well i have tried everything to get my 302 1970 mustang, with ac, to run cool. i have a 4 row radiator with a spal 2300 cfm cooling and 100 amp alternator to keep the fan spinning at top speed. im in az where the afternoon temps are reaching 125 degrees. im running down the highway at 200 degrees but if i get stuck at a light it will get to 210 degrees. it will get back down to 200 while driving. what would be a temp to worry about. my engine is stock except for dual exhaust. by the way, the 2300 spal fan seems to have helped it, it takes longer to get up to 210 at a stop.

 

keeping a cast iron engine down below that in extreme heat is gunna be a big ask. An alum rad may help, but probably only by a few degrees.

are you running an appropriate water/ cooler mix?
do you have and overflow bottle and recovery system (including cap which many forget!)
If yes to above, and provided the temp doesnt go above 210, you are probably ok.

Are you running a filter especially if you have just fitted a new rad????

 

These engines run their best at 200-210. That's normal. What's your problem?

 

oh yeh... as to max, above 220 I start to get pretty nervous. There are various opinions on the max, but i have run a tarmac rally car at 220 for 10 miles under serious load with no issues.

 

im running 50% mix on the antifreeze. it will run down the road at 200, dont think thats really bad but was thinking about what temp could it go to at a light without worrying.

 

That 50-50 mix raises the boiling point to about 240, so you have no worries. Throw in a bottle of Redline Water Wetter and sleep soundly at night.

 

i read that Water Wetter can cause some big problems. if you have a minor leak you could have a big leak with water wetter. one radiator shop, here in az. , said the 4 row is restrictive compared to a 3 row. i never had any problems with my 454 truck with a checker 4 row. im just figuring that temps in the 120,s plus, well what you going to do.

 

Also keep in mind that for every lb cap the boiling point raises 2 degrees.

 

hooray for my 16lb cap and i use water wetter here in az with no probs

 

well i just found out that my vacuum advance is leaking. bought a new one and will install it tonight. also i think i might try hooking it to manifold vacuum. that way it will get advance while idling, might help it run cooler.