I have a 69 SS car with a mild built 454 that has a heating problem. The car does perfect untill you get to idle for a few minutes and then she heats up. The car has 180 degree thermostat, clean 4 core radiator with shroud, factory fan and fan clutch (seems fine), 16 pound cap, trans cooler in front of radiator. The last car show i went to i had to get through a couple of lights on a 90 dtegree day and it got beyongd the 200 degrees and puked up when i shut it off. I would consider a small electric fan in front of the radiator if that would help, but i want to keep things looking as stock as possible. Any help or suggestions you guys might have would be appreciated. Thanks, Randy

I have a 69 SS car with a mild built 454 that has a heating problem. The car does perfect untill you get to idle for a few minutes and then she heats up. The car has 180 degree thermostat, clean 4 core radiator with shroud, factory fan and fan clutch (seems fine), 16 pound cap, trans cooler in front of radiator. The last car show i went to i had to get through a couple of lights on a 90 dtegree day and it got beyongd the 200 degrees and puked up when i shut it off. I would consider a small electric fan in front of the radiator if that would help, but i want to keep things looking as stock as possible. Any help or suggestions you guys might have would be appreciated. Thanks, Randy

first, i'm the last person to ask, but 200 isn't all that hot. second you might have air in the system, i've seen this a lot, once you get the air out, it should be fine.....

the car doesen't have an overflow recovery (puke bucket) didn't come out that way, but i might consider hiding a can along the frame rail if that would help.

You don't keep topping off the radiator, do you? It will find it's own equilibrium for how much fluid it will keep in the radiator.

If it warms up higher than you like when idling, but cools down when you're moving, you likely have an airflow issue - try a stouter fan and/or heavy duty fan clutch. You can certainly get a more efficient radiator, but if it cools OK when driving you may not really need it yet.

How's your timing? If you're not running 16-18° at idle (measured with the vacuum advance temporarily disconnected) you're adding to your heat problem, if not causing it.

Thanks, i'll look into a heavy duty fan clutch and yes i do occasionally top off the radiator. The car also has a HD trans cooler in front of the radiator which i'm thinking of relocating. I feel certain that its an airflow issue. Thanks again.

If 200, even 210 is as hot as it gets, idling in 90 degree weather, you don't have a problem. As said don't keep filling the radiator up, it will probably settle at around 5 inches below the neck which is fine if you don't have a recovery tank.

You can invest a lot of time and money trying to keep it at 180 all the time but you're chasing a non-existent problem. The fan can only move so much air at idle and the water pump can only move so much water.

Hank, your right, thats just common sense. I just checked out your 70. Nice car. Randy

The suggestions given in your other post regarding timing and idle mixture are good and worth checking. Still 200 is not HOT, look at the normal operating temperature of today's cars, it's 200 to 210, all the time. If your car ran at 200 + all the time with a 180 thermostat that would be a problem. 200-210 while idling when the outside temps are high is some what normal.