BAD MECHANICS - Thermostat and Radiator Fan Blade

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soonercruiser

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I know that somewhere along this saga with the new to me 1967 Barracuda I have questioned ya'll about the proper thermostat temp for a 318.
The consensus was 180 - 190, so I had bought one to include in my latest list for my fav dealer.

The old man and son who put this 318 together were clowns! And it's beginning to get frustrating dealing with all the fixes.
("Cobbled together" someone else posted, is corrcet!)

**Well so today, the shop shows me that there is no thermostat in the housing!!!!
The old man liked the aftermarket gagues under the dash. But....the sensor probe for the aftermarket temperature gauge sticks so far into the housing that there was no room for a thermostat.
**SO THEY LEFT IT OUT!!!! REALLY???
I can only assume that since his intention was to only drive short distances to local shows, that he wasn't concerned about it! And didn't tell me about it! No wonder I can't get any heat!

But, when we looked closely at the hose coming off the radiator, we discovered what the rattle noise was that I had them looking for.
The fan blade - hitting the hose - almost all the way through.
I'll be ordering a shorter fan blade. But because the end of the radiator nozzle is sooo close to the fan blade, I may need a modified hose too.
The other option is more extensive - cutting some extra holes in the radiator mounting and raising the radiator an inch.
 
My Demon's former owner welded the PS front frame rail 3/4 of an inch crooked on the cross member then bent it for the K frame holes to line up.......Surprise!

20190628_155159.jpg
 
When the original owner of Max put the fenderwells in, he cut the fuel line halfway, then put on a short rubber hose and some copper tubing and ran it up to the fuel pump and wire tied the copper tubing to the torsion bar!
 
Shows how the fan blade was hitting the upper rad hose.
And, how there isn't enough space to even use a hose that curves upwards.

fan hitting radiator hose.jpg


Showing where the long aftermarket sensor is protruding into the housing space meant for the thermostat.

sensor protruding into thermostat space.jpg
 
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The reason the fan is hitting the hose is that it is almost center on the rad

The usual location is a few inches from the far left or right giving plenty of room for the hose to route correctly

Another strike against the "cool" aluminum radiators :poke:
 
that's some bobo *** work there.

1- check the motor mounts are correct. might have something wacky going on there lifting the motor an additional 1/2" that you could use up front.

2- check the radiator, you might be able to space it up a 1/2" or so.

3- throw out that t-stat housing and get something decent. i don't know wtf that abortion looking thing is or what purpose it serves.

4- the manifold should have a provision for the temp sensor. install it there.

5- accordion hoses look ***. get a molded hose, or parts of a molded hose with a solid pipe slipped in there to make the connection.

6- you're likely going to need a shroud, think about that going forward.

dana hit it square with the note that the stock inlet is generally offset by several inches, which is compounding your problem here.

the easiest solution is a correct radiator and shroud, but it is also the most expensive.
 
junkyardhero said:
that's some bobo *** work there.

1- check the motor mounts are correct. might have something wacky going on there lifting the motor an additional 1/2" that you could use up front.

2- check the radiator, you might be able to space it up a 1/2" or so.

3- throw out that t-stat housing and get something decent. i don't know wtf that abortion looking thing is or what purpose it serves.

4- the manifold should have a provision for the temp sensor. install it there.

5- accordion hoses look ***. get a molded hose, or parts of a molded hose with a solid pipe slipped in there to make the connection.

6- you're likely going to need a shroud, think about that going forward.

dana hit it square with the note that the stock inlet is generally offset by several inches, which is compounding your problem here.

the easiest solution is a correct radiator and shroud, but it is also the most expensive.
Click to expand...

We couldn't find another location for the heat sensor.
The have ordered a different thermostat housing.
Yes, planned on getting rid of the acordian!
They mentioned a shroud. But, we''ll have to follow temps after the things we are already doing.
Ordered a 16 inch FlexBlade from Summit Racing.
(These things will hopefully keep us from having to lift the rad, as that would have been overall more expensive to do. And not sure what interferance that would create.)
 
soonercruiser said:
I know that somewhere along this saga with the new to me 1967 Barracuda I have questioned ya'll about the proper thermostat temp for a 318.
The consensus was 180 - 190, so I had bought one to include in my latest list for my fav dealer.

The old man and son who put this 318 together were clowns! And it's beginning to get frustrating dealing with all the fixes.
("Cobbled together" someone else posted, is corrcet!)

**Well so today, the shop shows me that there is no thermostat in the housing!!!!
The old man liked the aftermarket gagues under the dash. But....the sensor probe for the aftermarket temperature gauge sticks so far into the housing that there was no room for a thermostat.
**SO THEY LEFT IT OUT!!!! REALLY???
I can only assume that since his intention was to only drive short distances to local shows, that he wasn't concerned about it! And didn't tell me about it! No wonder I can't get any heat!

But, when we looked closely at the hose coming off the radiator, we discovered what the rattle noise was that I had them looking for.
The fan blade - hitting the hose - almost all the way through.
I'll be ordering a shorter fan blade. But because the end of the radiator nozzle is sooo close to the fan blade, I may need a modified hose too.
The other option is more extensive - cutting some extra holes in the radiator mounting and raising the radiator an inch.
Click to expand...
There are a couple of people that make thermostat spacers, with bored/ tapped fittings out the side. You put that under the stat, and the gauge sender into one of the fittings. Mancini, I think, is one.

