I have a 1938 La Salle that is overheating. I will let you guys know all I have done and hope that someone can help me. First of all I have flushed out the radiator and engine block. The radiator was leaking and had it re-cored with a 20-30% more efficient core but is still overheating.
I was told by a friend that maybe it could be that the water pump is pulling the water out of the radiator to fast and not letting it cool down enough. So he told me to put a few washer in the radiator hoses that run to the radiator. I figured he would was right, because in the winter it never warms up all the way. So maybe it's moving the water so quickly that it does not let it get hot. And in the summer it gets pretty hot. So I went ahead and put a Asher on each side of the engine block but it still overheating. I'm not sure if the holes on the washer may still be to big.
Another thing I was told could make it get hot is that the carburetor is running lean. So I tried to richen the fuel mixture. But still hot. I'm not sure if I need to do something to the carburetor to add more fuel because I opened up the carb all the way but it didn't seem to run any different.
I also went ahead and cleaned the exhaust manifolds and got Jet-Hot high performance to re-coat them their ceramic coating.
Lastly I have been told that that their may be two other causes that could make get hot. Combustion leak into the cooling system, either by head gasket failure or a crack in the engine block, which I'm hoping it is not either of them. Or it could also be the engine timing. I have no idea of how I could check either of this things out. Would I have to take the engine apart to tell if it's a engine block crack or head gasket, or is there a different way? Also I have no idea how many degrees it has to be for it to be timed right. Does anyone have any specs not the timing for 322 flathead La Salle engine?
Jose Luis Aranda Espinoza
The radiator flow deal is a MYTH. Take those washers out.
How is your thermostat? Do you even have one? The original thermostat opened or closed the shutters in front of the radiator.
How do you know the engine is over heating? Are you checking the temperature with a thermometer? Or are you only going by the fact it is spitting out water from the over flow? If you are going by the water coming out of the over flow it will do that if you fill the radiator to the top. When the engine warms up the coolant expands. Also make sure you have the proper radiator cap and it is working properly.
Next get an infrared thermometer (non contact). They are cheap from Sears and many other stores. With the non contact thermometer check the temperature of the lower radiator hose and the upper hoses to see if the radiator is cooling the coolant.
A common problem with these engines is an accumulation of rust a other crud in the coolant passages in the block. That needs to be cleaned out.
All the advice from Glen is top notch. Buy a manual, all the timing details are in there.
Agree fully with Wayne, complete nonsense. take the restrictions OUT. More flow and faster means cooler engine.
One other thing it could be. What thickness of core did they put in your radiator? It should be as close to the original 4" as you can get. My 36 was re-cored by a well established company here who said they can no longer get the 4" thick cores so they fitted a 75 millimeter core saying it was 20% more efficient with the cooling, with the cooling yes, but NOT the flow. After 5 miles the top tank pressure would gradually push most of the water out and it would boil. They were adamant the flow was sufficient, I was adamant it was not and made them under duress find a 93mm core and fit that. They said I was wasting my money and theres no way it would make any difference. To their total disbelieve it cured the problem completely.
Two small a core restricting flow is akin to having a blocked radiator.
Be wary also of them fitting two cores one behind the other to gain the thickness. this has happened to Ty Stinson in Maryland and its giving big problems. These cores are not designed to have another directly behind it and he has massive over heating problems.
Mine was overheating as well and was caused mainly by too thin of a core. I am lucky and have a custom rad shop very close to my house. The man who has been there for years and learned from his father made me a custom core to the exact specs of the original and my engine runs as cool as it should. During warm weather the rad shutters aren't really needed. They are more for colder weather to keep the engine from running too cool. As far as water flow, the impellers in these water pumps are not the most efficiently designed and at a very slow idle the temps can get too hot. If I let it sit and idle at 320rpm it will slowly creep up to the red line. If I bump my idle up a touch, water flow, and air flow, increases and it slowly settles down to just about the center of the temp gauge. Does your car still have the manual dash controlled throttle connected? You can leave your idle down nice and low for as quiet an idle as you want and over ride with the manual control by slightly increasing the idle until your temp is correct. Don't use it as cruise control, that's not what it was meant for and is dangerous when used this way.
