1960 CJ 5 Overheating and more

First time posting here for me, and have to admit i'm completely new to repair. I was just out a couple days ago in the jeep when it started to overheat. It was the first time i took it on the highway and with in 10 minutes the temp was way up there. It seems that the water pump is working since all the hoses were hot to the touch and coolant was flowing through the system. The radiator has some junk in there, so i will be trying to flush it out. I will also be trying the 1/8" hole drilled into the new t stat in case theres an air bubble in there. If there is an issue with the radiator, what other makes could i look at that might be comparable? The jeep has a heater core, but no controls for the heat, so i'm not sure if its on or not. Would running a bypass hose from the pump to the head possibly help? Thanks


http://photobucket.com/1960willys

 

It sounds like your working it out but a possible crack in the block is something to check out and mabey pressure test radiater sweet jeep by the way hang in there just remember JEEP (just empty every pocket)

 

Welcome from Ga. Good looking JEEP.

 

Like Walt said,nice looking Jeep.

Put your location in the upper right,there just be someone right around the corner that will help YA.

 

For what it's worth I've found blown gaskets to be fairly common in the F-head. It's not a huge job to pull the head. Possibly get the head checked for flatness, mill it if necessary. Pay attention to cleaning the bolts, and hole threads, then torque carefully to spec.

A crack in the block may possibly be fixable by a machine shop, if that is the issue, but obviously it's more work.

 

First check the timing then clean the radiator. Sometime They put stop-leak and it will plug the rad too. And what is your ideal OF hot? Is it boiling over or just get over 180 ?

 

Thanks for all the responses! It was actually boiling over, not sure how accurate the gauge is, but it kept climbing well above the limit on it (250) before i noticed it was that hot, and it took under 10 minutes to reach that temp. I'll keep you all updated on my progress.

 

You mentioned there are no heater controls but is there a shutoff valve for the heater? The heater hose coming from the rear of the engine, does it have any type of valve or does it connect straight to the head? It sounds like there is a blockage somewhere, either the radiator or the heater core. You can bypass the heater core if you are not using it.

 

"boiling over" sometimes can be actually compression leaking into the water jacket. A "sniffer" can check for hydrocarbon combustion gases in the cooling system.

 

No shutoff valve is on there currently as it connects straight to the head. I was considering trying to eliminate that from the system since it's not in use and could possibly contribute to the issue. The jeeps i've seen that have bypassed the heater core have done so by running a hose from the center spot on the water pump to the front of the head. Will i need to change to this configuration, or is it alright to eliminate the heater core by just running from the existing spot on the water pump directly to the rear of the head? Probably a dumb question, but just want to make sure, cause i'm totally learning as i go along. Thanks!

 

Either method is acceptable.

 

Taking the heater out of the circuit, in theory, actually reduces cooling capacity.

 

Only if you don't mind having warm air blasting onto your feet and legs when the ambient temperature is some where north of "Let's cook an egg on the sidewalk!", which it is here from mid-May until mid-Ocotober every year.

Check your thermostat to see if it is working, or just replace it with a known good one.
Check your pressure cap to see if it is working, or just replace it with a known good one.
Check all of your hoses, one of them maybe collapsing.
Also make sure and run a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water.

If you run normal temps while running around town at 35 mph or so, then overheat when you get your speed up to 45 - 55 mph, then maybe your waterpump needs replacing.
Remember, a lot of this stuff is or may be 52 years old!

 

I wasn't aware that it would cause it to potentially run hotter without the heater core in the circuit. The water pump i ordered just came in so hopefully i'll be able to swap it out by next week. The one in there now definitely looks like it may have been in since day one. Until i made the mistake of taking it on the highway it was always fine cruising around 35mph, now it just heats up no matter the speed. If the radiator need to be replaced since it looks like there is a decent amount of sand in there, what less expensive options would work in place of the original. Seems that all the available new replacements are $500+.

 

I had my radiator recored at a local shop and it was less than half the cost of a new replacement one.

 

There are a couple of simple solutions here.... they may just work

First, I always drill a small hole in the thermostat before installing. That may not have any real effect, but it seems like the right thing to do. It has never caused me any problem...

Second, I don't particularly like the looks of your upper hose. I had overheating trouble with the first couple of f4's I built until I realized that the upper hose can be an air trap if it doesn't fit right. From the radiator to the thermostat housing the hose should continually tilt downwards. If it has any upwards tilt or any nook or cranny where air can get trapped, the air will get trapped, and that can cause overheating.

Lastly, since the plumbing is connected through the heater (and that's the stock way it was made) you want to ensure that the heater isn't clogged or restricted in flow. When there was no heater in the jeep, there was a bypass hose on the front of the engine that went from the head to the water pump.
You need that flow to get the water through the heater or the bypass to get enough water through the engine. If you simply block (shut off ) water through the heater core, think about how the water can get to and from the radiator -- it can, internally through the block, but not in the quantities that you need to keep the engine at correct temp.

Lastly (again) -- ensure that the radiator cap has the correct pressure setting. It isn't OK to simply find a cap laying around the garage and use it. You want to meet the specs on the engine, and for the F4 that isn't much in the way of PSI. That was a clever way for me to say that
F4 has only a few pounds for the radiatior, but I don't remember how much and I don't have a manual next to me right now. Suffice it to say that it aint much.

 

Bypass hose is only there to by-pass the thermostat when it is cold and closed. Doesn't do anything if the thermostat is warmed up and open.
And mine doesn't have one. Or a heater, either. My heat gauge runs the same place when hot in winter and summer.

 

I am pretty sure the cap is rated at 7PSI! Walcks and a few other parts dealers carry them.

 

Just looked at mine.
I have had it since 2006.
No by-pass hose, and a 13 lb cap with a lever.

 

OK just from my own dumb experience...I went through this exact issue, and ended up blowing my head gasket and milling the head and doing a whole top end redo and we decided we'd better do rings etc etc all due to a very stupid mistake.
So before you go any further, make sure that your thermostat is not installed upside down! bunny with a pancakebunny with a pancakebunny with a pancake