There used to be fittings that allowed attachments into a radiator hose, but they can fail. Otherwise, you have to be selective with fittings, and fiddle with a tee in the heater hose connection--the one that is below the stat, flow wise

Or change to an electric gauge, which, generally, use smaller senders
 
soonercruiser said:
We couldn't find another location for the heat sensor.
The have ordered a different thermostat housing.
Yes, planned on getting rid of the acordian!
They mentioned a shroud. But, we''ll have to follow temps after the things we are already doing.
Ordered a 16 inch FlexBlade from Summit Racing.
(These things will hopefully keep us from having to lift the rad, as that would have been overall more expensive to do. And not sure what interferance that would create.)
Click to expand...
what kind of manifold is that? it doesn't have a provision for a sensor? wild.

what is the limiting factor in raising the radiator? a piece of box tube underneath and pop holes where they need to be and you should be solid, no?
 
67Dart273 said:
There are a couple of people that make thermostat spacers, with bored/ tapped fittings out the side. You put that under the stat, and the gauge sender into one of the fittings. Mancini, I think, is one.

There used to be fittings that allowed attachments into a radiator hose, but they can fail. Otherwise, you have to be selective with fittings, and fiddle with a tee in the heater hose connection--the one that is below the stat, flow wise

Or change to an electric gauge, which, generally, use smaller senders
Click to expand...
Therm housing was an oddball.
So, it's being replaced.
 
soonercruiser said:
Therm housing was an oddball.
So, it's being replaced.
Click to expand...
I do not understand what you mean. Stat housing (factory) has nothing to do with sender. I am talking about an aftermarket spacer that goes UNDER the stat, that has 1 or 2 fittings for hoses or senders. The housing you use on top has nothing to do with that

Be careful, tho. There was a change in stat size and housing bolt spacing, I do not remember, anymore what years were what. (I have an aftermarket manifold, drilled for both bolt spacings)
 
soonercruiser said:
We couldn't find another location for the heat sensor.
The have ordered a different thermostat housing.
Yes, planned on getting rid of the acordian!
They mentioned a shroud. But, we''ll have to follow temps after the things we are already doing.
Ordered a 16 inch FlexBlade from Summit Racing.
(These things will hopefully keep us from having to lift the rad, as that would have been overall more expensive to do. And not sure what interferance that would create.)
Click to expand...
Any sensor to be useful for temp would have to be below the 'stat, unless there's none at all as You found it, coolant crossover in intake needs a hole drilled & tapped to accept sensor fitting.
 
67Dart273 said:
I do not understand what you mean. Stat housing (factory) has nothing to do with sender. I am talking about an aftermarket spacer that goes UNDER the stat, that has 1 or 2 fittings for hoses or senders. The housing you use on top has nothing to do with that

Be careful, tho. There was a change in stat size and housing bolt spacing, I do not remember, anymore what years were what. (I have an aftermarket manifold, drilled for both bolt spacings)
Click to expand...

IMG_20191222_1910235.jpg
 
soonercruiser said:
We couldn't find another location for the heat sensor.
Click to expand...

The intakes I have now have a boss and a threaded hole in the intake manifold's coolant runner between the thermostat and the driver's side head. This is for a mechanical temp gauge; there is also a smaller threaded hole on the passenger side for the factory electronic temp gauge. However, I've had a couple of intakes in the past (early seventies) that had only the passenger side provision for the factory electronic gauge, and no built-in provision for a temp sensor for an aftermarket mechanical temp gauge. What I did was drill a hole in the driver's side coolant passage (between the thermostat and the driver's side head), then tapped the hole for the sensor fitting. The manifold casting was thin there, so I put a couple of washers under the adapter and screwed the adapter into the intake after coating it and the washers with JB weld. Looked OK and lasted until I switched intakes years later (back when the car was still a daily driver). At the time, no one offered a spacer like the one illustrated above. So today, you can do what I did back in the day for almost no money, or you could go fancy and use the spacer under the thermostat housing as illustrated above. :thumbsup:
 
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sensor-protruding-into-thermostat-space-jpg.jpg


Where you have pictured is a damn poor place for a temp sender, anyhow as it is ABOVE the stat

Look at the photo in post 18. THAT is what I'm talking about
 
Need correct Radiator, shorud, Fan clutch, fan, thermostat housing,
Properly setup the kick down linkage ( the rod should be forward at idle not in the back of the slot ) .Really, Get out the service manual and see what else is wrong.
If you do it right you will only have to fix it once.
 
Return the 16" fan

Take the rad to a rad shop or a welder and have the inlet moved to the left or right.

At least that way you can use stock hoses
 
MoparLeo said:
Need correct Radiator, shorud, Fan clutch, fan, thermostat housing,
Properly setup the kick down linkage ( the rod should be forward at idle not in the back of the slot ) .Really, Get out the service manual and see what else is wrong.
If you do it right you will only have to fix it once.
Click to expand...

Yes, the kickdown linkage should look like this - and it should have a light spring to pull it forward (you can see mine just under the kd rod. The way the OP's is hooked up, the kickdown cannot possibly be working right, and maybe not at all.

1704401229466.jpeg
 
Killer6 said:
Any sensor to be useful for temp would have to be below the 'stat, unless there's none at all as You found it, coolant crossover in intake needs a hole drilled & tapped to accept sensor fitting.
Click to expand...
You are correct; below the thermostat.
I'll be looking harder.
 
It is an alum rad. You can have the top rad hose fitting moved to the side...& have a plate welded over the existing hole.
 
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