow at idle, the engine will overheat.

[billy'sbowties]

Hi Guys:
I have a 1966 Suburban that I am working on. It has a 350 that has been bored. I am having a hard time keeping it cool when I tow a trailer and epically when it is idling after a tow. I would like to put in a new radiator with an electric fan. Does anyone know of a radiator and fan combo that will fit and work? Thanks.

I had a problem like this with my daughters 1970 SS Nova (clone). I had the radiator boiled out again, checked the aftermarket gauges, even added new ones. Sometimes your radiator hoses can collapse and cause this, I did everthing that I could possibly do and it still would overheat in just a few short blocks, finally one day when it was overheating I raised the hood to look and accidentally put my hand over the fan shroud and hit the fan and it stopped dead, it was the fan clutch all along it wasn't working at all. One more thing you said your 350 was bored out, if is bored out past the proper limits your water jackets in the block can be very thin and cause overheating.

I hope this helps some, I know how much of a problem this can be.

Good Luck

BB