RE: Almost back in business

I’m not sure if this is your problem but I see your car was down for 14 months so I’ll tell you what happened to me. I spun a bearing in the slant 6 in a Dodge truck I owned and the truck sat without an engine for months. When I put it back together I had all kinds of overheating problems that I never had before. I read somewhere that if you drain a radiator with antifreeze in it and don’t flush out all the old coolant that the residue will crystallize overtime and can plug up the core. Well of course I did have the radiator sitting for months. I bought a new radiator and never had an overheating problem again. I would suggest that you have your radiator checked if it was sitting empty for all that time with antifreeze residue in it.

From: 1962to1965mopars@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:1962to1965mopars@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Steve Mick
Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2014 12:53 AM
To: 1962to1965mopars@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Almost back in business

Paul, sounds like you got any air trapped, out of it., and that the thermo is working. If you have the thermo out anyway, it won't hurt to drill that hole.. Maybe it is just from breaking in.

Many years ago , we built an engine for my sons Nova. That thing would push water out and boil . We tried everything we could think of with no success. We came to the conclusion that with all the pressure pushing the water out, that we had a head gasket leak or crack in the head. Removed the heads and could not find any problem . New gaskets and heads back on ---same problem. Finally bit the bullit and put in a three core radiator--problem solved.

Lot of things it could be --have a radiator shroud? Does it have flaps missing that directs all air thru the grill and then thru the radiator? ....Good Luck!!.....................MO

{Steve Mick}
http://stevemick1964dodge.shutterfly.com/pictures/5

----- Original Message -----
From: 'Paul L. http://1962to1965mopar.ornocar.org/ml-lennemann63.html' via The 1962 to 1965 Mopar Mail List Clubhouse
To: 1962to1965mopars@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2014 6:52 PM
Subject: Re: Almost back in business

Don't think it was air locked. I let it run with the cap off until it was clearly circulating indicating that the stat was open. I took it out and drove it around town a little never getting too far from home. The temp came up to about 3/4 on the gauge and stayed there. But with the 160 stat it should not have been that high so I came home and let it idle a little. The gauge never came down so I shut it off and waited awhile, then checked the radiator and was able to add about 1 or two quarts of water. Then took it back out and drove it for a few blocks again with the same result. When I would pull back into the driveway and shut it off it would be percolating and steaming a little. It would push about a quart of coolant into the overflow canister and then after a little bit pull it back into the radiator.
I've got an infrared heat gun but did not check temp between upper and lower hose. I also thought about drilling a small hole into the flange of the thermostat but didn't. When I have it apart tomorrow I definitely will.

Paul L.

On Thursday, December 11, 2014 9:05:38 PM UTC-6, Paul L. http://1962to1965mopar.ornocar.org/ml-lennemann63.html wrote:
I spent the last two days dropping my 440 back into the Sport Fury. It has been sitting for the last 14 months due to a detonation problem and a broken piston. The long time lapse was due to a machinist who had it for more than eight months without doing any work on it. So I finally just went and picked it up. Rich K. and Dodger recommended a machinist who is a Mopar guy, but he is also busy.
The top land broke off of one piston and upon inspection discovered that, that had produced a big dent in the cylinder wall, which could result in a crack. So it was recommended to sleeve that cylinder, which then means the others have to be bored. As it was explained to me the cylinders adjacent to the sleeved one get distorted in the process so they need to be bored to bring them back to round so all the others need to be bored as well.
But at last it is ready. As luck would have it the weather is cooperating and it hasn't been too cold in my unheated garage. So if everything goes to plan I should be able to fire it up tomorrow. And the weatherman is forecasting temps in the 50's for the next couple days so I might even be able to go for a bit of a cruise. Wish me luck.

Paul L.