I had my engine rebuilt quite a while ago. They suped it up ever so slightly. It's nothing special, it's a 200cid.
Thing is, it gets pretty hot.
Usually it meanders about 160, but if I let it sit in traffic or in a drive-thru line, it tends to rise to 190 pretty quickly (depending on the length of said sitting) and continues to rise bit by bit.
The fan is great and it's pretty strong, but it seems to only do its job when you hit the gas.

My question is, what reasons would there be for it to be doing this, and is this a common problem that one just has to live with, or is something up?

 

around 200 degrees is pretty normal, but if you want to keep it a little cooler you could try a lower temp thermostat, maybe a high flow water pump, or maybe your radiator just needs a good flush

 

I could probably go with a lower temp thermostat, don't remember what mine is.
200 is normal, then? Hrm... It's just that once it hits 195 it starts to sputter a little. Not clank, like it's overheating, but like it's about to die.

I think they did put a high flow water pump, or at least they should have, but I'll look into that. The radiator is good, I had to have it sealed and whatnot not too long ago, so it should be pretty clean.

 

are you using a shroud and how far away is the fan from the rad?

Kalli

 

Not using a shroud, and because of the adapter we had to use at the base of the fan, it's somewhere between a 1/2 inch to 1 inch away from the radiator. It flexes, though, so it pulls back slightly when it's running.

I'm kinda new to the car thing, so I'm learning as I go. What would a shroud be?

 

between 1/2" and one inch is perfect distance. A shroud is that huge plastic funnel that attaches to the radiator. if you don't have one of them the fan pulls the air from whereever and blows it whereever (no good). as well it saves your hands with engine running and not being careful.
I see a lot of classics here without one, so I thought I'd ask

Kalli

 

Did they bore the engine when it was rebuilt? How much if so?

My 200 was rebuilt in 05 and was bore .040 also. I never overheat and never get half way on the temp gauge.

 

This is your problem.

When you car is at Idle it starts getting hot. The fan shroud is designed to pull air in a suction when the car is in Idle. Install the proper fan and reinstall the shroud and your problems will go away. If you dont want to go that route, try the new t-stat, it will help.

 

160 is way too cold. At that temp, you're quenching too much fuel in the combustion chamber, which reduces efficiency and causes carbon buildup in the intake and chambers. The engine is designed to run at 200-210F. Ideally, you want something like a 190* thermostat in there to keep it running properly.

Assuming your temp readings are corect, I don't see a real problem. You shouldn't be worried until the temp starts to get above 230F.

Your sputtering issues may be separate. What's your timing like? When was the last time the carb was rebuilt? What shape are the plugs in?

 

So, installing a fan shroud will cure all my problems? Sounds simple enough.
I think that's the route I'm going to take on this one. I live in Houston, Texas, so concentrating that air will keep it cool, then it's a must. Summer's almost nigh, and traffic going home is a nightmare.

They did bore out the engine, though I don't remember by how much.

Thanks for all the input, guys. I really, truly appreciate it.