Heating prblems with 428 cj engine

[hiball3985]

Lynn I wish I had all the answers but cooling is rocket science and I'm just an old shade tree mechanic  Last year I went through a similar situation helping a friend with a 55 Tbird last summer that would heat at slow speed stop and go around town and after he added a aluminum radiator and electric fan it helped but then would heat at freeway speeds. We figured the electric fan mounting plate was blocking about 40% of the air flow so we did 4 holes with the rubber flaps and that helped some what but it was still running warmer then we wanted. We then switched from a 160 thermostat to the 180 and found the system could maintain 180 better then it could 160. Before we started this he had also but on a smaller pump pulley trying to increase flow, we put the larger pulley back on thinking it could possibly be circulating the coolant faster then the radiator could cool it, that also helped but by this time it was going into fall and the ambient temps had dropped quite a bit. We have only just know starting to get warmer temps and he hasn't had it out yet.
I'm not sure an oil cooler would help, good for keeping internal friction temps down on hipo engines but doubt it would help water temp. Timing is also an issue that will effect it, not enough advance can cause heating but I understand the pinging issue. It's really hard these days to run hipo motors on the crap fuels we have.

[Jeff Norwell]

Lynn.I won't be much help here but I will give you the info I used that helped me greatly on my 32/392 Hemi .... I had a nagging heat issue and have a Ron Davis Aluminum rad.Heat was 180-195 as long as I was motivating.Once thru a slowdown or small town,... the heat would skyrocket to 240-260!
My engine is dynode at 602 Hp and I run Shell premium or Mobil which has an Octane reading of 93 up here.
I went down to a 160 T-Stat from 190.... I then used a Royal Purple Water wetter and now Always use a VP Octane boost with every fill.
The truck now runs 165 all day long and when going through traffic and into towns..180 max.I do use a puller E-Fan that is controlled by a manual switch.
I know this is Apples and Oranges but Heat issues are a pain.Like Jim said... I'm just a shade tree Mechanic too.

Another point I found fascinating .a friend of mine with a 351 power plant had the same problem you describes on the Highway.... heating up upon highway speeds.... cooling down in local street driving.The water pump was the culprit.The vanes were cavitating at higher RPM speeds.... and.. his belts were slipping too.

Again.... not sure if it applies..but I hope you find the cause.

I love your 57.

Jeff

[hd99fxr3]

just pulled my heads off  the passenger side gasket is on with the front marked front to the front.  it is backwards.. it should be turned around

[RICH MUISE]

If I read what they were saying correcty, the "front" should be to the front on both sides, but one of them has the "front" on the bottom side.

[dgasman]

On a FE both head gaskets are the same . The "front " always goes to the front and one head gasket will be what we would call upside down .