Engine troubles

[kole32]

Hi, I just got my motor almost ready to drive, I bought the car not knowing if it was running, It's a 68 383 4 barrel car. I replaced everything I needed to get it running. Well I took it for a drive, well the temperature gauge climbed to 230 so I shut it down. Well we took a gun with a temperature reading on it and it was reading, around 180, on the heads, the radiator was normal temp, and so was everything else, I put a new thermostat in it and ran a garden hose in there to help flush it out as it was very nasty, and destroyed my original radiator. So I took it for another drive and after I shut it off it started leaking coolant out of the overflow on the radiator, any Ideas on what it could be. Thanks

[Cooter]

Sounds like you need to replace the radiator and flush out the cooling system WELL! If it continues to look like "Yoohoo", as many of today's cars usually come in the shop looking like with NO cooling system maintenance, the Only way to get most of that "sh*t" out is pop out all core plugs (Freeze plugs) and use a pressure washer to blow that crud out of the bottom of the block...All you got out by using a hose was what was suspended in the coolant. Good luck, but I've seen where once the cooling system gets that bad, the engine needs to come out for rebuild and hot tanking to remove the crud.

[1BAD68]

You might be jumping to conclusions. What temp gauge are you reading?
If it's the factory instrument panel gauge, it's not accurate. Mine reads high and when I use an infrared temp gun on the engine, it's normal.
Coolant overflow at shutdown could be air in the system depending on how much came out.
For getting the crud out you can use Cascade dishwasher detergent. Google "cascade cooling system flush" it if you want to find out how to use it, I've done it and it really works good.

[kole32]

Thanks guys, I'll try that.

[Cooter]

Um, yeah, try the Cascade, Good luck.