> Why is my 79 corvette overheating.?

Why is my 79 corvette overheating.?

Posted at: 2015-01-07 
Put the mechanical fan and shroud back on it along with a heavy duty fan clutch. They have much better cooling capacity and the shroud is a necessity or the General would not have put one on from the factory. The collapsing hose is either the wrong radiator cap is on it or the radiator is severely plugged with scale.

I'd say most likely is a plugged radiator. You can have a shop take it apart and clean it out for about 75-100 bucks. If it is badly corroded, that may causes some leaks (that the scale is plugging up) and you'll have to replace it.

Flushing doesn't CLEAN the cooling system with one part powered acid cooling system cleaner.

clamped down hose is a sign of a clogged radiator / suction problem (like a vacuum cleaner hose if you plug all air intakes while its on, any weak spots in the hose will collapse in on itself). Have it looked at and see if it can be cleaned. You may have to replace it depending on how old it is and the condition it is in.

It had a small electric fan and a mechanical fan n no thermostat at first I put in a 195 thermo along with a flush and coolant change. And still over heated. Notice the hoses would collapse when I hit the gas so I replaced that and the water pump added a new electric fan and took off the mechanical. Now it warms up then when the thermo opens temp drops like forty degrees the slowly but surely overheats. The guy at summit said I didn't need a shroud with the fan or the mechanical fan but at napa they said different. Someone help I'm confused now on what to do.