1953 Lincoln Cooling system quandary

craterface

craterface

Well-Known Member
Site Donor
Messages
1,720
Reaction score
1,001
Location
Sanibel Island
So, I recently got a 1953 Lincoln Capri, which is in great shape. Another pillarless coupe without AC!

Link to photo:
http://stableltd.com/index.php?opti...=517&catid=98&makeid=146&modelid=0&Itemid=177

Car has a stock 317 Lincoln Y block V8 with a four speed automatic manufactured by GM (Ford did not have the transmission technology that GM did, so they had to buy them from their competitor). 205hp. These were the cars that won the stock class in the Carrera Panamerica in the early 50s.

However, it runs a little warm, and I want to beef up the cooling system for our Florida climate. It has six volt electrics and is all stock.

Options for upgrades-

1.remove the stock water pump and try to rebuild and optimize its performance.
2. Put in an electric fan. There are six volt electric fans on the market, but do they work well? Should I convert to 12V and run a 12V fan?
3. Have a custom radiator fabricated out of aluminum.
4. Any other options?

What should I do first?

The other issue is that warm restarting can be a problem. Has a big Holley 4 barrel downdraft carb right in the center of the cast iron manifold. The gas is probably boiling in the carb. There is already a spacer placed in between the manifold and the carb. So, the next step is probably to install and electric fuel pump to draw cool fuel into the carb and keep the fuel from boiling. Any other thoughts?

Thanks in advance.
Scott
 
Hi Scott and congrats on the purchase. I've been into early Chrysler products most of my life and currently have 5 including your counterpart, a 1953 Chrsler Imperial Newport with a Powerflite trans.

My first recommendation is to flush the entire cooling system and have the radiator checked as it may need to be rodded out. Check and possibly replace the thermostat AND check what the factory recommendation was for a temp on that item. I think if you do this and all is well you won't need a fan. Remember the engineers designed these systems to work but you now have 62 years on it.

An electric auxiallary fuel pump close to the gas tank is a good idea especially if the car sits for long periods of time. You can use it to prime the carb and leave it pumping until the car starts and then turn it off.

Six volt systems can cause issues but make sure you have the proper battery cables (they are larger than 12 volt) and check to make sure you have a good ground. These systems work but the battery must be strong. Personally I use Optima 6 volt batteries that look strange but really do make a difference.

Last, a photo of our '53 Imperial Newport (an original 68K example and one of 823 built).
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1873.jpg
    IMG_1873.jpg
    59.4 KB · Views: 163
Like John says, focus on the radiator, thermostat, and water pump. Flush the block. Take the radiator to a specialist for evaluation, perhaps they can rebuild and/or add more cores, this alone could solve your problem and still look stock. The rad probably has a lot of blockage by now.
 
second that on the radiator.. add more cores and spend the money at a local radiator shop, worth every penny. sometimes finding the right rebuilt water pump is key to it also. this helped me with my 63 continental convt. and these two things took care of most of my problems.
 
Thanks everyone!

I guess the key here is patience.

I need to take that radiator out and take it by hand to a few places to see what they can do.
I am not sure anyone here in Ft Myers has the skills to deal with it.
So I need to do some hunting around. But I will.

There are lots of old American cars around here, but so many are resto- modded that the ability to service and repair old stuff is being lost.

Scott
 
Great car!

johnl said:
Hi Scott and congrats on the purchase. I've been into early Chrysler products most of my life and currently have 5 including your counterpart, a 1953 Chrsler Imperial Newport with a Powerflite trans.

My first recommendation is to flush the entire cooling system and have the radiator checked as it may need to be rodded out. Check and possibly replace the thermostat AND check what the factory recommendation was for a temp on that item. I think if you do this and all is well you won't need a fan. Remember the engineers designed these systems to work but you now have 62 years on it.

An electric auxiallary fuel pump close to the gas tank is a good idea especially if the car sits for long periods of time. You can use it to prime the carb and leave it pumping until the car starts and then turn it off.

Six volt systems can cause issues but make sure you have the proper battery cables (they are larger than 12 volt) and check to make sure you have a good ground. These systems work but the battery must be strong. Personally I use Optima 6 volt batteries that look strange but really do make a difference.

Last, a photo of our '53 Imperial Newport (an original 68K example and one of 823 built).
Click to expand...

I have a friend who is also a Chrysler nut. I was fortunate enough to be invited to co-drive his car in the Mille Miglia Storica in Italy. The car is a 29 Chrysler 75 LeMans Roadster. The car ran like a champ and our only issue was running out of gas. He has had the car thoroughly gone through, and this is the third time he has done the event. It drives so amazingly well and stops great with the four wheel hydraulic brakes.

This is us:

http://www.sportscardigest.com/wp-content/gallery/Mille-Miglia-2015/JMI_1029.jpg

BTW, my Lincoln does have two Optima batteries (6V) and it cranks very well and all the power accessories work well--windows, antenna, seat (!), etc.

Scott
 
Some beautiful Detroit Iron! I live in Bucks County PA and was surprised at the number of radiator shops around when I started digging. Anywhere there was a "Speedway" in 1940s and on there are probably a couple of radiator and gas tank shops doing a booming business. And there were as many Speedways as there were Drive-in-Movies, or Passion Pits as we called them. Steve
 
craterface said:
Should I convert to 12V and run a 12V fan?
Click to expand...

There are a lot of benefits to having a 12v system - you can run an alternator, the starter will have more oomph, you can install an off-the-shelf electric fan and other accessories. But, you give up originality and it's a big job: you need to touch every component in the electrical system. You'll need a source of 6v power for the components you can't convert to 12v, like the gauges.

The other issue is that warm restarting can be a problem. Has a big Holley 4 barrel downdraft carb right in the center of the cast iron manifold. The gas is probably boiling in the carb. There is already a spacer placed in between the manifold and the carb. So, the next step is probably to install and electric fuel pump to draw cool fuel into the carb and keep the fuel from boiling.
Click to expand...

I am all in favor of electric fuel pumps, particularly in collector cars that are only driven occasionally. But I'm not sure that an electric pump will solve your hot start problem. Yes, the fuel probably is boiling out of the carb, resulting in too rich a mixture. But the mechanical pump can replace that fuel quickly - too little fuel isn't your issue. Perhaps a thicker insulator between the carb and manifold will address it.
 
Thanks Jay

jmackro said:
There are a lot of benefits to having a 12v system - you can run an alternator, the starter will have more oomph, you can install an off-the-shelf electric fan and other accessories. But, you give up originality and it's a big job: you need to touch every component in the electrical system. You'll need a source of 6v power for the components you can't convert to 12v, like the gauges.



I am all in favor of electric fuel pumps, particularly in collector cars that are only driven occasionally. But I'm not sure that an electric pump will solve your hot start problem. Yes, the fuel probably is boiling out of the carb, resulting in too rich a mixture. But the mechanical pump can replace that fuel quickly - too little fuel isn't your issue. Perhaps a thicker insulator between the carb and manifold will address it.
Click to expand...

The car already has a pretty thick insulator between the carb and the manifold, and it can't get any thicker or the hood won't close. So it is a tough issue. My mechanic has encountered this on a vintage 60s Continental too.
Scott
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top