VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1933-1936 1934 cooling problems

Engine overheats within minutes of starting, I mean boils over and keeps getting hotter. Pump, timing, belt, hoses all OK. Flushed engine and radiator(about 5 yrs old). Removed head, gasket looks good no exhaust leaks, rust flakes around small holes and in blind spots.
Why does gasket (Best gasket 504C) and head have more holes than the block? The head is NOS 837981 my block is 837591 I believe both to be 1935. Is there some way to make sure the block passages are open? Is there a way to clean it out with it in the truck?
Engine was rebuilt sometime past by persons unknown and to my knowledge not run until I installed it in my truck

My first thought is the wrong combination of head, block, and/or head gasket.
There was two different cylinder heads used in 1935 that required different head gaskets.
The early Standard head (basically a 1934 Master head) With a 837230 casting number. It had the long head bolts on the left side (head of bolt even with valve cover gasket) and 45 Deg. valve seats. The gasket has three small holes between #3 and #4 cyl.
Late and all Masters has head cast # 837682. 30 Deg ex. valves and modern U keys and short head bolts on left side. Head gasket will have two large holes and one small hole in the center and a large hole to the right rear of #1 cyl and #5 cyl.
Your block is a 1935 block. Your head is a 1936 which is a correct replacement for a 1935 providing the correct head gasket is used.
Some holes are "dead end", this is normal.
The 1936 head gasket (Best gasket #504 C) would be correct for a 1936 head when used on on a 1935 block....according to the parts book.

The instant overheating , in my mind, is caused by no water moving in the head.

I own a '36 Std coupe. About twenty years ago, it sterted running rough and I removed the head and sent it out for a
'valve job'. The machine shop called me and said they magna-
fluxed the head and it had two small cracks. I found a vendor
in Washington State who had NOS cyl heads. I described mine
to him and he said he had a '36 head that should fit; if not,
he will take it back! All I was risking was the freight! The new dead
compared well to mine and I used the late '35 copper head

gasket. I have had no problem with the head in all this time
and a lot of miles driven! I think the trick is to use the
correct head gasket and torque to 65-70 ft. lbs. torque. be sure to torque the head bolts is sequence. I torqued mine first to 50 lbs,then 60 lbs, and lastly 65 lbs! I believe
"Chevy nut" is right on the money!

OOOOps; I made a typo! in my post I said car was a '36, but
it is a 1935! I tried to correct it but I caught my goof too
late! Sorry! Senility?

A test......remove temperature sender from back of head. Fill radiator via removed cap. Water should pour out of removed temp. sensor opening if all is well. Do this with thermostat removed.
Test radiator core by removing lower hose and filling core as above. Water should pass freely through the core.

By the way. what is the number stamped into the raised pad next to the fuel pump?

I rethought the above. You would need to add water to the head at the thermostat (upper hose) and see if it comes out of the block. Seeing there is no block drain plug it would be necessary to remove the bottom hose and see if it passes through the water pump to exit the bloack. The main reason is to bee if water is circulating between the block and head.

OK.what I have noticed is that the small holes next to the cylinders have a lot of build-up, as much as 50% blocked and there is some crud in the block, not sure what it is. I'm going to clean them out but what can I do to get rid of the crud? I will also take precautions to make sure no air is trapped and water is circulating throughout the engine when I fill it.
The stamped number on the block is T4 820955.
Thanks, anymore ideas are appreciated.

The engine, made in Feb. of 1935 was from a truck.

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EDW..........if you look thru all the prior threads in this site section covering 33--36 you will find that an Australian BLUE AU had the same problems you do with crud interior block rust blocking water flow in the block & head and how he solved it eventually.............it went on for pages of posts.

Find those posts and read them, eye opening.

mike lynch

Yes, go to the "Search" and look it up. Prestone Anti-Freeze makes a anti-rust product that you can add. It will help but with an open system you will have to add every time with your fluids.

I GOT TO PAGE 33 OF THE POSTS AND STILL DID NOT RUN INTO BLUEY AU OR BLUE AU,. POSTS.

THAT GUY POSTED A TON OF QUESTIONS ON HIS 35 STD SEDAN/COACH AND HE WAS HAVING A LOT OF OVERHEATING PROBLEMS WE ALL WERE TRYING TO HELP HIM WITH.

IT WAS A GRUELING ORDEAL HE SUFFERED THRU TRYING TO WIN THE WAR AGAINST HIS PROBLEMS.

NOPE ####NOT YELLING#### JUST LIKE READING LARGER TYPE SIZE

MIKE LYNCH

Simple....
To test the radiator the water should come out of the bottom outlet almost as fast as it goes in on top. Also the core should be hot all over when at operating temp. and engine running.
Same for the block. If water from a hose is fed into the temp. sending hole it should come out of the front of the engine in force.

Great idea; putting water in through the temp guage outlet and
watching how it goes through the system! I never thought of that! It would be almost a reverse flush of the engine; we are now causing the water to flow through the head and block
in the opposite direction from normal! Who said, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks!" I am happy to say I'm still learning!

Logged in to report and found the engine flush thread. The last post is pretty much what I'm doing now, you wouldn't believe the crud I'm getting out of it. Hope it works for me like it did for him. I'll let you know.

yes that was lile ole me...
as Mike said my problems were very similar to the present discussion.
I eventually removed the head and found that 60% of the very small water circulation holes in the block and head were blocked.
I had used some very expensive cooling system cleaner from a famous Australian company flaunting there marvelous miracle cure for all things water and automobile.
Alas even after flowing their instruction to the letter it did no good.
The only way was to remove the head and have a look.
I had the head checked and cleaned and a valve job done.
I physically scraped out the blocked holes on the block and flushed out as much debris as possible and reinstated the head to the block and finished the job.
It finally cured my over heating problems, a product of totally blocked water jacket holes in the head and block.
Another little worry at the time was the water pump sucking air at the fan union nut junction, I later rectified that by having the water pump rebuilt by a clever engineering fellow , a new bushing that did not require greasing and no leaking water from the gland nut position....phew ,all that took about 12 months of sleuthing and endless help from the forum .
thank you all from the bottom of my heart,
your advice and help is priceless

Peter

Yes, Removing the head; cleaning it and the block (with head off) is the only way to solve the overheating problem. I have had to do this twice. 1936 1/2 ton truck and 1936 Standard. Both daily drivers. This is the only way to do it in order to make them run normally cool.