62 hawk radiator

[dallastx75208]

Has any one put in a 4 core radiator in a 62 Hawk. I need to run cooler. Or is there a readiator that can drop in without a lot of modifications that will do a better job than the one I have.

[jackb]

its unlikely your problem is the "size" of the radiator if the stock one in your Hawk is good and original...If you know its good: your problem is likely "obstruction" in the block passages.....you need to pop out the core plugs and clean out thoroughly.......sorry....I'm assuming all other cooling parts are good ind in good working order...

[Bud]

I have a 3 row radiator in my 62 Hawk with an R1 engine and R3 cam and it doesn't run hot even out in the desert in the summer. I would bet that there are other problems such as crud in the water jackets and in the radiator core. Also the thermostat could be defective causing the engine to run hot or even defective distributor spark advance will cause the engine to run hot. Bud

[dallastx75208]

Pop out core plugs, would this mean having to pull the engine? Once pulgs are out do I use a coat hanger and just fish it through to clean out stuff? I do not know much about this stuff.
Bud, where did you get your radiator and did you have to do a lot of modifications to get it to fit?

[Bud]

I have the original radiator in the car, but it's been recored by my local radiator shop that is used to dealing with the older car cooling systems. You should be able to find a shop in the Dallas Fort Worth area that can recore your original radiator. Cleaning out the water jackets is a messy job that will take some time to do with coat hangers, screw drivers and a high pressure water blast to remove the crud. I don't recommend doing the job on a concrete driveway as the rust from the cooling system will stain the concrete. Bud

[Bud]

I forgot to add that you don't have to remove the engine from the chassis to get at the core plugs. you will have to remove the starter to get at the left rear plug. Bud

[dallastx75208]

distributor advance

I have a 3 row radiator in my 62 Hawk with an R1 engine and R3 cam and it doesn't run hot even out in the desert in the summer. I would bet that there are other problems such as crud in the water jackets and in the radiator core. Also the thermostat could be defective causing the engine to run hot or even defective distributor spark advance will cause the engine to run hot. Bud

I pulled the vac. line and sucked on it. Took a lot to get the advance to move. Should it take that much to make it move? I do not have a way of testing how many pounds of sucktion it took.
Going to take the radiator in and have the core changed to 3 row like you did.

[Bud]

If the engine still has a Prestolite distributor in it that hasn't been serviced in recent history, the centrifugal advance mechanism could be worn and not allowing the spark advance to operate properly. If you have access to a timing light, you can check the operetion of the advance. Also be sure that the base timing is set correctly. Bud

[dallastx75208]

still hot

I pulled the radiator and had it cleaned. I put in a new water pump. I pulled out the freeze plug, the last one on the drivers side. Was not very dirty at all so did not bother with others. Timing was done about two months ago. Sucked on the vacuume hose for the advance and it moved. Took the car out on a 95 degree day and it ran at about 235 for a temp. Not sure what else to do aside pull the heads and do a cleaning from there through the jackets.

If the engine still has a Prestolite distributor in it that hasn't been serviced in recent history, the centrifugal advance mechanism could be worn and not allowing the spark advance to operate properly. If you have access to a timing light, you can check the operetion of the advance. Also be sure that the base timing is set correctly. Bud

[Bud]

It's possible that you have a leaky head gasket or possibly a cracked head or block that allows combustion gasses to enter the cooling system causing the higher than normal coolant temperature. It's also possible that your water temperature gauge is malfunctioning giving you an inaccurate reading. I would recommend either borrowing or buying a digital infrared thermometer, they're not very expensive to check the engine temperature. They are accurate and easy to use. Are you losing coolant when the engine temperature is high? If not, I would suspect a gauge problem and not an engine problem. Bud

[Bud]

As an added note, the vacuum advance needs 13 in vacuum to get the vacuum advance to pull the breaker plate to the full advance position if the vacuum advance can is working correctly. you need a vacuum pump with a gauge to do the test correctly. Like I stated in an earlier post, you may have a defective thermostat that is causing your problem. I use the Mr. Gasket high performance 180 deg. thermostats in my Studebakers as they flow more coolant when they open than a Stant or other stock replacement thermostats. I buy them from Summit Racing, the part number is 4364. They run around 12 bucks which is more that an AutoZone part, but the money is well spent as my cars run cooler at high speeds with the Mr Gasket thermostats installed. Bud

[Chucks Stude]

Are you sure it is hot? Buy an infared thermometer from Northern Tool, or Harbor Frt. and check the temp. of your engine. You can learn a lot with one of these thing, and find hot spots, or bad components. Just a thought.