The Initial Freshening
Go to <Last, Summary, Next>Cooling—A Hot Car! Really!
 Radiator and Mercury emblem on 1926 Kissel Speedster |
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| COOLING SYSTEM: On July 26, 2005, Bugsby starts then promptly boils over after running only a few minutes (left). The water pump (center) leaks from both fore and aft shaft seals and weeps from the grease cups. Is it effectively circulating the coolant? Lynn's first little restoration effort is to polish the pipe carrying coolant from the water pump to the block (right). |
Soon after getting the car home from the shipper, Lynn manages to get the car started. After a very short drive around the parking lot in the city park across the street from Lynn's house, the Motometer (the thermometer on top of the radiator) shoots to the top of its range and the car overheats, vigorously boiling and spitting coolant all over the garage floor. OK, it's warm outside with a temperature of about 95°F. Maybe it will behave better when it's cooler. Later that evening, Lynn takes the car for three quick laps around the block and it boils over again. The outside temperature now is only 75°F so the problem of the overheating is a real issue.
Lynn notes that both seals (packing) around the shaft of the water pump are leaking. Tightening the packing gland nuts doesn't fix the problem. There is also water leaking from the grease cups that lubricate the water pump fore and aft bearings. Reading his copy of the Kissel part list for the Model 6-55, Lynn learns that there are check valves in these grease seals to prevent water leaks. The water pump definitely needs to be taken apart, inspected and have new seals installed. Lynn also notes that the thermostat has been removed (probably because of earlier overheating) and needs to be replaced once the cooling system is operating more efficiently.
New coolant, radiator hoses and clamps are installed. The radiator and engine block are flushed with a garden hose. These simple repairs don't immediately solve the overheating problem, and the car runs hot for months. But the problem seems to lessen with time. Maybe there was some blockage in the radiator, engine or water pump that's worked itself free. Also, Lynn's been tuning the car and its running much smoother. Maybe the better tune is putting less of a strain on the cooling system. In any case, the chronic overheating problem seems to have gone away. Nonetheless Lynn intends to pull the water pump apart in the future and make sure it's working OK.
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Last updated: May 24, 2009