Glen: My La Salle has no thermostat. It actually doesn't even have the shutters it use to have back in the day. I believe who ever had it before me took them of thinking that that by taking the shutters off it would cool it off more. I know that it is overheating because i keep a close eye on the temperature gauge. In the summer the gauge has climbed all the way to where the red starts. Although i never thought of actually getting a infrared thermometer. I'm going to have to try that.
S. Passmore: Where can i find a manual? I wouldn't mind buying one. About the radiator, I just checked the size, and guess what? It is a 3 inch core. The thing is that in 50 to 83 degree weather it does good. I have taken it as far as 1:30 away from home and it stays pretty good. It tries to climb when I am at a stop light, but once i get going it starts going back down just a little and stays in the middle of the temp gauge. Now from 84 degree weather and up it starts climbing and gets scary. What i forgot to mention is that went ahead and put an electric fan with toggle switch. Every time it starts getting warm in 85 and above degree weather, i turn it on to help it. But it eventually gets hot enough that it scares me. At that time I pull over and let it cool down and don't pull it out in hot weather.
Joe Ceretti: The water pumps seems to be good. I am not mechanic so I'm not 100% sure that its at its best. I went ahead and took the water pump apart cleaned it up and greased up too. About the dash controlled throttle, I have no idea if its still on it. I'm guessing no, because i have pulled and pushed every button that i can see on the car and nothing makes the idle go up or down, unless its somewhere that cant be seen.
49er: I have tried different things on that suppost to get rust and crud out with out taking the heads off. I have yet to do that. And i will probably do it to see if the heads are OK.
Hot days, overheating at idle.
Increase your idle a touch. Advance your timing in tiny increments (Make sure the engine is hot to test this) and drive, under full throttle. When the timing is set perfect you will get a tiny bit of preignition pinging for the first ten seconds of acceleration. After ten seconds ease off on the throttle for a second and the reapply. If it still pings then you have advanced too far, back it off a bit.
To say it another way. 10 seconds of preignition pinging was considered normal by the engineers. You need to find that point. Advancing the timing AND increasing the idle will help your problem a whole bunch.
Finally, you say it climbs to the edge of the red... it doesn't go into the red? Red is overheating, below the edge is not. I understand when it gets close to the red you are nervous, you can burn up a valve which is a costly fix.
Adjust things a bit like I explained and I am confident that you will not ever get so close to the red that you panic.
EDIT: You should think about adjusting your idle so that at idle the generator gauge shows just a touch on the negative (discharge side) or right on it. Also, the throttle control on a 38 is the pull knob directly to the right of the ignition key. What do you have there? Where does whatever you have there connect?
EDIT2: I know that idling there is higher than what the specs say BUT the specs consider that you have a throttle control on the dash to counteract any overheating or undercharging at idle. The operator would normally have the pull knob to adjust the idle as needed to keep things running without burning up. Fix your throttle control and then you can set your idle back nice and low and thusly adjust as needed while driving depending upon the current conditions.
Joe Ceretti: Thank you very much for the info. I will try to mess with the timing. By any chance would you happen to know to what degree the timing has to be set at? That way I advance with more confidence and know that I am not going to far. I am new at this so I want to take as many precautions as I can. To the right of the ignitions switch I have the fog lamp switch. The throttle control was taken off at one point before I got the car.
P.S. Is it a sure thing that the radiator core has to be 4" thick? Im trying to find out on google the size of a radiator for a La Salle, but cant find anything.
I don't know the size of rad on the lasalle.
For the timing, the amount depends on the amount of sharp edges and carbon inside the cylinders. Start with the timing set to zero, lined up dead center on the tdc mark. Advance about an eighth of an inch.... Drive... No preignition...advance anorher eighth of an inch... Hard throttle... No preignition... Advance... Do this until on hard throttle you get a little bit of preignition pinging on hard throttle and then no more then after ten seconds it settles down. If yo go to far, retard the timing. Find your sweet spot. This must be done with the engine hot, not just warmed up.
