Engine runs hot in slow traffic

[Some Car Guy]

Do you have the air seals like factory? That will make sure air is forced through the radiator and not bypassing.

A 26 in place of a 22 without cutting is fine. The extra coolant helps to spread the load,,even without the extra air flow. My last 383 ran cool with a setup like that, no shroud at all. Sat on 180 all the time, I then went to a 195 because I didn’t think the engine had enough heat since oil was black pretty quick and it never went above 195.

I’ll throw out there that I first considered the 60 over as maybe an issue. Was block sonic checked?

 

[1 Wild R/T]

As Pnora asked earlier, what's the timing set at? I have a Challenger that I tried all the normal stuff on & nothing worked.... Till I added a bunch of timing....

 

[1KoolBee]

Low speed overheating is generally airflow, high speed is generally water flow. Agree on verifying gauge. A 3 or 4 row 26 inch rad , shroud, and a factory clutch fan (3” pitch) for a/c should do the trick. Also, that narrow core support needs to be dealt with.

An alternative would be a 4 row 22”. As a kid my family had a ‘68 polara than my dad added a/c and a trailer hitch to. Overheated like crazy when we were dragging our 16’ travel trailer in the summer. My dad tried everything to get that thing to cool. He finally put in a 4 row 22” radiator. Problem solved. Never overheated again no matter what he did to it.

 

[1KoolBee]

A factory set up should keep you engine cool.

My factory air Super Bee ran about 190 around town on a hot day with the air off, about 200-205 with the air on. I lived in the southern commiefornia desert for nearly 40 years. There, from mid June to end of September, every day was 100+. That was with the original 2 row 26”. I swapped to a 3 row from a 69 charger R/T and it never got above 190 with the A/C blasting on max. This car has never overheated. The factory components work!!