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Overheating

10K views 45 replies 24 participants last post by  jonboyusmc 
#1 · (Edited)
I've got a 94 Mustang that I bought from a young kid as an unfinished project. It's got a mild built 429 in it. I've finally got it running good, but it overheats constantly. Yesterday in about 3-4 miles the temp hit 240*. I didn't assemble the motor, and I'm starting to think he got the head gaskets on wrong. (Everything else was bass-ackwards) What do you guys think? I really don't want to tear the top end off, but in my eyes it looks like thats the problem. Here's some info on the motor:

all stock 429 short block
ported D0OE-R heads
CompCam 270H cam running 12* advance on timing
Weiand Stealth Intake with 750 Speed Demon
2 stages of nitrous (not hooked up yet, haven't got that far)
Pro-Comp electric water pump with no thermostat
dual row alum radiator with a 25 X 17 core
2-12" pusher fans 2500 CFM total
 
#7 ·
I popped the valve cover off and both of the oil return passages are open. I did notice a mis-match in the holes though. Maybe 3/32"-1/8" offset to one side on both returns. Could somebody sneek a peek under their hood and see which tab is sticking out on the passenger side? I surely would appreciate it. I'm also going to stick the thermostat back in and try that, although it was running hot before I took it out. Thanks for all the help so far.
 
#10 ·
Do you know what the vintage of the short block is? The only pistons I know of for the 429 are 11+ compression and perhaps you are detonating some to cause overheating. I would pull the plugs and check for aluminum specs on the porcelin before pulling it apart.
 
#12 ·
I've been running retarded most of my life. Just ask my ex-wife. :D I'm running12-14* advanced per Barry Grants carb set-up advice. I also twisted and contorted myself to find out that I have a D1VE block. So this makes this a CJ/SCJ motor with I am assuming 11:1 CR. Should I try running some 100+ octane in it? Thanks again for all the help.
 
#17 ·
Tha pump leaked like a sieve when I got the car. It had been installed with no gaskets. :confused: I've got it all sealed up now, and its pushing alot of coolant in the right direction. I've got an inline filler cap in the top hose, so I can stick my finger in and check it. I'm picking up new head gaskets tomorrow, and I'm going to pull the top end off over the weekend. I read in another post here that the tabs should facing the same on both heads and mine aren't.
 
#18 ·
I had a problem with my car overheating and 2 weeks ago I moved my radiator forward to
make room for a taurus fan (puller) that had a built in shroud that I only had to modify a little to get it to fit real nice, now it stays at 160* if I leave the fan on. The taurus fans pull a lot of air, and the shroud makes sure it has to pull all that air through the radiator.
 
#19 ·
Just got home with the new head gaskets. My passenger side is 100% for sure on backwards. The end with square tab is marked FRONT on both sides. I hope this is at least the majority of the problem. Unfortunately I don't have enough room to move the radiator forward and put a puller fan with a shroud. I've only got about 3" to spare before I hit the water pump.Thanks again everyone.
 
#20 ·
Well, I got the head gasket changed over the weekend, and it seemed to help with the overheating problem. I also added a 1" restrictor in the thermostat housing. I'm still getting up to around 210-220*. A friend of mine that races late model suggested going with a 5/8" restrictor to slow down the coolant flow. What do you guys think? I'm running a Champion 2 row radiator. Should I consider going to a 3 or 4 row? Any input would be appreciated.
 
#22 ·
Still having overheating probs. I installed a new head gasket(correctly), and gave up on the restrictor. I went back to a 180* thermostat, and when I went for a ride today it got up to 240* before I could get back home. It will get this hot in only 4-5 miles. I also can't seem to get all the air out of the system. It will blow coolant past the inline 16# cap if I have too much coolant in it. I'm about at my wits end. Is it time to pony up for a 4 row radiator? What are you guys running?
 
#25 ·
i havent got past the break in with mine but i am gonna try changing the by pass lines a bit. there is the short hose going from the water pump right to the intake. then the loop to replace the heater core. i believe the loop allows to much water to go right around the radiator. .....just ruminating, bobn
 
#27 ·
Hood on or off it still runs 230-240*. I don't have any bypass hoses to worry about, since the car has an electric water pump and no heater.I just tried drilling 2-1/8" in the thermostat to allow minimal bypass as suggested in another thread. Still no go. This does allow me to completely fill the system though. This has got me stumped. I wish I had a fresh set of eyes to look at this. I re-torqued the intake, since I've had it through a few heat cycles since replacing the head gasket. Also looked for any possible vacuum leaks. Didn't see any.Re-set the idle, and timing. 12*advance now. It was up to 20* advance. Pulled a couple of plugs, and they are a cinnamon brown, with only a slight fuel smell. (slightly rich??) Would pulling air through the radiator instead of pushing help? I'm open to any ideas. I'm about ready to put a for sale sign on it, and go back to working on my 5.0 Lincoln.
 
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