You will get the most power and the best fuel economy this way. It will also run coolest.
If you want the car to run smooth and silent, set it to tdc and it should make no pinging sound but will be underpowered and will eat fuel.
Judging from the symptoms, in cool temps your radiator is just sufficiant enough to cool the engine back down when the speed goes up. But it is obvious that the fan/air speed over the radiator is deficient because it heats at idle. However, indications are that the radiator is not sufficient at higher temps to cool the engine at any speed. It takes three things for cooling to happen, water flow, air flow, and a good radiator. All totaled, the indications are that the radiator is marginal. It will not cool at idle for lact of air flow, and it will not cool at speed because of low cooling capacity. Assuming good enough water flow, you need a radiator.
Hello Jose
Glad to read you are receptive to the great counsel you are receiving from these guys.
Wayne Womble: thank you for the info. But I have a question, I am guessing you are trying to say that I need a new radiator? I re-cored the one I do have. You think I need to go ahead and still get a new one? I paid $1,000 to get a new core. I don't really want to pay that or even more and lose the $1,000 I already payed. I fell like that would be throwing money down the toilet. I want to try to find out a different way if possible if not then I'm going to dish out more money to get a new radiator.
I have another question. I have read on other forums that people have made the holes bigger on the heads to get more water flow to run from the top of the heads to the radiator. Do you think this will help?
Thank you again Wayne
C.R. Patton II THANKS FOR CHECKING UP ON MY PROBLEM. :)
Jose, The manuals are available on ebay all the time as re-prints.
You should not be guessing what Wayne is trying to tell you. Your radiator core is NOT wide enough, Period. The La Salle core should be 4" the same as Cadillac as both engines have the same of everything regarding the water system. All the flatheads I have owned up to 48 have 4" cores. If you have the correct radiator you will have a 4" top and bottom tank also.
No matter what else you try you will not cure this overheating with an undersized core. No extra fans will help as the water from the block can't get through there fast enough for it to do any good.
Holes in the head to increase the flow will do no good when the capacity of the core can't cope with what it already have. Read my last post. Been there, done that. Like me you have to bite the bullet and get the correct core.
Believe me, if Cadillac thought back in the day they could have managed with 3" of core and saved themselves even $1 on each car they would have done so. Everything on the car is there for a reason and is the minimum required to do the job efficiently.
These cars are on the edge of overheating when everything is correct. Anything below spec will push them over the proverbial edge.
Do you still have your two lower air scoops? Are they 90° and straight ?
Another way to assist cooling is to turn on your other radiator (the Heater). 8)
Mo is correct, if your engine is overheating turn off everything that is loading it including A C and turn on your heater to full heat. The objective is to disperse heat instead of generating more heat. I have done this a couple of times in my life and it got me to a place that I could solve my problem. Very uncomfortable to turn the heat on in the summer but less uncomfortable than being stranded or ruining an engine. Think of your heater as an auxiliary radiator in overheating situations.
S Passmore: thanks for the info and i guess i am going to have to bite the bullet. :(
Joe Ceretti: thanks!
Las39: what do you mean lower air scoops.
Gary Griffin: thanks for the advice.
You are welcome. Increasing your idle should help some until you can get the rad replaced. More idle will keep the water flow up while you are waiting at lights, etc.
I feel your pain. You should really look around more. I got mine custom built, using as many parts of the rusted out old frame as possible and it is a work of art for $600 Canadian dollars.
Quote from: jos1270 on June 13, 2014, 07:27:32 PM
S Passmore: thanks for the info and i guess i am going to have to bite the bullet. :(
Joe Ceretti: thanks!
Las39: what do you mean lower air scoops.
Gary Griffin: thanks for the advice.
These two unpainted pieces encircled in yellow circle, lead air over the front end to engine. These are thin metal and usually rusts away, and results in escaping cooled air downwards away from engine.
