Cooling system flow question:

[rudycon]

I have a question you experienced wheelers might be able to answer.

I need to maximize the cooling performance of the Stude-a-willys to combat my overheating problem. I have a question about how the stock left toe heater affects cooling system performance.

Don't worry too much about the "Studebakerness" of the question. Just picture a go Devil with 2 more spark plugs.

Cooling flow is typical: Lower radiator hose into water pump. Pumped cool water into engine. hot water up to head, through thermostat, into top of radiator.
The heater core hot source water is in the head. Through the heater core, hooked back to the inlet on top of the water pump. I don't have the control valve for the heater core.

So...with the heater fan OFF, I am circulating fairly hot water back to the water pump inlet where it goes right back into the block.
I don't know what the flow rates of the pump, heater core, radiator or engine block are. I do know the heater hoses are 3/4 and the radiator hoses are an inch and a half.

Will I run cooler if I shut off the water flow to the heater core and force all of my flow through the radiator? Instead of say...1/3 of it through the heater core and 2/3rds of it through the radiator?

This is the part where you guys chime in with things like, "It isn't going to make any difference." "I tried it both ways and it overheats either way." "Rudy. When I said to ask questions, I meant GOOD ones." "Just buy the heater shut off valve and try it out." "pinch off the heater hose with your vicegrips and try it out." "stock heater? Why do you have a heater in a jeep with no doors and no top?"

[Haines Garage]

Sir Rudy ,
Here's what I can add.

Had two Chevy S-10s that had overheating problems .
I used to turn on the heater to dissipate the heat.

So I will say through the heater core with heat on would help.

Both S10s problems were deposits calcium , carbon etc blocking the coolant journals .

Just an idea.

[Deleted]

MHO, You need more radiator!. It's tough to cool the 134 and you have 2 more holes to cool. If it were me , I would install an aluminum radiator with a shroud. Now that being said, you would not have the vintage patina one looks for in these old rigs, but you will not slowly cook your engine to a miserable death either!. Save the study and upgrade! .

Lee

[Haines Garage]

Brother bought one if those Aluminum Radiators for 2 bills off EBay . I was skeptical , but it looks good .
I agree with you Captain , but nothing like a good ole fashioned coolant flush and fill, and I don't mean the one in a can!

[rudycon]

Right on brothers. Thanks for the input.

summary: I'm working on fixing the small problems with the cooling instead of the big problem.

I looked up the radiator sizes and the willys rad is down maybe 13% in frontal area from the studebaker radiator. Both machines had full shrouds. Willy's heavy duty cooling system seemed to add a 3rd row and an extended fan shroud.
Wheelin' is without a doubt a heavy duty cooling application. High loads, low speeds. So for me to get 13% more, I would need a 4 row with a full shroud.

some bad news: The radiator shop may tell me to scrap my leaky 4 row tomorrow morning instead of fixing it.
If that happens I'll pull the trigger on an aluminum radiator. a shroud will be a problem. I have trouble welding steel to aluminum. I'll have to start over with aluminum. I can get a tank of argon, and my father-in-law has a spool gun so I MIGHT be able to mig something up....

Other reasons for overheating: retarded ignition and lean mixture.
I checked my plugs tonight. I am not running super lean. I think the plugs look good. Maybe a tich rich, but that color could be from idling. The lean surge is gone now too. the timing is not retarded. In fact, it is a bit too advanced. She sounds a little pissed starting hot. I backed it down a little bit tonight. I also think I might be so far advanced that at max advance I'm off the back of the rotor. She breaks up pretty bad at high rpm (but this is most likely a boiling carb.)

My 4runner had a Lincoln mk VIII electric fan and a REALLY nice solid state pulse width modified fan controller with a thermal probe and feedback loop. The fan never ran on the highway, ran slowly in most cases, and ran pretty fast snow wheeling. (lots of wide open running and little movement.) All 12 volt stuff. I don't think an electric fan is the solution here.