1970 Olds 442 stalling when warming up!

[Giddy]

Hello I have had problems with my car getting hot when I idling or in a slow flowing cruise for awhile. I was wondering what new radiator everyone would recommend. It is a 1970 442 with a 455 all numbers match with 69,000 original miles. The engine and body was gone through and restored in the 80's and it is due for another one but still look good for it's age. It has been in the family since the 70's and our family is good friends with the original owner.

I just started it up for the first time in a year and currently it will run alright when it in park or cold but once it reaches 200 degrees it will start to sputter and I can barely keep it running at 1/4 throttle and it would die frequently. I am going to give it a tuneup (pulgs, cap, rotor probably fuel filter) but what else do you think could be causing it to die like that?

Also, where would you recommend ordering good quality parts from?

Thanks

[mugzilla]

I put in a USA made 4 row core in mine and also a heavy duty GM fan clutch ...

Do you have a shroud ..?

I also use a heavy duty trans cooler and I bypass the radiator altogether ...

[88 coupe]

Welcome to the site.

Originally Posted by Giddy

........ once it reaches 200 degrees it will start to sputter and I can barely keep it running ........

Test the fuel pump pressure. When the car was new, that was still part of a "tuneup".

Originally Posted by Giddy

........ where would you recommend ordering good quality parts from?

Your local "Mom & Pop" operation.

If the "Chains" have not yet run them out of business, they survive by providing the highest quality products and service.

Norm

[88 coupe]

Originally Posted by mugzilla

I put in a USA made 4 row core in mine and also a heavy duty GM fan clutch ........

There you go. Damn the expense, get the biggest radiator that will fit.

Yeah, that's it. Those stupid Olds engineers put an undersized radiator, in your car, because they did not know any better.

Norm

[Giddy]

Thanks I don't want my local Mom and Pop to touch my car anymore. My father had them do a few things to it and most have had issues so I am not really impressed. I do not have a fan shroud on it, my Mom and Pop store broke it so I need to find another. Also they installed an electric fan on the front of the radiator which would run the battery dead until I put in a switch to shut it off when I shut down the engine, and I don't want to go into the tranny problems. Those issues aside where else would you recommend for a USA made 4 row core radiator and should I go aluminum also a new fan shroud?

I forgot to mention my car is a post coupe and I haven't seen any other post coupes around does anyone here have one?

Thanks for the help.

[88 coupe]

Originally Posted by Giddy

........ I don't want my local Mom and Pop to touch my car ........

Sounds like a repair shop, which is far different than a "Parts supplier".

Originally Posted by Giddy

........ where would you recommend ordering good quality parts from?

I must have misread your question.

Norm

[Giddy]

Sorry for the confusion my local repair shop is also my local parts shop. Most other shops are Napa affiliates.

[joe_padavano]

A couple of thoughts. First, 200 F is not an excessive temperature. If the car runs poorly at that temp, you likely have another problem. Keep in mind that with a 15 psi radiator cap, the boiling point of the coolant is around 250 F.

Second, while I like to support my local mom 'n pop auto parts store, I unfortunately can't afford to. A few examples: I purchased a heater valve from Advanced Auto for $14. Installed it and had it fail in a couple of months. It turns out that the failure was due to the fact that I bent it during installation, but I didn't know that at the time. Since I suspected that the problem was the cheap, made in Mexico valve, I thought I would got to the small local parts store for a replacement. Imagine my surprise when I paid $37 for the same made-in-Mexico valve. It came in the same white box and had the same part number on it.

Second example is the air cleaner to carb gasket. It took an argument with the parts counter expert at Advanced to convince them that they did, in fact, have this gasket in stock. 20 minutes and $2 later a FelPro gasket was in my hand. Not wanting to go through this again, I went to the local store to get one. They did not have one in stock but would have several in a couple of days. Now three weeks later, they still don't have any.

I've found (with Advanced anyway) that if you go on line first and print out exactly the part you want, they're pretty good about getting it if they don't have it. Just be aware that even their on-line catalog has errors (as 74Omega has found...)

[mugzilla]

Originally Posted by 88 coupe

There you go. Damn the expense, get the biggest radiator that will fit.

Yeah, that's it. Those stupid Olds engineers put an undersized radiator, in your car, because they did not know any better.

Norm

It's hot here and my car had A.C. and a 4 core in it. I was trying to

emphasize buying a made in USA radiator for quality and heat exchange

potential ...

If I raced 1/4 mile specifically I would run the lightest(2-core) radiator I

could...

I drive to the track and around town so I'm happy with the stock

radiator...