S. Passmore: A 93mm core would be about the same as 3.5 inches, wont it? I just talked to person who does radiators and told him i needed a 4 inch radiator and he said that a 3.5 inch is what he could do. I also just looked up on google and it said that 93mm=3.66 inches. Am i correct?
Joe Ceretti: I wish i would be $600 instead of $1500 that i am going to be charged. :(
las39: yea i think it does have those plates. But im going to make sure to see if it does have it.
There was a factory service bulletin from back in the '40s/early '50s or so that addressed the flathead Cadillac V-8's propensity to overheat as it got older due to rust accumulating in the rear passages of the block. Normal flushing will not get the rust that is causing the problem, it requires removal of some of the rear head bolts, one at a time, and poking down the hole with a stiff wire or rod while flushing the engine with a water hose at the same time. I remember seeing the SB some time ago (here) but cannot remember the exact procedure well enough to reliably repeat it here. I am surprised no one has reposted that procedure for Mr. Aranda to try before spending that kind of money for another radiator which may or may not solve his problem. Perhaps the person or persons who has access to that SB has not seen this thread.
Quote from: 35-709 on June 14, 2014, 12:20:48 PM. I am surprised no one has reposted that procedure for Mr. Aranda to try before spending that kind of money for another radiator which may or may not solve his problem. Perhaps the person or persons who has access to that SB has not seen this thread.
Thats sound advise that I would give every time but in the first thread it was stated it had been flushed so you have to take people at their word. These engines do indeed get a build up in the rear cylinders so I suggest Jose takes out a front head bolt and passes a stiff rod down in to the water jacket and measures how far it will go down, then take a back one out and do the same. if you get a measurement discrepancy of say 2" then that could be the problem and it needs to be cleaned out.
Yes Jose, 93mm is the size I had to be satisfied with. Remember, thats one whole row of tubes extra and every little helps.
Folks,
As Steve suggests there is a procedure outlined in the Cadillac Serviceman in August 1939, page 27; New Cylinder Block Cleaning Procedure". and "September 1947, page 39; New Procedure for Cleaning Cadillac Cylinder Blocks".
The 1947 procedure suggest that you remove "one or two lower rear cylinder head cap screws:. You then stick a rod that is long enough to go all the way to the bottom. Then remove the rod and "note the presence of any sludge clinging to it." If you find sludge then the new procedure is outlined, which includes removing the water pump.
The Johnny
That new cleaning procedure calls for removing bottom row head bolts one at a time, starting on the left cylinder head, removing the water pump, connecting a water supply to the left cylinder head outlet and then using Kent Moore Air Gun down each of the bolt holes, working around to the right side of the engine. Not knowing how many years those head bolts have been in that engine, I would be hesitant in using this procedure as a snapped head bolt or two would mean you will spend big bucks to fix the block. I would rather knock 2 of the 3 freeze plugs out of each side of the engine and use water to flush out as much of the crud as possible.
Jose: If you are filling the radiator so that the level is just slightly above the bottom of the top tank , using the correct A/C cap which I think is a 4 lb cap which has the correct length cap neck to seal on the inside neck flange of the radiator neck, using a 50/50 coolant, then the boiling point is about 230-235. As has been suggested, get an infrared thermometer. What I would want to know what is the actual temperature of the coolant in the top tank compared to say when the needle is at the mid point on the dash gage. As the dash needle rises then take an infrared reading at different points on the dash gage. Keep doing this until the dash needle pegs out. I do this test so I know the dash gage, as old as they are, can sometimes give you a wrong temp reading. I do this at idle and raise the engine temp gradually by putting a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator while using my thermometer.
I also go along with Steve and I think you will find your core is too thin. I have re-cored a 41 and a 47, both times the cores used were just about 3.6 inches and I also know that when my dash needle is resting on H, the coolant in the top tank is at 205, when the needle is on O, the top tank is 220 and when on T, the top tank is 230. Understanding what your dash gage is really telling you, will let you enjoy driving the car. Bill
"That's sound advise that I would give every time but in the first thread it was stated it had been flushed so you have to take people at their word."
