New gal from TX

snakewench · #1 (**permalink**) 01-13-2013, 10:16 AM

Hola Club Cobra!

Newbie to club, newbie to Cobras too. Santa was very good to herself this year...my '67 Cobra rolled off the delivery truck back in November, and I have been having the time of my life ever since! Saw my first Cobra at the tender age of ten and knew one day I would have one...yep, that time has finally arrived.

The car came from Colorado, so it's taken a couple of months of tinkering to get the carb jetting corrected for 250ft (Houston suburbs) vs 6500, and she's still a bit rich, but running better since swapping the original boat-anchor Edelbrock for a Holley 750. She runs pretty hot too, still trying to improve the airflow dynamics...I'll be doing alot of studying here for tweaking tips n tricks!

Lookin' forward to talkin' Cobra with you guys!

littlewave · #2 (**permalink**) 01-13-2013, 10:26 AM

Snakewrench, What does your coolant system consist of?

Tutosnake · #3 (**permalink**) 01-13-2013, 11:20 AM

Pictures?!

snakewench · #4 (**permalink**) 01-13-2013, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tutosnake

Pictures?!

I'll go take some engine bay pics...I need all the help I can get with this heat issue!

Thanks!

snakewench · #5 (**permalink**) 01-13-2013, 11:33 AM

Littlewave...that's snakeWENCH, not wrench. Understandable mistake, but I take considerable pride in my hard-fought WENCH status!

Thanks for your response. My car has the custom 2-row aluminum radiator supplied by Midstates back in '99 when the car was built. It runs a 16 inch thermostatically-controlled electric fan (automatic at 205 degrees) with manual override switch. I run the fan pretty much all of the time in this car since operating/travelling temp hovers around 200 and creeps up to 210-215 if idled very long. I've seen the gauge creep up to 225 at a stop light when ambient temp was only 75, but humidity was up there around 80%. This car came from Colorado, so heat and humidity were not such an issue as they are hear in hotbox Houston. I have put about 1100 miles on the car now, and fortunately the weather here has been pretty decent with ambient temps no greater than 75. Of course, that will soon be changing as Spring approaches here, with temps in the 90's with 75-90% humidity...

There's not much room for airflow in the bay when stuffed with a 460, so I wonder if there is anything that could be done to improve it...any ideas/input?

Thanks!

MFE III · #6 (**permalink**) 01-13-2013, 11:46 AM

Do a search on here for Taurus Fan. Very strong two-speed fan with a shroud. Cured my cooling problems.
Welcome to CC.
Matt

littlewave · #7 (**permalink**) 01-13-2013, 11:55 AM

Oil cooler?

snakewench · #8 (**permalink**) 01-13-2013, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by littlewave

Oil cooler?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mln385

Make sure the area around the outside of the radiator is sealed. If air is going around the radiator instead of thru it you are loosing some cooling. You may need to go with a different radiator.

I took some pics of the engine bay today. You can see the gallery on my profile page. If you guys see anything I should consider changing, please let me know.

Thanks!

mln385 · #9 (**permalink**) 01-14-2013, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snakewench

I took some pics of the engine bay today. You can see the gallery on my profile page. If you guys see anything I should consider changing, please let me know.

Thanks!

You would greatly improve your cooling if you install a shroud in the front nose area as well as a different fan shroud. In the front all the air is going around the radiator (Pic) and your radiator shroud is only pulling about 60% of air through radiator. A fan shroud should cover all the area of the cooling fins.

Nice looking car.

Tutosnake · #10 (**permalink**) 01-14-2013, 06:07 AM

I like it! Always a fan of pit stripes...

Sminor · #11 (**permalink**) 01-14-2013, 06:27 AM

There's nothing better than a well-read, good natured wench who can wrench! Welcome to the madness.

