59 corvette overheating!!

[David B.]

I am told that overheating is common problem with corvettes, but I have taken the thermostat completly out and it still goes straight up to 220 [max guage].
The engine is a 327 out of a 67 vette. Could the water pump not be working?

Also where does the tac drive get its lubrication? I recently had to put a new armature in the generator and the drive looked pretty dry so I put silicone grease in it. Should it get oil from the rear cup of the generator?

David L. Bauer

[Joe C.]

Re: 59 corvette overheating!!

David:

Removal of the thermostat is the wrong approach. In fact, it will make no difference at all, unless you are driving your car in the dead of winter, in which case your engine will never reach normal operating temperature.
The most common cause of your problem is a marginal/scaled/partially plugged radiator. "Water pump not working" is very, very unlikely. Normally, the bearing seal will begin to leak long, long before the impeller corrodes away to ineffectiveness.
First, install a new 180 degree thermostat. I believe that the original 1959 part was a 170 degree, but that was used before the advent of modern ethylene glycol based coolants. Second, run your engine and get it hot. Carefully feel the outside of the radiator (the surface facing AWAY from the fan) with your palm. It should feel UNIFORMLY cool to very hot as you proceed from the bottom to the top. The key word here is "uniformly". Of course, if it is a known, old radiator, then the best bet is to have it recored or replaced.

Joe

[paul bowers]

Re: 59 corvette overheating!!

David,
I'm not am expert but would the radiator that was made for the 327 engine have been larger than the radiator on your 59, that is does, your 327 require a larger capacity than the 59 radiator can deliver
paul

[Susan G.]

Re: 59 corvette overheating!!

Hi David, I have a 58 with the same over heating and found that in my car I could not run with the origional fan blades. I had to change it to a racing type fan. Sorry I am not a mechanic but could find out the proper name if you want to try this. If I go NCRS I need to fix my over heating as well. For now it fixes my over heating, regards Susan

[John O.]

Re: 59 corvette overheating!!

Hi David

Everything that was said, I would check..But also check to see if your fan clutch is working properly. If the fan is not spinning as fast as it should while driving or idling, you'll over heat. Bad fan clutchs slip, not allowing the fan to spin as fast as it should. Also make sure your fan belt is tight enough. Is your anti-freeze mixture proper? To much water can do it.

Good luck....John

[Wayne P.]

Re: 59 corvette overheating!!

59 should not have a clutch fan. Use an IR to determine the actual temperature. Verify timing and advance. Any of these might help or correct, but the previously mentioned radiator might also be needed.

[Pat #25912]

Re: 59 corvette overheating!!

Dave, did your car just start this overheating problem lately? Or did the problem start when you put the 327 in? I have a 350 in my '59 with the stock rad, 4 blade fan, and no clutch. Even though we have been going through a heat wave my car does not overheat. With an engine bay clean up this past winter, I installed a new temp sending unit. It was defective and showed as overheating (I checked the temp with an IR thermometer). Installed the old sending unit and everything is as it should be. Pat G.

[Jim D.]

Re: 59 corvette overheating!!

David, I've never heard that overheating is a common problem. I've had a few C1's (one had a highly modified LT1 350) and have never had one run hot. If all the factory components (radiator, water pump,thermostat etc.) are in good shape and the timing is set correctly, you shouldn't be having a problem. The first place I would look is the radiator.

[Michael D.]

Re: 59 corvette overheating!!

i had over heating problems in my 59 with a non-stock high compression engine. i put a new high flow water pump. a dewitt aluminum radiator that looks exactly like the orginal. a high flow therostat. a spacer on the fan. but i think the thing that helped the most was running 75% water, and a product like water wetter to make sure i didnot get corrosion . i now have the correct engine in the car but it is a fi car and gets spider boiling of the fuel at long intersections unless i put some race gas in it. i donot think the lead helps. if the radiator is good i would try lowering the antifreeze first9 that is what dewitt told me to do .

[Steve G.]

Re: 59 corvette overheating!!

When I bought my '58 the temp seemed fine, but it did not have the front license plate assembly on it. I added it immediately (looked funny) and now I notice it runs hotter on highway trips. I'm sure there's less direct airflow, but I must have a tired radiator, too.

[John H.]

Re: 59 corvette overheating!!

Assuming the temp gauge is anywhere near correct (verify its reading first vs. that obtained with an I.R. gun "shot" so you know what it's really telling you, as most Corvette temp gauges read hot, especially if the sending unit has been replaced) and the correct shroud and fan arrangement is in place, it's almost ALWAYS the radiator.

[Susan G.]

Re: 59 corvette overheating!!

Hi David, glad your all fixed up. I am in Oakville, Ontario, Canada (close to Toronto) The NCRS site is great you find all kinds of cars all over the world. Back to over heating. You may still find that the fan will make it run better. I sure did. Regards Susan

[Gene B.]

Re: 59 corvette overheating!!

This may be a dumb question but when you replaced the engine, did you install the fan shroud? Without the fan should, you are not geting the air to properly flow through the radiator to keep the engine cool.

[Susan G.]

Re: 59 corvette overheating!!

Hi Gene, I do have the fan shroud in, I think my rad is going. Regards Susan