VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1946-1948 1947 Radiator

Had my 47 stored - Had to get it out for remove some deer stands. Had it running about 10 minutes and the radiator started over flowing.

No idea what caused it in that the engine has just been exchanged for a rebuilt 235 and radiator was gone through then. Any ideas?

Might be a stuck thermostat. Question - is a thermostat necessary in that the car is only run during the summer time? Thanks

Summer is when you might need a thermostat most. If there is no thermostat in the car the coolant may not stay in the radiator long enough for the heat to dissipate. The thermostat slows down the flow so the radiator can do its job. It may be fine gong down the road but if you get into traffic the coolant could be moving through the system too fast.

I assume you have checked for broken fan belt ???

Thank you for the help - yes, the fan belt is working fine. Guess I will just have to pull the thermostat and replace it to see if that is the problem.

When you remove the thermostat test it in hot water on the kitchen stove to see if it's working.

Question: Did it boil over or did it just raise up enough that coolant went out the overflow pipe.

If it boiled over then yes it could be the thermostat.

If it merely overflowed then you had too much coolant in it. No more than half the top tank is sufficient when cold. The coolant will expand.

Question: How hot did the temperature needle indicate? Did it peg?

Check it out for overfill. Your car is probably okay.

Best,
Charlie

New thermostat - new water pump - new antifreeze.
Radiator filled to just above 2 inches from full.
Ran the engine - no problem.
Thanks for your help. VCCA is a big help.

Glad to hear.

Save the water pump.

Charlie