Right ---- he said, "First of all I have flushed out the radiator and engine block."
So I said, not knowing what kind of flushing had been done, --- "Normal flushing will not get the rust that is causing the problem".
Don't know which will be worse, taking a chance of breaking a head bolt or paying $1500 for another new radiator and then when the 2nd new radiator does not solve the problem STILL having to do the procedure outlined in the "September 1947, page 39; New Procedure for Cleaning Cadillac Cylinder Blocks".
Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.
Removing an after market oil filter mounted on my left head caused broken head bolts and eventually a rebuild of an engine that was running fine.
:-[ thanks guys for the advice, braking head bolts sounds scary! Does anyone know a good way or safer way of taking out head bolt with out braking? I want to try that but if that means that there is a good possibility of braking then I rather not mess with that until i have tried everything else.
Would soaking the bolts with WD-40 or any kind of penetrating oil for a long time work? Like every day for a month or longer spraying it. Would you guys think that would work?
WD-40 is not a penetrating oil, it does not help very much. The best is a home brew of a 50/50 mix of automatic transmission fluid and acetone. Make sure you shake it frequently it does separate. If you don’t want to do that then get something like PB Blaster or Liquid Wrench. And yes make frequent applications and let it soak for as long of a time as you can allow.
You also need to know how to remove a bolt. Never force it. If you can get it to move even a little bit keep rocking it back and forth and applying the penetrating oil. Each time you turn it you will gain a small amount, then back it off and turn it again. Eventually you will get it free. This is not a job for someone with little patience.
I'm afraid Jose that these bolts will either come out or they will not. Penetrating oil will do little when you understand the nature of why they will not move. The bolt passes through the head, then through the thread in the block, then about 3/16" hangs below into the water jacket. Over the decades the part in the jacket corrodes into a carbuncle, too big to ever pass through the threads again. You cannot get penetrating oil to these areas and if you could it wouldn't make a difference, its no longer a thread as you know it. The more they try to undo the tighter the carbuncle gets.
Don't be too despondent though, its not always the case, if the cars been in regular use and had the proper coolant or even had the heads off in past years they could all come out easier than you think.
Glens trick to try and ease the bolt back and forth to just see if theres any movement is the best way to go. You will feel if it wants to play ball. The worst engines are those that have been idle for decades and stored badly. I found an engine that had been outside in a wreaking yard for 20 years, it broke 28 of the head bolts. My 38 which had been in a museum most of its life released every bolt without a problem. Good luck.
Just thought I would add one thing. Idling at a very low idle with the hood up, these engines will have a tendency to overheat. The hood is an integral part of the entire cooling system, it helps keep the air flow on the sides of the engine and pushed out the side vents.
Just a thought, But would removing the temp sensor from the head give you access to the same water jacket without having to remove the head bolts. or go in through the rear water cross over tubes?
Sheldon Hay
I agree with Sheldon Hay. Would that help? That maybe something I will try.
You cannot get past the head through the temp sender and you would be too confined to one position if you could. If its full of crud it will be the entire back of number 7 and 8 cylinder.
There are no rear water cross over tubes, theres just the one in the centre of the block unaccessible from the head bolts and a mile from where the crud settles. Just try the bolts first with a short wrench, you will know if their going to move.
Nobody asked, how bad is the overheating? Does it overheat while driving or only while stopped? Please describe it. Also, do you know the rpm you have your idle set to?
I agree that you should get a non contact infrared thermometer. Most auto parts stores would have them, and they used to be advertised in "The Self Starter" I believe.
One other thing you might try is, besides opening and draining the drains on either side at the bottom of the block, take out the center freeze out plugs on either side of the block and pump water through that block. You might be amazed at what crud and rust is sitting down there that is preventing proper circulation that will come flying out. Of course have new freeze out plugs at the ready to pop back in once you are done flushing.
