Ok, so here is the situation this morning I got my car out (69 charger 383 auto) got to the end of the road about 70 yards from my house and it died like some one just turned of the key and would not restart! I found that the orange box had failed so I replaced it with a parts store box drove about 35 miles and noticed my temp was up alittle more than usual but only about 5 to 10 deg has been running at 180! didn't think much about it! 2 hrs later I got in it to come home and about 1/4 the way home I noticed the temp was creaping up and not cooling down with at speed air flow! I got it pulled over and the temp was at 240 and she was spitting out the over flow! I noticed that the top hose was hot and the top of the radiator was hot but the bottom of the radiator and bottom hose was cool! So I don't think I'm getting any water flow! the radiator is new and also recently checked and I'm running a clutch fan and shroud! I'm thinking its the water pump hoping to tear it apart tomorrow but thought I would ask for any other ideas! double checked the timing after it cooled back to 180 and its still were I set it 10 initial and 34 total at 2400rpm. Thanks for any help!!!

do you have a coil (some call it a spring) in the lower hose to prevent collapse? YOu might be sucking the lower hose shut under the pull of the water pump.....

Thermostat

I was thinking partially stuck.

Thermostat, first thing to check. They're cheap and easy to replace.

Anecdote: Driving home from the airport after a week trip; 4 miles form home notice the temp ind in the upper middle of the range and heading North fast. PUlled over and checked the upper hose. Tight as tick and mucho hot. Engine didn't get preigniting hot but was on its way.

Waited 1/2 hr to cool down. Did this once more before making it home. Next AM have to go to work, so remove the vaunted Robertshaw 195 less-than-two-years-old and stuck in the old 180 one I (fortunately) hadn't discarded. started and ran fine; back to normal temps on the way to work.
PIcked a new thermostat at Carquest on the way home. "Tested" the Robertshaw in a pan of water and it seemed fine, but it surely was the cause of the overheating.

My $0.02

NAPA. Superstat. No hole-drilling. Never had a problem.

well I found it to be the stat! I pulled the stat and it looks fine Mr gasket Hi flow havent checked it in water yet but will! reinstalled with no thermostat and drove home never went over 160 so I'll be putting in a new thermostat this week! OH and the Mr gasket Hi flow was put in a month ago! Thanks for all the help! I still dont fully understand why the upper hose was so hot and the bottom hose was cool with it being the thermostat! I would have thought it was the other way around??

My '67 Fury did the same thing back in July. I purchased two 180 degree t stats, one for each of my Furys. I got them from Summitt Racing Equipment and they are made by Mildon. They are a high flow t stat and are designed to stay open if they fail thus elimanting the overheating headaches.
John