Bus running hot after short time running

[kdog97]

Checked valves while motor was cold, all is good, timing is set, no obstruction in doghouse/fan, oil level is good with fresh oil. All engine rubber in place and tin in place.
I am stumped on cause of why dipstick is pistol hot after driving 3 blocks. . Anyone else encounter this issue? Appreciate any help or advice.

[busdaddy]

So many details you have to so we can help, the year and model as well as any deviation from stock is a start, then stuff like has the bus been sitting?, is this a new problem?, any other work done?
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[kdog97]

Good point. It’s a 71 bus, 1776cc motor with approximately 700 miles after rebuild. Starts right up and idles great and has good power. Dual port motor with single 34 pict 3 carb. I know most would advise dual carbs for this set up but I have ran this for years on my prior bus with no issues related..
I purchased the bus in July, it had been sitting about 7 or 8 years prior. Installed new gas tank, new fuels lines, etc.The motor that is in it is not the motor that was in it when it was parked for years, it was taken out of my prior bus.
Yes everything is stock. As for if this is a new problem, it is I guess since this is the first time running this motor in this bus. However, didn’t have this problem with this motor in my prior bus.

[richparker]

How do you know if it’s too hot? Do you have gauges or are you measuring the temps with an IR gun?

New engines usually run hot for the first couple thousand miles until they fully broken in.

Being able to touch your dipstick when the engine is fully warm is a fallacy. If your engine oil is 220° your dipstick will be about the same temperature.
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[SGKent]

[busdaddy]

[aeromech]

1971.

You say it’s stock. Does that include thermostatic flaps in the fan shroud as well as a working thermostat?

Pics would be nice
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[timvw7476]

Are the cooling slats operable?
Is there a thermostat attached & verified can open & close ?
Is there material stuffed in or around the fan intake ?
I'd go straight to the thermo & linkage check if it's toasty after short drive.
Those kind of jams/failures drop intake seats from heads. No fun.
Do you have those neat new heads with casting flash left where open air flow passages should be?

[Wildthings]

Got a mouse problem? Or anything blocking the inlet to the fan? I think you would have to have zero cooling air flow for the engine to overheat in three blocks.

[kdog97]

Appreciate all the advice. I haven’t checked the actual temp but will do that within the coming days with a meat thermometer. But my thought was the dipstick shouldn’t get that hot that fast, I could understand if I had driven in the Texas heat for an hour or more. As for the thermo gauge, no I don’t have one and not certain there are the thermo flaps referenced in the non-doghouse set up, I am running j-tubes. So I guess it’s not “stock” as I stated prior.
I did check the vents that lead to the battery tray areas and all is clear, no signs of any nests.

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[Wildthings]

Did you reach around to the front of the fan to make sure a rag or piece of paper isn't blocking the fan inlet? Your fan shroud may not have all the vanes it should, though that by itself shouldn't cause too much extra heat in a few blocks. The further away from stock you get, the higher the likelihood over heating in my experience.

What weight oil are you running?

[94touring]

Until you get gauges it's all pointless guessing.

[aeromech]

Best to use a laser thermometer
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[mikedjames]

Foreign object in the cooling fan, or rodent accomodation from the downstream from the fan under the tinware.
Or a Mexican wax thermostat giving up. Or a decent thermostat with the wire jammed.
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[Starbucket]

Fan shroud from China = no internal fins to direct air flow, chrome alt pully = belt slippage, and power pully = slow fan speed, it might have worked in a bug but a van is heaver. I would start there.

[KTPhil]

In addition to the above blockage checks:
Timing?
Jetting?

[richparker]

It’s an ACVW, it’s gonna get hot in just a few mile drive. Especially in Texas in September. Until you start checking and trending your data you’ll never know how hot it’s actually getting. But, even if the dipstick is 100° the average human is not gonna be able to grab, pull and hold onto it. Sure a baker or chef, who works around high temps all day may, but I certainly can’t. I usually use a paper towel or rag to grab it when I’m checking my oil.

You should buy an IG gun, they are inexpensive. Shoot the dipstick and then shoot the drain bolt. I bet there is at least a 50° temperature difference between the two. The oil is being pulled just above the drain plug, so this will tell you the approximate temp of the oil when it is going thru the mains.

Trending is the only way to know what’s actually happening.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-8-in-Infrared-Thermometer-IR002/205509667
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[Wildthings]

[Abscate]

It’s pretty common for folks who slap those fan shrouds on to delete the air deflector tin that forces the cooling aor over the cylinder breadth.

Another thing to check , I’ll try find a picture
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