How hot is too hot?

[SS Bulldog]

I just took my '56 Belair out for a shake down cruise and it ran as warm as 218 degrees at 60-65 mph. This car has just gotten back on the road after about 13 years sitting in a garage. I have replaced the water pump, thermostat and all belts and hoses. I flushed the radiator and filled it back up with 1/2 prestone and 1/2 water. When I got back I took readings with a laser temperature gun and at the sending unit it read 174 degrees.
The engine is a mid 60's 327 with double hump heads and it is a manual 3 speed tranny. It has a flex fan and no shroud. I have driven it around town and the temps have been under 210, but on the highway it got a little warmer. Is it time for an aluminum radiator or should I maybe have this original Harrison recored.
No a/c yet but I want to add it in pretty soon. afternoon temps were 90 and pretty low humidity for South Texas.
Any advise will be appreciated.
Thanks,
SS Bulldog

[auggie56]

Maybe take your laser temp sensor with you, and repeat the drive where you showed higher temps. I know I'll catch heck from the others, but a brass radiator does conduct heat better than aluminum. Not to say yours has adequate flow rate. Plugged maybe ?

[55mike]

I just took my '56 Belair out for a shake down cruise and it ran as warm as 218 degrees at 60-65 mph. This car has just gotten back on the road after about 13 years sitting in a garage. I have replaced the water pump, thermostat and all belts and hoses. I flushed the radiator and filled it back up with 1/2 prestone and 1/2 water. When I got back I took readings with a laser temperature gun and at the sending unit it read 174 degrees.
The engine is a mid 60's 327 with double hump heads and it is a manual 3 speed tranny. It has a flex fan and no shroud. I have driven it around town and the temps have been under 210, but on the highway it got a little warmer. Is it time for an aluminum radiator or should I maybe have this original Harrison recored.
No a/c yet but I want to add it in pretty soon. afternoon temps were 90 and pretty low humidity for South Texas.
Any advise will be appreciated.
Thanks,
SS Bulldog

Is the sending unit in the intake near the thermostat? IF so, I would say you are running a bit on the warm side. Does the temp keep on climbing, or stablize? What about in stop and go traffic on a hot day? Usually, out on the highway temps tend to go down because of the extra airflow. I would also double check for good radiator cap pressure, a lean fuel condition, and make sure your timing is OK.

At the end of the day, I ended up with a big crossflow radiator in the 6 cyld position, and twin Spal fan set up and it cured my chronic overheating issues. In fact the radiator works so well, if I'm rolling at all the fans never turn on even in 90 degree Southern heat and humitity.

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x232/mikeoatman/radiator5Medium.jpg

[trifive]

Years ago, I had a 327, I built do the same thing, I figured out that the fan was drawing air from beheath the radiator becasue of less resistance than going thru the radiator.

So I put a shroud on the radiator to force the fan to draw thru the radiator, and it fixed the problem, ran cool from that day on.

Otis:)

[Watchdog]

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x232/mikeoatman/radiator5Medium.jpg

Nice!!!!:tu