Hello and Help (Again) please. My 68 Electra 430-4bbl has been over heating on me. I tried to do a short school parade and ended up on the side of the road with antifreeze running all over the place. :af: ou: The radiator has been flushed and a new 195 thermostat installed. After this, it overheated in Wendy's drive thru.:blast: Installed 180 thermostat and a aftermarket cooling fan in front of the radiator and have just driven the car for a basic test drive. I am told the car really needs a fan shroud to help keep it cooled. I would like to do the Woodward Dream Cruise, but am worried about overheating again a couple hours away from home. Any ideas out there of what I should do??? ou: Thanks all, kc
First question , one of many ... Radiator cap correct ? Fan clutch spin too free , worn out ? Coolant mixture at 50 / 50 ? Shroud on now ? You need that for sure .. Belts not loose or glazed , causing slipping ? Air / fuel mixture ? Timing ? Your turn .......:Smarty: p :TU:
All is great with engine. Just put about a grand+ into the engine to completely rebuild it. I will check with hubby on rest of info--he just went to bed!!! Did the 68 ever have a fan shroud? Ours did not when we got it. I will post answers tomorrow. Thanks kc
That is most definately the fan shroud. I had a 430 in a buick electra 1985 model and it started doing that until I put one on the car. That would be your wisest investment. And witht them big cars I have learned from experience that they need low thermostats in them like 160 degrees with a set of number 26 autolites.
Don't forget to verify the vacuum advance is working. Make sure the add-on fan is spinning the proper direction. I would not use one, to be honest. Yes, a fan shroud could work a minor miracle in your car. You ABSOLUTELY do not need low-temp thermostats, or expensive chemical additives to the cooling system. The car didn't have that when it was new, and it doesn't need them now. Something else is wrong.
Hi All, Here are some answers to the questions: Radiator cap is a 15 lb. closed system cap. There is NO fan clutch on this 430 engine. Coolant is 50/50. Belts are in great shape. Radiator has just recently been re-soldered--no holes at all that we can tell. Timing is good. Water pump is fine-no play in it. Vacuum advance is fine. OK, I think that is all of them. How does a fan shroud attach to the radiator? Radiator measures 29 1/2"wide and 18" high.
put a shroud on it and get rid of that four blade those dont pull much air id go up to a five or six blade and not a cheap flex fan ethier those dont work
Yah, try the shoud and fan like the other guys said. If that does not work your piston rings could be butting up. I have seen motors that always overheat and when they were torn down, you could see that the piston rings were butting up. (Look for shiny spots on ring ends) Did the motor overheat before you rebuilt it ???
The car overheated several times before the engine was rebuilt. I am working on getting a fan shroud now. Where would I find a 5 or 6 blade fan for this and what do I need to know to get one? Are there special sizes or dimensions or a part number I shoud ask for? kc
If you can find a junk yard try looking there for the fan blade. Or put an ad in the "parts wanted" section. There are many a member from this board that live around you. I would also buy a good fan clutch. The shroud may be the hard part to find. On the 70-72 skylarks there are two fan sizes. One for the 350 and one for the 455. Make sure your fan fits the shroud. It sounds like your car only overheats in traffic but not while driving down the road where the wind is forced through the radiater. So the fan and shroud will most likely fix your problem. If you can't find something local, PM me and I will see what I have laying around as far as the fan blade. Shipping would be your only expense and that may be $10 to $15 and several day to get it. Take care and enjoy that Buick!
Thanks Jimmy, I 'll keep working on it. As soon as I find a shroud, I'll go for the fan and see what's around. None of the yards in our area carry "older" cars any more. My cousin even owns one of them and he has nothing. Thanks again kc
The Derale 17xxx series six-bladed flex fan moves a ton of air at idle. Get the biggest diameter that will fit. http://www.derale.com/hdflexfans.shtml
Hello KC & Steve, This link http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=47586 The guy may have what your looking for. give him a call and let me know if you need anything else Cheers!
