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Re: Help me cool down my 383 roadrunner!
[Re: Imrare]
#1026771
07/09/11 01:15 AM
07/09/11 01:15 AM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 7,664
IN
ahy
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 7,664
IN
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Quote:
Sounds like a good idea to remove the thermostat and see if I'm getting flow. If I am, go from there, if I'm not...that's bad news. Guess the place to start would be the water pump.
JohnRR, what brand name or number would I look for to find a "hiflow" thermostat?
MoparMike, what method did you use to "backflush" your block? I've read the service manual and they perscribe a special tool to be inserted into the lower coolant outlet on the engine. Sounds effective but I'm not sure what that tool must look like and if there is a simpler way that is just as effective?
Thanks.
For the thermostat, I'd suggest a NAPA premium 180 degree unit. As posted above, changing the T stat is an inexpensive diagnostic and may solve the problem. It may be a WP problem. You can pull and inspect the WP. If the blades are rotted off you found it... but I doubt that will be the case. I've had good results with the MP high volume pump (aluminum).
The other ting to check is the tunup. In sufficient ignition advance at idle or a lean mixture can make it run hot.
Another thing to check/eliminate is the fan clutch. A weak clutch culd cause the high temps. Does the fan appear to be pulling a lot of air when hot? Is the bearing pretty tight? The best diagnostic is to replace the clutch with a known good unit.
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Re: Help me cool down my 383 roadrunner!
[Re: ahy]
#1026772
07/09/11 02:13 AM
07/09/11 02:13 AM
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 114
Adelaide Australia
peter
member
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member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 114
Adelaide Australia
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I WOULD CHECK THE BOTTOM HOSE WHEN IT STARTS TO OVER HEAT THE HOTTER THEY GET THE SOFTER THEY BECOME  ALSO I PURCHASE A WATER PUMP HOUSING FROM 440 SORCE SOMETIME AGO THAT GAVE ME PROBLEMS AND FOUND IT WAS OF POOR DESIGN AND RESTRICTED FLOW. 
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Re: Help me cool down my 383 roadrunner!
[Re: DennisH ]
#1026773
07/09/11 02:57 AM
07/09/11 02:57 AM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,260
State of Fascism
52savoy
master
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master
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,260
State of Fascism
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Quote:
High flow this, big volume that. They ran right when new. Fans, drilling holes etc is jusk masking something else. The old recipe still works. Thermal. Green. Copper.
Really?   He asked for ideas and your the MOPARTS resident "answer man"?
As far as drilling head gaskets. I don't know how old you are but at one time head gaskets HAD BIGGER coolant holes. I run 12 1/2 compression with a 160 t-stat, stock 22" max wedge radiator, alum housing and 6 vane alum pump plus..drilled gaskets on my Max Wedge. I can lay my hand on the engine block by the distributor or at the radiator and not get burnt. And that's after letting it run for an half hour.
Can you do that on your motor?
and they didn't run all that cool new. They were marginal at best. I got second degree burns from a radiator cap blowing off in my face on a 20,000 mile mopar way back when.
My own thoughts are from HIS description, it's a partially clogged radiator. 
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Re: Help me cool down my 383 roadrunner!
[Re: 52savoy]
#1026774
07/09/11 08:13 AM
07/09/11 08:13 AM
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,278
San Jose, California
DennisH
Vacation
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Vacation
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,278
San Jose, California
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Quote:
Quote:
High flow this, big volume that. They ran right when new. Fans, drilling holes etc is jusk masking something else. The old recipe still works. Thermal. Green. Copper.
Really? He asked for ideas and your the MOPARTS resident "answer man"?
As far as drilling head gaskets. I don't know how old you are but at one time head gaskets HAD BIGGER coolant holes. I run 12 1/2 compression with a 160 t-stat, stock 22" max wedge radiator, alum housing and 6 vane alum pump plus..drilled gaskets on my Max Wedge. I can lay my hand on the engine block by the distributor or at the radiator and not get burnt. And that's after letting it run for an half hour.
Can you do that on your motor?
and they didn't run all that cool new. They were marginal at best. I got second degree burns from a radiator cap blowing off in my face on a 20,000 mile mopar way back when.
My own thoughts are from HIS description, it's a partially clogged radiator.