I believe these guys have you well on your way to solving your heating problem.
If you like the idea of a hundred Cobras in one place, motor on up for the London Show in June where there are usually two hundred or more (we also do a couple track days at Mid-Ohio that week).
steve

Racer_X · #12 (**permalink**) 01-14-2013, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snakewench

I took some pics of the engine bay today. You can see the gallery on my profile page. If you guys see anything I should consider changing, please let me know.

Thanks!

SnakeWench,
I see under drive pulleys, chevy based distributor and chevy alternator..... and your fan shroud isn't covering the entire face of the radiator. Also your radiator cap is at a low position in line with the radiator and engine. That'll make it harder to make sure all the air is out of the cooling system. Do you have a air purge point elsewhere on the engine? Are you sure the system is full and no trapped air exists?

Besides the chevy parts on a Ford, your issue with low speed overheating is the under drive pulley system. Too slow water flow for our heat, and it's not hot yet as you well know.

I'd change the pulleys to standard ratio crank and wp pulleys, 1:1 ratio if I recall, and then see what your water temps are. Bet they stay in line then. Next item would be at least an 18" fan with shroud covering the entire fin area of the radiator.

The Houston Cobra Club is Houstoncobraclub@yahoogroups.com

Racer_X
Kirkham #374 (under construction)

dallas_ · #13 (**permalink**) 01-14-2013, 11:03 AM

Welcome!

I'm surprised that no one has commented on the picture of the asses in your gallery.

x2 on the suggestions to start with your radiator. Shroud the front, and get a better shroud and fan for the rear. That will help a lot. You are getting nowhere near the cooling capacity of your radiator with that setup.

Nice looking car. Enjoy it while it's cooler.

edit:
It gets hot here in Dallas too, so we added hood louvers to help get the heat out of the engine compartment.

vector1 · #14 (**permalink**) 01-13-2013, 12:05 PM

oooh, a wench that can talk wrench

snakewench · #15 (**permalink**) 01-13-2013, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vector1

oooh, a wench that can talk wrench

Oh yeah, and this wench can wrench too!

My favorite wenchy quote from James Shirley's Hyde Park (1639):

"...'tis no shame for men of his high birth to love a wench; his honour may privilege more sins. Next to a woman, He loves a running COBRA!"

(loosely interpreted, of course...)

vector1 · #16 (**permalink**) 01-14-2013, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snakewench

Oh yeah, and this wench can wrench too!

My favorite wenchy quote from James Shirley's Hyde Park (1639):

"...'tis no shame for men of his high birth to love a wench; his honour may privilege more sins. Next to a woman, He loves a running COBRA!"

(loosely interpreted, of course...)

Oh, it's twue. It's twue. It's twue, it's twue!

anyway, check the temp of the thermostat and make sure your not undriving the water pump. if the fan is set to come on at 205 the stat is prob in that range, takes a bit for everything to catch up once it gets there. cheers

mln385 · #17 (**permalink**) 01-13-2013, 01:02 PM

Make sure the area around the outside of the radiator is sealed. If air is going around the radiator instead of thru it you are loosing some cooling. You may need to go with a different radiator.

snakewench · #18 (**permalink**) 01-13-2013, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mln385

Make sure the area around the outside of the radiator is sealed. If air is going around the radiator instead of thru it you are loosing some cooling. You may need to go with a different radiator.

Thanks for the input, mln385. I'll sure check that out.

Bernica · #19 (**permalink**) 01-13-2013, 04:27 PM

Welcome and congrats on your new car. You are among the most informed and helpful folks on Cobras, however surley they may be at times. Just have a thick skin and ask these guys anything. They have been a wealth of information for me over the years and a great bunch.

snakewench · #20 (**permalink**) 01-13-2013, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bernica

Welcome and congrats on your new car. You are among the most informed and helpful folks on Cobras, however surley they may be at times. Just have a thick skin and ask these guys anything. They have been a wealth of information for me over the years and a great bunch.

Thanks, Bernica...I have no doubt that I will one day be able to snatch that proverbial pebble from CC's collective hand, and don't worry, we wenches are a thick-skinned lot for sure!