How to get out of a jam

[yon_pie_eater]

My car overheats when stationary. On good freeflowing roads all is well. Last weekend I did a 4000’ twisty climb in less than half an hour at 77 degrees and no problem at all. If however, if we are stood still for more than ten minutes at these kind of temperatures then the temp gauge starts it’s inexorable climb up and over the 212 mark. I’ve done the lot apart from the electric fan route.
My question (or should I say nightmare scenario!) is this: If I have been travelling for some many miles, hot engine, ambient temperature 80 degrees and I suddenly encounter a traffic jam. Roadworks 1 mile ahead, traffic travelling through at 100yds every five minutes. A stop and start traffic jam. Looks like it will take an hour to get through. No way out (motorway). What is the best strategy for a hot runner to get through it? Are there any perils if I cut the engine at each stop, and re-start every five minutes to do the 100yards? ( my starter and battery are fine!).
Thanks for any advice
Andy

 

[Keoke]

Hi Andy, The best strategy for a hot runner is too cool it down. Larger radiator, higher effiency fan etc.--Fwiw--Keoke

 

[nevets]

This actually happened to me on the Henry Hudson Parkway in NYC back when I had a bug eye Sprite, but fortunately I had a passenger and the weather was mild...so I got out and pushed the car along while my female passenger steered. It was fun and we got to chat with lots of less fortunate drivers.

 

[john_j]

Turning the heater on is the usual first step if you get caught in a jam - I don't know how much diference in makes in a Healey though.

The choices are turn it off and therefore get the block hotter as there's no cool water coming in to it, or keep it running and let the whole thing get hotter.

I suppose there might be some convection when it's turned off?

I reckon you will get the maximum cooling by turning it off, hence water in the radiator will cool down, and turn it over now and then, just enough to push the water round and get cool water in the block and hot in the radiator - all the time the engine is running heat is being added to the system, so it's cooler with the engine off.

I haven't heard of this being tried, but wouldn't an electric water pump be useful - you would then be getting the hot water to the radiator when the engine is off - flow would be limited of course by the mechanical water pump being in the way. (I'm not suggesting that you try it, just thinking out loud!)

 

[BobHorvath]

I guess the point is that you have a cooling problem and even though the Healey has a poor cooling system it does work when properly maintained. 4 basic parts to look at. Thermostat, circulation pump, radiator & fan. If turning the heater on helps you might first look at the radiator as your heater acts as a second radiator, or supplement. The radiator can be taken apart and re-cored. Some shops might be able to add another row of tubes. Best solution is to replace & you might consider bigger, a different material, mounting can be a big issue. A simple test would be to remove the thermostat. If cooling significantly improves then you might have a bad thermostat or a bad circulation pump. OEM fans with more blades are available.

 

[bighly]

Make sure you have your radiator ducting in place. many cars have this removed.

 

[AndrewMawson]

Good radiator back flushing with a powerfull hose, fill up with proprietry flusher and run for a while, drain down and fill up with the correct anti-freeze mixture having put in a six blade plastic fan and my overheating problems went away.

But then bear two things in mind: a/ I'm here in the UK where it only rarely gets VERY hot, and /b I found that my temperature guage has a zero offset bias so I wasn't probably overheating anyway !!!!!!