I am new to the forum, only posting a couple of times when needing some help. The forum responded and the help offered was swift and correct; the posters solved my problems.
Now I would like to share my cooling solution that worked for me and maybe it might help someone else with the same problem.
Four years ago we bought our '79. The previous owner had cooling problems and we tried everything (new pump, fan clutch, changed radiator from 3 row to 4 row, nothing worked). I bought the car and continued to try to find the problem and in the meantime cracked two right hand exhaust manifolds.
When we decided to do a tune up on the car we discovered the advance weights were rusted tight and there was no advance. We replaced the distributor, "road set" the timing and the difference was unbelievable. More power and IT DID NOT RUN HOT!
Move forward to this year when the first hot spell hit. Suddenly the car started running well over 220 again. The faster you went the hotter the car would run. I checked the distributor and timing and things seemed correct. Car ran hot, worse gas mileage, no pickup. Then I thought to check the vacuum advance and it had a hole in it and was not working. I replaced the vacuum advance and we are back to between 190 and just below 220, gas mileage went back up and the car runs great.
This is just a thought for those of you who have tried "everything" and your shark still runs hot. I hope this will help someone. Thanks.

 

Sounds like you have learned a lot about your car, it will come in handy as the years go by and you are enjoy many nice cool cruises.

I like many thought if it is running hot than it most be the cooling system, well not always. The eng is a interactive system and although not rocket science it does take some knowledge to diagnos a problem such as running hot. Thanks for sharing, that is what the forum is all about.

:cheers:

 

Excellent tip! I lube the weights every spring after winter storage. And welcome to the Forum!

 

Paul, do you rotate the air in your tires every year too....????

Good tip BTW... :cheers:

 

WOW!! Great info!!!! Thanks for posting. Have to print this one for the archives for just such an occasion (myterious overheating).

And once again Paul79, just what the heck is this "winter storage" you keep talking about? :confused: :D

 

It's the opposite of keeping it in the garage becuase it will melt in 900 degree sun

 

Using distilled water and a MINIMUM amount of anti-freeze helped my cooling issues a bunch.

 

Thanks for posting that solution. :thumbs: :seeya

 

Thanks for sharing that with us. It is something I don't think a lot of people (including myself) would have checked. :smash:

 

I lube my computer DPFI/HEI every winter too.....

may retard the timing a bit in my case....

GENE

 

I leave the tires alone. They have 1979 St. Louis air in them ;) .