If the radiator is clogged, then he does not need high flow anything. The hole drilling is the voodo drilling of the thermostat that comes up here on occasion. My 440 runs 170 all day long. All stock cooling except coated TTI's to keep underhood temps down. That's at 5000 feet in Reno Parade traffic with a sea-level set up. And that's you're not your. I think the popcorn is burned too.
Answer man AKA Still a Wuss.
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Re: Help me cool down my 383 roadrunner!
[Re: DennisH ]
#1026775
07/09/11 11:48 AM
07/09/11 11:48 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 28,071
Irving, TX
feets
Senior Management
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Senior Management
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 28,071
Irving, TX
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Enough bickering. You're not helping the guy fix his car. There should be a temperature drop of at least 30 degrees across the radiator. Go get one of these: http://www.harborfreight.com/non-contact-laser-thermometer-96451.htmlThey're dirt cheap and good for finding temperature differences. After the engine is up to temperature get heat readings off the radiator by the hoses. Just for grins, shoot different parts of the radiator core too. My old radiator had really cold spots in the middle. Many of the passages were blocked and not flowing water. If you don't have that issue and the temps decrease moving from the upper hose to the lower hose then start checking the engine. Hit the temperature sensor and other parts of the block. If the water pump housing is hot enough to open the thermostat but the hose just above the stat is a lot cooler the stat isn't working correctly.
We are brothers and sisters doing time on the planet for better or worse. I'll take the better, if you don't mind.
- Stu Harmon
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Re: Help me cool down my 383 roadrunner!
[Re: JohnRR]
#1026777
07/09/11 04:01 PM
07/09/11 04:01 PM
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 7,833
east side of Ohio
basketcase
master
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master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 7,833
east side of Ohio
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and put a manual temp gauge in. the factory water and oil gauges aren't that accurate, espacially after 40 years.
Dave
1981 Dodge D150 360 auto
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Re: Help me cool down my 383 roadrunner!
[Re: superbeedave]
#1026780
07/09/11 10:51 PM
07/09/11 10:51 PM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 328
Missouri, U.S.A.
JSSuperbee
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 328
Missouri, U.S.A.
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I too have the very same identical problem with my '69 383 Bee. The engine was rebuilt 3 years ago. It too gets so hot under the hood that I melted the styrofoam seal around the steering column. I read in
the April issue of "Hemmings Muscle Machines" ask Ray: I guy wrote in to Ray with the same problem I'm having. Only overheats at idle or when I stop. Ray said: If you can suck a paper towell to the grille at idle, the fan is more than sufficient. I beleive the water pump is turning too slow, or the pump you have is designed for high RPM, and the impeller works inefficiently at low speeds. Ray went on to say here is how you test it. Raise the engine speed to about 2000 RPM when the temperature spike occurs and hold it there for a minute or 2.
If the gauge starts to drop then there is most likely a flow problem, not an air movement issue.
I have'nt tried this yet but am going to shortly. Try this and let me and everyone here know if it works.
Jim from South St.Louis
James Stinebaker
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Re: Help me cool down my 383 roadrunner!
[Re: MOPARMIKE69]
#1026784
07/11/11 09:59 AM
07/11/11 09:59 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 75,098
A Banana Republic near you.
JohnRR
I Win
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I Win
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 75,098
A Banana Republic near you.
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Quote:
Quote:
Sounds like a good idea to remove the thermostat and see if I'm getting flow. If I am, go from there, if I'm not...that's bad news. Guess the place to start would be the water pump.
JohnRR, what brand name or number would I look for to find a "hiflow" thermostat?
MoparMike, what method did you use to "backflush" your block? I've read the service manual and they perscribe a special tool to be inserted into the lower coolant outlet on the engine. Sounds effective but I'm not sure what that tool must look like and if there is a simpler way that is just as effective?
Thanks.
You can get a tee that hooks to a garden hose from the auto parts store. Then install it on your return heater hose. Unhook your lower rad hose and turn on the water.
I have heard that Thermostat helps the water stay in the radiator. That makes no sense. I have been removing thermostats for years. They are there to keep the temp warm not cooler. Been doing it for 40 years.
And to the guy who says they worked from the factory that is crap. I can't tell you how many Plymouth and Dodges I have owned and worked on that had cooling problems. Many times we just trashed the 22" and put in a 26". There were more that had over heating problems than stayed cool. That's a fact!
Seems like you know more than the factory engineers, if you aren't the CEO of a car manufacturer you are truly selling yourself short.
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have it done, its not that expensive, neither are the t-stat or the additive. 