I had assumed Jose had already removed the core plugs to flush the engine as stated in his first thread. I don't know how else one would flush effectively but if he has not done so the core plugs to remove are the rear ones, you wont find much by taking out the centre plugs.
My experience has been even after a bare block is hot tanked (normal process-nothing special) there is still crud in the block that takes mechanical tools and a pressure washer to get clean. With that being the case the chances of any in car cleaning method working is not very good. Even after all of this I use the Gano filters on start up to make sure no particles get in the new radiator and they always come out a little dirty even with all of that. These cars just didn't get proper cooling maintenance for many years of their life and even if they did they did not have the technology we have now to keep a cooling system really clean.
Your absolutely right on all counts Brad.
When I had my engine overhauled, it was dipped and cleaned in a huge ultrasonic chamber. One can't possibly imagine how much debris came out of the water chamber. Even after all the cleaning there was some hardened gunk between the cylinder which could be removed via the core plugs holes.
Joe Ceretti: It starts getting hot while driving. It keeps going up and up. It is slow but does climb. This on the highway at a speed of 50 or 60 MPH for about 30 minutes. Getting out of the high in traffic, at stop lights, the temp climbs faster. Once I get going again, the temp drops down a little but not enough to not make me feel worried. Eventually I have to stop and let it cool down. I have no idea what the idle is set to.
Bgrumka 24870: I have yet to test it with a infrared thermometer. I will be trying that out soon. And I am going to try to flush it that way, taking out the freeze plugs.
S. Passmore: No I did not take the freeze (core) plugs out of the block. I had know idea it had to be done that way. Im still learning as I go along. But thank you all because I am learning a lot from this.
Brad Ipsen CLC #737: Where do you get the Gano filters? Any auto parts stores? I didnt never put does filters on after I flushed it the first time. So I might have some particles in the radiator already. :( I wish i would have known that before. Hope I can still clean it.
Thanks to every one for all the help and ideas.
Jos1270,you asked at the start of your thread if you can tell if you have a head gasket leak or a cracked block. yes they have a device that can detect gasses in your antifreeze should you have this problem.
Find Gano filters with an internet search. The company comes right up
Quote from: las39 on June 14, 2014, 07:45:29 AM
These two unpainted pieces encircled in yellow circle, lead air over the front end to engine. These are thin metal and usually rusts away, and results in escaping cooled air downwards away from engine.
I suspect that these are not in fact air scoops but are shields to block road debris and mud from getting into the engine compartment. What effect they would have on cooling I am not sure.
The modern logic surrounding time in rad to allow dissipation of heat over a given time does not really apply to the 38 Cadillac flathead. At the engineer spec'd idle the pump just barely pumps the water fast enough to keep it from over heating when everything is at or very near brand new condition. At highway speeds in the hot summer the engine runs just about at a perfect temp. When slowing to a stop after a long run where the entire engine bay has now soaked up tons of heat the temp likes to spike, this is where with these motors you NEED your manual throttle control OR without it you need to keep your idle a bit higher than spec. Slightly above the specified idle, either by adjusting your carb that way or by using the manual control and the engine will not over heat. This is with no inline thermostat.
The temperature control? The rad shutters. These are needed for one purpose and one purpose only. When you drive these cars in cold weather the engine never gets to proper operating temperature. That, and the fact that the passengers freeze to death because the heater just puts out cold air.
A thermostat is not needed in these motors. Restricting the flow of water in any way whatsoever is going to upset the apple cart and cause the engine to overheat. There is not much tolerance for out of spec anything. Too small a rad. Water flow restrictions caused by dirty rad, collapsing hose at the bottom of the rad, people thinking they should put washers or some other restriction in the line because they have been mislead into thinking that the design of a modern or even slightly more modern than 1938 applies. It does not here.
Other things that cause problems are of course, worn impeller, wrong pressure rating on the cap, too short of a stem on the cap.
Quote from: Roy Schroeder on June 22, 2014, 10:03:48 AM
Well, guys, I must be stubborn , or just old school.
