Charles,
When you flushed the radiator, did you actually run the engine with the
flush compund in the system? I found I had to do this a couple of times
before the coolant was clear.
Timing is also critical. Too retarded or too advanced will cause
overheating. I've tested both! :(
I've also tried waterwetter from Redline on a lark. It actually did
lower temps this summer by about 10 degrees, though I'm not sure if it
was just because Redline suggests dropping the antifreeze levels to
about 10% (water cools better than antifreeze). I would not do that in
the winter up north.
Good luck
Jeff
"Charles D. Sorkin" wrote:
>
> Dear List:
>
> Over the summer, the '74 Midget experienced some problems in relation to
> overheating while sitting in traffic. Several others on the list commented
> that they had minimal trouble in any sort of climate, and I was wondering if
> perhaps poorly set timing could be responsible for interfereing with the
> cooling efficiency.
>
> Would improper timing lead to hot spots in different areas of the engine,
> thus raising the temperature?
>
> I recently fixed an exhaust leak, but have not yet had the car out in mild
> or warm temperatures, so I don't yet know if that has made a difference. (I
> suspect that it might, as hot exhast gas would be disapated at the back of
> the car, not under it).
>
> For reference, the radiator was flushed, I have no known leaks, I dumped
> some Alumaseal powder into the expansion tank, the car has an oil cooler,
> and it has a 160 degree thermostat.
>
> What other steps could I take (short of installing an electric fan) to
> restore the cooling efficiency to what seems to be a clean radiator? Do any
> of these steps require a cat or a hammer?
>
> Regards,
>
> Charles
> '74 Midget
> cdsorkin@ix.netcom.com
> Bloomfield, NJ
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