VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 Cooling system

The 1948-53 cars and trucks that used a pressure cap had a 4 pound.In 1954 they raised it to 7 pounds.The only thing the pressure cap will do is raise the boiling point of the water a few degrees.Will not make the engine run any cooler.

In my opinion if you are running a 180 thermostat in 100 degree weather your temperature is in the normal range.It will go up when you are stopped with the engine running.Some cars may appear to run cooler than others due to the fact the some of the gauges tend to read on the low side when they get older.
In 1952 Chevrolet used fewer cooling fins in the core due to the Korean war shortages.That is why the installed a pressure cap from the factory on stick shift cars and all trucks that year.All Power Glide cars came with a pressure cap and all 1948 cars.1949-51 stick shift cars and small trucks did not use one.In 1952 everything got a 4 pounder.With the 4 pound cap and a 50/50 mixture you boiling point will be about 224 degrees which will be higher than you gauge will read.
If it were my vehicle I would run a 160 thermostat which will give you more of a cushion to work with.In 100 deg. weather it will still run at 180 deg. though.If you get caught in a major traffic jamb or use the vehicle in a prade would will find the the temp. will eventually climb to the top....your truck does have a larger (and noiser) fan blade than a car which does help cooling at lower speeds.
I would flush the engine and radiator as suggested for a good measure.
On the recent trip to Colorado my 1950 Power Glide car with a 160 thermo. ran at 160 until the outside temp. got up over 95.Then it ran in the 180 range and on some of the long slow pulls in the mountains would go up to 200 deg.Never needed to add water and I considered the temps normal for an old car with an automatic transmission and heaivly loaded.When I would shut the engine off the gauge would go to the top.

Thanks Chevgene, I flushed the radiator and the motor last night and installed a new 160 thermostat. It idled for about an hour without
heating up. The gauge stayed at 180 degrees. The weather was about 90 or 95 outside and it didn't
seem to get hot when I took it for a test drive. The motor never seems to get hot but the gauge say it is hot. It is not the stock gauge and I heve already replaced it. I will keep my eye on it and see what happends and when I get my stock gauges installed and the heater hooked hopefuly it will be cool. Thanks...Oscar

I recently ppurchased an Infra red thermometer, cost me $50.00 I use it to check for hot spots or cold spots in radiators, temperature and the sensor outlet in a head, thermostat housing, meat temperature and you can even take your own temperature with it. Beats the old glass up the rear method!!

JYD you could use a change of your glasses or re-calibrate your eyeballs:

Hey Macky Wacky.....I think that you have something "overheated". This is the post that I was replying to:

"I did put in a 160 theromat. After all that I took her out for a test drive and everything seemed fine. She ran 180 185 degrees. THAT WAS IN THE EVENING THOUGH. IT WASN'T VERY HOT OUTSIDE. My fan is hevyduty, it has six blades and you are right about the radiator is not centerd with the fan. I will be driving here this weekend and will keep an eye on the temp gauge. The tempgauge is not stock but will be soon."

Well doggie doodle,... then come on down and I will get Bubba to hold you down, with an old boot over your mouth, whilst I get the local Vet. to "readjust something" that will change your life forever! Ha!

Keep cool and keep on sucking down them Silver Bullets, and tell Elvira We been thinking of her...!
We all missed you up in the high desert in Colorado.
Maybe we can join in one of your JYD runs one of these days.

R2S:

That non-stock temp gauge may be too sensitive for your old stovebolt truck, the locals watch for steam fogging up the windshield around here, that is a pretty good indication that you have a cooling problem.

Hey Glyn, They use a device that they stick in your ear around here to check your temp. but I do remember that glass thingy.....
I been thinking about getting one of them new-fangled temp jobs from Harbor Freight. wonder if they go high enough to check the temp of red hot or white hot steel and iron?

One way to get it to run a little cooler is to run an adapter that would put a 216 water pump and fan at the original height relative to the radiator. This also allows you to buy a stock waterpump instead of a special shortened one. They are usually available on ebay.

I do not know the range the gadget works in but if you cannot get a reading or white hot metal you could always stick your finger on it to see if it is hot. Of course you may end up with a shorter finger.

...been there done that, it don't take me long to look at a hot horseshoe, neither!.....

Hey, that temp gadget thing you are talking about. Does it come with O-rings?...Oscar

don't know