need some help figuring out what i got??

[Bonnewagon]

It appears to be a 3 or 4 core stock radiator. Open the cap and look inside to count how many rows are there. If it's really rebuilt there should be be no junk around the openings of the rows. I would flush it out and try a 160 thermostat and remove the AC condenser if it's not being used. FWIW I used a narrow 6 cyl 3 row with a Pontiac 400 and it cooled fine but it was new and clean.

 

[deadtofall_11]

its a 3 row and its clean as a whistle, i might try some water wetter

 

[Bonnewagon]

Water Wetter lowered the temps 20* on my 68' LeSabre. With the cap off, can you see coolant flowing briskly? (DON'T GET BURNED!) I would still remove the condenser.

 

[deadtofall_11]

yeah its got great flow

 

[larryo454]

Hi did u change the water pump in the engine? If so you might have a reverse rotation pump used with the surpentine belts system.

 

[deadtofall_11]

im using a serpetine system with a reverse water pump

 

[megaladon6]

are you running a constant 215? does it change if you let the car idle? what about idling with the fan on or off? or driving?
it is possible that the cooling system is fine, the engine may be out of tune. if the timing is advanced, or the carb is tuned lean, or there's a vacuum leak, it can run at a higher temp.
don't recall if you said where you are---so.... if you're in the desert 215 is fine.

 

[pontiacgp]

you might want to check to make sure the water pump is a reverse flow....I bought a rebuilt from Napa that was in a box with the right part number for a reverse flow and ran almost all summer with it. It ran warm but never overheated and I could not find the problem until I had to check the flow in the rad cause I was getting a air lock in my heater hoses and noticed there was no flow so I removed the water pump and took of the back panel and it was not a reverse flow pump...replaced it and the temp is perfect

 

[deadtofall_11]

got it fixed, put in a 160 thermostat and now its running 175 and 180 but its also only about 40 degrees out right now

 

[jrm81bu]

got it fixed, put in a 160 thermostat and now its running 175 and 180 but its also only about 40 degrees out right now

I wouldn't count on it being fixed yet. The thermostat only controls minimum operating temp and will do nothing to cure a faulty or insuffecient cooling system. Unless the last thermostat was sticking or not opening all the way.