'74 4500 gas overheating

Ecnerwal

Member
Bought the thing in December - perhaps this is why it was for sale cheap - in December.

Fired it up to do a few things yesterday, running all of 10-15 minutes when it boiled over and out the radiator vent tube.

I can think of various probable causes, but just wondering if anyone had insight to the most likely among them.

Fan is turning, radiator is far from clean but not all plugged (outside - light is visible through the fins). Could be bad water pump, could be bad radiator cap, could be bad thermostat, could be internally plugged radiator, could be something I have not thought of.

No sign of water in oil.

Shut down and let cool, refilled, puttered it back to the parking slot in 5 minute chunks. Don't have a lot of time to fuss with it right now, but it would d be nice if it was a bit more useable, until the proposed 4500 two-into-one project happens, if it does.
 
To happen that quick it sounds like thermostat. In any case that is the easiest and cheapest component to start with.

Jim
 
Remeber the water / antifreeze has to have room for expansion. If you fill it clear to the top some will come out the tube. Correct fill is around 2 inches from the top cold.
Keith
 
need to drill a small hole in the thermostat flange so that the thermostat can move the hot water out the the intake manifold where it can sense correct temp. common problem on 3 cyl gas models..

hole needs to be size of pencil lead and in outter flange area but near the center so that it is exposed to the water flow area and not covered by thermostat housing. btdi.. Bill
 

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