Thermostat

[chargergurl69]

I just bought a 69 Charger that has been without a thermostat for 15+ years. I just put a new 195 theremostat in it and now it overheats! What am I doing wrong?

[tan top]

  being just got the car   i would  check every part of the cooling system for faults first  ,  you never know the previous owner may of taken it out for a reason.     did the  cooling system have anti-freeze in it

[mikepmcs]

not to offend, but did you install the thermostat correctly?

I agree with tan top, he took it out for a reason.  i'd give him a call and see what's the what.

good luck

v/r
Mike

[chargergurl69]

I refilled the antifreeze after installing the thermostat...and I can't call the guy who took it out because I don't know who he is....The guy who owned the car before me bought it from the guy who must have taken out the thermostat. However, when I took my car to Carx (btw never take your car to carx in West Lafayette, IN), they were supposed to do a flush and fill on the radiator, and they didn't do a very good one. I'm finding a lot of sludge in the hoses, and I think its causing a clot. I was able to get quite a bit out, and as of now its no longer over heating. I'll keep my fingers crossed! Thanks for the help though!...By the way does any one know if the 383s have a tendency to over heat while idling? That's a suggestion a friend gave me.

[tan top]

if the 383 had a lot of sludge in it i would defiantly strip the cooling system .
# 1 flush out the heater core
    2  remove the drain plugs in the block  / water pump / hose's & thermostat  -then flush out the motor as best you can with a hose .
    3 check to see if the bottom hose has got a spring in it ,
    4 if the radiator is the good condition , take it to a radiator reconditioning shop and have them  boil out any debris / sludge that has accumulated in the tubes
 

[rt green]

i agree. sludge is subject to gravity. it will collect on the bottom, and the flow rate will suffer. i would not piss around and get the radiator re cored. you can boil it out, but the corrotion will eat away at the tubes,and cause weak spots. these things pulled camping trailers through the desert when new without any problems.  if your cooling system is in good  shape, you will not have any problems. high flow this, a can of that, are just band aids that will just fall off with time,and come back and bite you in the ass.

[TylerCharger69]

I'd have the radiator rodded out first.    I'd also remove the coolant plugs at the bottom of the block to get a good flush out.   Also,  make sure the spring in the bottom radiator hose is still there and not rusted away   because that could cause the hose to implode, or kink.   When   pulling those block plugs.....my guess is that nothing will come out right away.   You'll have to poke around with a screwdriver or something to bust through all of that sludge that is sitting at the bottom of the block before coolant starts to bleed out.   Im assuming that the impeller fins on the water pump are in good condition by the way.