The overheating is nothing unusual for that vintage. Car makers didn't get serious about cooling until the 1980s. But it has to be either air flow or water flow that is making it get hot when idling. The temperature of the lower radiator hose is the big test. If the hose is hotter than normal when overheated the water is flowing but not being cooled - air flow. If it is cooler than normal then it is being cooled okay but isn't flowing well - water flow. Not radiator, though, which is least trouble at idle and will cause the engine to heat up and refuse to cool down.
need to solve the engine over heat issue b4 you can trouble shoot anything else. at this point should view all issues as seperate. most importent issue is the over heat. radiator or combustion chamber sealing, if the engine is consuming coolent, then the intake gasket is also in play.
head gaskets are funny. cross contamination of fluids does not go hand and hand with a bad head gasket.
removing rad cap, start and run till t-stat opens. you should see flow in the rad. if not, there's an issue with the rad or the water pump. but you changed the pump. so..
that checks good, either do a compression test and or buy a chem test kit for the coolent in the rad. can indicate gasses entering the water jacket. that can come from a head gasket or an intake gasket.
it's entirely possible there's a lean fuel condition, for whatever reason, or timing is advanced too far.. but on this engine, one would hear engine ping.
choke heat riser has nothing to do with over heating. hard cold starts, sure. when engine is hot, heat riser is not in play. even if it was removed.
start with the over heat issue. chances are, most of the other issues will disapear.
No spark when hot means a failing ignition part.If it wasn't that,the starting fluid would have started it briefly.Look around for a drop in newer self contained Delco HEI distributor from any number of Chevrolets over a couple decades.
I'm betting its the radiator if its an older unit. The reason for it not starting when hot is it may be vapor lock.
Coil overheating? Is it still points and condensor or converted to HEI? If it happens again, you need to verify its getting fire to the plug.
Maybe your over heating problem is a blocked radiator or blockage in the block. A flush may not go a stray. As for the starting thing sounds like its ignition related if you tryed spraying starter fluid in the carb and had no effect. Maybe a bad coil or something in the dizzy. Somethings not letting it get spark
A new ignition coil should take care of that hot start problem. I had a similar problem with my 41 Plymouth.
Wish you would have told us exactly what type of distributor is in the car. Perhaps the exhaust manifold is overheating the starter motor. GM made starter motor heat shields for big-block Chevrolet engines that would work.
Try wiring the heat riser valve open.
Ok so I have a couple of problems with my old car that seem to go hand in hand. my car, '62 chevy impala with 350 sb engine will fire up fine when cold even in hot temperature such as the first start of the day but when I'm out driving it the car gets hot and I'll pull over to let it cool for a good 20 minutes then I'll try to start it again but it just will not fire up till it's almost completely cold again. The car turns over fine it just does not fire up till cool, I'm guessing the starter is not getting hot/source of problem as the car turns over, correct? I sprayed starter fluid in the carb last time this happened and it still wouldn't fire. I've heard some part on the exhaust manifold called the heat riser could be the source?
As far as my overheating, I've replaced my upper and lower hoses, water pump, and thermostat twice I also ditched my old four blade fan(mechanical) and replaced it with a six blade fan(mechanical as well)and she still will get hot at idle such as red lights. I'm at my wits end with these two problems, please help.
