fbekholden.com

I get my rad back today guys, so as soon as I do, I will put it in and see if the engine is ok. They sure are a tough motor Blacky, will get back to you asap. Rosco, I should have listened! As soon as the light comes on stop and have a look!

Red's are pretty tough - I think greys are even tougher...... if it's holding cooling system pressure for a few minutes after you turn it off when hot there's a very good chance you haven't done any damage.... or -
there's no white smoke out of the exhaust
your oil doesn't go a whitish cream colour
your radiator level doesn't need more than the usual 2" from the top (if you aren't using an overflow recovery system) after it cools down over-night.

Let me know if you need help.....

frats,
Rosco

Reds are quite tough when it comes to their ability to withstand cooking as apart from modern alloy motors that will warp very easily.

Most times a lightly cooked red will be OK upon startup after cool down period and will continue on with little noticeable difference.Sometimes oil consumption can increase along with a little compression pressure loss due to some less piston ring tension caused by the excessive heat.

Usually with a very well cooked red they will lose piston ring tension due to the excessive heat and piston expansion will allow the piston the grab the bore in a well done motor.If bore is not excessively worn even a well done motor can be revived with new pistons and rings.

Long live the reds!

I put in my professionally flushed spare radiator (which was 90% blocked according to natrad!) and a whole bunch of new coolant, plus a new bottom hose with inner spring and she looks and drives as good as ever!

Good one Andrew

Excellent news Andrew, good to hear

Thanks fellas. I got in a pretty bad mood with the FB after it cooked the other night, and the next day went to pick up the 350 sbc cruiser. When I got home with the cruiser, I spent all week working on it and just left the FB to rot in the garage. I was pissed off at it, and just didn't want to know about it. Since fixing it up today, and driving it for a short run, I realise how much I have been missing it! I don't think I will do much to it in the near future except for driving the wheels off it.

The car of choice today for getting the new radiator hose for the FB was the HG Prem ex NoMad. I haven't driven that in a few weeks and forgot how good that is to drive also! My plan for the HG is to lower it several inches and fit flappers and the Prem hubcaps. I think it will look sweet as lowered on stockies That will be my next project. We had recently been contemplating selling the HG, but it will stay for a while once I get it lowered

As some of you know, I am off to Japan in 7 days to visit the Mooneyes shop and do some snowboarding. I hope to get some cool stuff for the old holdens on this trip, so I will update this thread once I return with my bag of presents.

Until then, thanks to people like v8ek4us, Rosco and Ratbox for inspiring me with their recent pictures. Keep up the work fellas.

Andrew

it lives!!!!!!
should have called me up, i would have come over to help out!

and what day u fly out?!?!?! i need to give u $$$$

Reds are tough alright! I boiled the 173 in my torrie on a country trip, no guage and no light, it ended up being a busted thermostat. I swear the oil was boiling in the sump from the sounds it was making. Ripped out the thermostat and filled it with water to get home and had no dramas at all with motor after that, never refitted the thermostat.

A note on coolant, most coolants are designed to raise the boiling point of the mix in the system, but the coolants don't transfer heat as well as water alone. Really you shouldn't use coolant unless you have a problem with the cooling system, just water and rust inhibitor. I have been using this in my FE with a hot 202 cooled by an LC Torana radiator for a few years. The only time it ever chucked a wobbly was on a hot day in a long queue for petrol.

Good news Andrew - phew, bet that brought back the "ambience"....?

Trip to Nippon - I expect you'll have a list to "declare" when you get back to Oz.......

Bit of a contrast to the 35 plus days you folk have been in for the last week/s..... snowboarding - yep - don't think you'd get much of a chance in WA.......

Safe return, Andrew....

frats,
Rosco

All the best for your trip to the land of rice, sake` & snow . Look forward to seeing the "toys" when you get back.

P.S. Don't forget to pack a Nasco Parachute just incase .

Good to hear AustMod.

Enjoy your holiday

good ol' red & grey motors, can't shoot, root or electrocute 'em
have fun on yor trip

Update coming soon.

She is almost looking exactly how I want her now.

Until then, here is some recent pictures courtesy of Jay

looks like the visor i put on the van, wanna swap it for the fancy primered one i had to put on my car

golly that's a good looking car