For the last 50 years I believe that running without a thermostat will cause over heating.
Sorry, but that's my opinion.
Read item 6 in this link.
http://www.thebriton.com/cool.htm
Na, Rubbish Roy. Wheres the practical proof? I challenge you to remove your thermostat and tell me what she runs like. I garantee you will get nothing but cold air from your heater and if it were true how would you account for the glaring fact here that Cadillac never even had thermostats as you know it in the water system until 42? They were there but just to open the shutters and do not restrict coolant flow which they would have to do to apply to your theory. All 4 of my flatheads have the thermostat disconnected (because they no longer work)and after 100s of miles they struggle to put anything other than luke warm air from the heaters.
Quote from: Joe Ceretti on June 21, 2014, 06:30:24 AM
I suspect that these are not in fact air scoops but are shields to block road debris and mud from getting into the engine compartment. What effect they would have on cooling I am not sure.
Could be. I imagine cooled air is forced to go around engine before exiting around the clutch housing. Anyway, I don't have cooling problem as I live in a cold country. Maybe someone know what their real purpose are.
They are for modern design engines to adjust flow to keep the internal temps within acceptable operating range. Adjusting water flow and cooling up and down to keep it right.
Oh, the scoops. Cadillac call them mud pans.
Talking restrictions in water flow in flat heads whatever you do, do not enlarge the outlet hole on the right head which is smaller than the hole on the left. This restriction is necessary to balance the water flow between the left and right banks. Since the water pump is only on the right side most of the flow would stay on the right side if it did not have the restriction to flow on that side. This is one of the pitfalls of using the military heads. The water outlets were at the back of the engine so when these heads are flipped around for a car the right side does not have the smaller hole at the outlet.
Hello guys. I ordered the 1937 1938 Cadillac and LaSalle shop manual and just got it. I was looking through it to see what size core my LaSalle had to have and it says the the thickness of the core has to be 3". This is suppose to be for 38-50 & 60 series and as far as I know mine is a series 50. So what I am thinking is that I am going to have to get inside the engine and clean it as best as possible.
On that note, I have been reading other forums on how to get rust out from inside the engine. And I came across with a weird way of get rust out. Have you guys every heard of rust removal with molasses? This is suppose to be an animal feed and it can be purchased at any agricultural supplier. There is different mix ratios that I have seen. But the one I see the most is one part molasses and nine parts water. Depending on how rusty the parts you are trying to get the rust off, you may have to leave it for 2, 3 weeks. Some forums even say a month or month and a half. Now this stuff is suppose to be really safe. It has no acids or crazy stuff to harm you the environment or the engine. The only thing this does is get rust off. You guys can look it up on youtube.com.
I was thinking of doing this, but im still a lil scared that this might do something to the engine that I may not want done. I was also thinking that since the head bolts go through the heads and into the water jackets then this may help get some of the rust off the bolt, if it does have any, to see if I can take them off. I say this because in on of the videos I seen it shows a really rust part with nuts and bolts and after being inside the stuff they came off with no problem.
What do you guys think???? :-\ GOOD IDEA OR BAD IDEA? ??? I know it sounds crazy but I don't want to brake head bolts if I can prevent it, and well this seems like a good idea.
Thanks in advance to all, and certainly for all the great information.
:o I forgot to add that I would have to fill the engine block only with a nine part water and one part molasses. After that I would take out the freeze plugs and try to use a pressure washer to get rust and all the gunk that would be in it. Then use some of that Gano Filters I was recommended in this forum to keep the radiator clean.
I don't remember if anyone asked about your lower rad hose. Normal heating at speed can sometimes cause this hose, under vacuum, to collapse and restrict flow only exasperating the problem causing further collapse. You could try coiling up some wire so it's a slightly snug fit and inserting it into the rad hose to prevent it from happening. With the hose, everything may seem fine but after driving it may heat up and soften somewhat allowing this to happen. If you feel the hose when cool it may seem just fine.
It's something you can try that is fairly easy and inexpensive to do.