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57 cadillac engine getting to hot

Started by 57caddy, October 20, 2013, 04:48:26 AM

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57caddy

my 57 caddy engine is getting very high in temp for some reason when it gets hot its breaking down on me when driving after about 30 minutes has brand new radiator reco engine dose anyone have any idea why this may be happening or what could be causing it to get over heating

willits

David,
Has the thermostat been replaced?  A stuck thermostat will cause the the problem you describe.
Peter
Peter Willits
1958 Coupe DeVille http://bit.ly/1O6BGVu
1961 62 Convertible http://bit.ly/1O6BHst
2008 STS-V http://bit.ly/1O6CI3P

57caddy

hi peter
yes put brand new thermostat and new radiator cap

Scot Minesinger

Another common cause of engine overheating after a radiator has been replaced by a shop is failure to insure that airflow does not by-pass the radiator.  This is a common error, where critical rubber sheets and gaskets are omitted or not re-installed after the radiator is installed.  Another cause of airflow not going through the radiator is that the replacement is slightly different in size, but you write it is a re-core so that is unlikely.  However if you had it re-cored because it did not cool well (as opposed to leaking) an improper install could have been the problem all along.

Good luck
Fairfax Station, VA  22039 (Washington DC Sub)
1970 Cadillac DeVille Convertible
1970 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1970 four door Convertible w/Cadillac Warranty

57caddy

I had the original radiator get re core used the original tanks  so basicly the  core is not the same size as the original core and that is why its over heating maybe
what do you mean by this where critical rubber sheets and gaskets are omitted or not re-installed after the radiator is installed

Dave Shepherd

I would think he means the seals around the core that direct air thru the rad.  If the fan blade was off make it is installed properly.  Did it run hot prior to the recore?

57caddy

I restored the hole car the car was not running when I got it I had the radiator tested and the radiator core was no good so had it re cored have only been driving it past few mnths  had other isues fixed them all up and now had problems with the engine getting hot so hot cant put your hand on anything in the engine compartment at all when its getting hot it runs like it running out of fuel I suppose cause its that hot around the carby its cooking the fuel and making it run crap today ill take the car to the guy who made the radiator and get him to test it for blockage

Scot Minesinger

All the air that the radiator fan draws must go through the radiator.  If there is an open gap of say 3/4" on each side of the radiator that air will be drawn by the fan by-passing the radiator then the air cannot takeaway the heat from the hot water flowing through it.  This is the same thing if the fan was inoperative. 

This happened to me after a radiator replacement, car was overheating running bad, real hot under the hood.  Then I replaced the rubber pieces and sealed up the shroud so that the air drawn by the fan could only pass through the radiator and now problem solved.  Got stuck in a 3 hour back in NJ on the way home from GN at 2pm in the afternoon, hot 90'F sun, ran cool the whole time.
Fairfax Station, VA  22039 (Washington DC Sub)
1970 Cadillac DeVille Convertible
1970 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1970 four door Convertible w/Cadillac Warranty

57caddy

I don't have a shroud on my radiator where on the radiator is the rubber pieces ment to be

gary griffin



David,

   The best way to find a cooling problem is with an inexpensive infra red thermometer.  Find the cool spots and the hot spots and figure out why they exist. Cool spots in the radiator indicate low flow. You should see the highest temperatures in the incoming water and lowest in the outgoing water. It could be so many things like low water circulation due to water pump failure, belts, fan problems. cooling air bypassing the radiator, timing, and so on.  The water cooled engine is simple and simply complicated.  Heat rejection systems require regular inspections and maintenance. Is water flowing through the engine properly? If you follow the path of flow with the Infra Red thermometer the water should enter the engine at the lowest temperature and be evenly heated as it passes through the block and evenly cooled as it passes through the radiator.
Gary Griffin

1940 LaSalle 5029 4 door convertible sedan
1942 Cadillac 6719 restoration almost complete?
1957 Cadillac 60-special (Needs a little TLC)
2013 Cadillac XTS daily driver

57caddy

for some reason when the engine is running the fan is blowing out the radiator  not sucking air from out side in could this be one of the problems

Coupe Deville

-Gavin Myers CLC Member #27431
"The 59' Cadillac says more about America than a whole trunk full of history books, It was the American Dream"

57caddy

#12
had a look at some images and there fans are on the same way as mine and some the other way have now turned the fan the other way so it pulls in air from out side thrue the radiator instead of it pushing out

Dave Shepherd

Pulling air thru the rad is the correct orientation, you wouldn't want hot air from the engine compt. going thru the rad, as I mentioned in post above.

walt chomosh #23510

57Caddy,
   If your initial timing is retarded too much,the motor will run hot. If the distributor doesn't advance properly,the motor will run hot.If the fuel/air mixture is too lean,the motor will run hot.Also,if the camshaft timing chain has slipped,the motor could run hot.(I've experienced all of the above at one time or another!)...hope this helps!....walt...tulsa,ok

57caddy

thank you walt will look at all that also my motor is reco everything is brand new in the motor defently will look at the timing and fuel\air mixture
cheers

Steve Lachowetz (No. 25332)

57,

Had this same issue with my '58, it drove me crazy for more than a year.  There are so many issues, but first, be sure that fan is properly orientated, it should be pulling not pushing.  Next, check the plugs, are you running lean?  I had my Rochester rebuilt twice by a local "expert", then proceeded to replace or check everything else only to still have her run lean.  I even up-jetted the carb twice, better but not right.  Finally, in desperation I bought a bench and engine tested rebuilt from Carburetor Exchange in CA, bolted it on and all of the issues disappeared.

Mine was running about 3/4 up the gauge, stumbled, hesitated, surged and then would vapor lock when shut down, sure sounds like your issue.  Because I let the carb rebuild blind me, I ended up replacing the fuel tank, fuel lines, fuel pump, installed an electric booster fuel pump and even went so far as to bring the fuel pump pushrod back up to spec, all to no avail.  Same scenario, this in a brand new rebuild, so I know how frustrating this can be.

Good luck
Steve
My58Caddy.com

Steve Lachowetz (25332)

57caddy

hi steve
same as you I had the carby rebuilt 2 times put in new thermostat new cap had the guy who built my radiator pull it apart again was clean as a whisle  I have now turned my fan around to pull in air only thing is the temp gage isn't reading I put a new sender unit in car has been running for 20 min radiator is hot but still not showing on the gauge ill have to take it for a drive if it runs like crap after doing what I did then its something else

Scot Minesinger

Yes, let there be absolutely no question your car is overheating because it is pushing air thru radiator instead of drawing it in.  There may be other issues, but this is the big one - think when you are going 40mph there is probably no air flow as the pushing air out syndrome fights the air coming in from the speed of the car.  Turn the fan around 180'.  It is nice when the solution is inexpensive.

Enjoy your Cadillac
Fairfax Station, VA  22039 (Washington DC Sub)
1970 Cadillac DeVille Convertible
1970 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1970 four door Convertible w/Cadillac Warranty

sjocad

Hi Folks.
One thing I learned from my 57 Buick Roadmaster was Longer Hoses.That helped :-\
svein sjoblom,CLC # 12214.

1937 Lasalle opera coupe series 50.