Gil’s Garage
Gil Baumgartner
CTCI Authenticity Chairman
As most of you know, engine overheating can be a problem, and if you have read the other major article on this website the subject is covered fairly well.
Recent research and development by Chris Ames in Arizona reveals new positive information on the subject. Chris has developed and tested a redesigned water pump spacer that has proven to be very effective in controlling excessive engine temperature during hot weather or slow driving parade conditions. I recently installed the newly designed spacer in my freshly rebuilt engine that was bored beyond standard. As mentioned in a previous article on this website, when an an engine is bored to a larger piston size it normally creates an additional load on the cooling system. With this in mind I installed this new water pump spacer. I have driven my car all summer, sometimes in 100 plus degree conditions including the 4th of July parade and, as mentioned above, parades can challenge the cooling system. I have been very impressed and satisfied with the results achieved by installing this spacer.
If your Thunderbird is properly tuned and in compliance with the steps outlined in previous overheating and thermostat articles found on this website, and you still have overheating conditions, I highly recommend this newly developed spacer. Attached is an article on the research and development of this spacer.
Click here for Chris Ames’ “Eureka Moment with Engine Cooling” document. (PDF)
Gil Baumgartner