430 water diverters

[tp tbird]

I am working on my 430 and changed the head gasket due to a oil leak on the left side and I noticed in the front of the block water passage where the diverter is that the diverter must be facing down ,not up toward the head in the opening in the block,the guy that rebuilt the engine put them in that way.My question is this right?What I read on the forum it sounds wrong and if it is how hard are they to change in the car?Help

[KULTULZ]

I am working on my 430 and changed the head gasket due to a oil leak on the left side and I noticed in the front of the block water passage where the diverter is that the diverter must be facing down ,not up toward the head in the opening in the block,the guy that rebuilt the engine put them in that way.My question is this right?What I read on the forum it sounds wrong and if it is how hard are they to change in the car?

Help

The right (passenger side) needs to face (inner opening) approx 0200 (looking @ engine from front). The left (drivers side) needs to face approx 2200 (see Shop Manual for exact detail). If they were installed directing coolant downwards, they are of no benefit.

The diverters direct partial coolant flow to the front of the cylinder head. The MEL has a unique cooling system that flows backward from say an FE.

[tp tbird]

I guess that is military time 0200 and 2200.The one on driver side when I took the head off the front water jacket port on the block is closed off by the diverter,so I guess there is nothing going into the head from there and I have been driving it that way since the rebuild,is that going to hurt the engine and heads?Then at 0200 and 2200 there should be opening up to the head visible in the block right.If they have been installed wrong how hard is it to remove and fix them?I have put the head back on and got to thinking that it might be wrong.I have looked at the manual and don't see anything about them other than the how water flows and it is a little confusing to read for me ,I did see a diagram on the Lincoln forum that shows a good picture of the diverters you may have posted some time ago.

[simplyconnected]

It's never a good idea to restrict coolant flow and I would certainly follow the correct procedure, even though it has changed over time.

Consider this: Coolant transfers heat VERY fast. If it gets too hot, it changes to steam. Steam transfers heat nearly as well (but not a good idea for bubbles to keep coolant away from the internal surfaces).

Bottom line... as long as you didn't run out of coolant, your heads and block are probably just fine. Oil flow also transfers and spreads heat around. Oil temps commonly reach 300*F because it bathes the bottoms of aluminum pistons. So, your engine must be hotter than 300*F before sustaining damage.

Always do everything you can to make your cooling system as efficient as possible. If you must 'run hot' before getting to it, use synthetic oil to ensure against oil breakdown. - Dave

[tp tbird]

If the diverters are not turned up so they divert the water up in to the heads what is the best way to get them out and turn them up facing toward the head opening.I think I saw somewhere they are pressed into the block.Has anyone done this before with the engine in?I have notice the engine does run hot if it idles for very long.

[KULTULZ]

I guess that is military time 0200 and 2200.The one on driver side when I took the head off the front water jacket port on the block is closed off by the diverter,so I guess there is nothing going into the head from there and I have been driving it that way since the rebuild,is that going to hurt the engine and heads?

Then at 0200 and 2200 there should be opening up to the head visible in the block right.If they have been installed wrong how hard is it to remove and fix them?I have put the head back on and got to thinking that it might be wrong.

I have looked at the manual and don't see anything about them other than the how water flows and it is a little confusing to read for me ,I did see a diagram on the Lincoln forum that shows a good picture of the diverters you may have posted some time ago.

For simplicity sake, let's say the diverters need to be installed with the opening straight up. It all depends on the manufacturer of the replacement diverters and the size of the openings. If you look into the jacket opening, you will see the hole(s) in the cylinder heads to accept the directional coolant flow.

The OEM diverters were made with a swage that allowed easy installation. Replacements are the same material diameter for the entire length so install and removal are more difficult.

You really need these as the coolant moves from the front of the cylinder head to the back (combining with coolant flow from the cylinder barrel jackets @ this point), into the back of the intake and through the intake to the thermostat.

It is called Three Stage Cooling but with the deletion of the block thermostats you have more free flow through the block at all times. This will not preclude the necessity of coolant deflection into the front of the heads.

If you do not find the necessary info here and The Lincoln Forum along with the MEL Engine Forum, E-Mail me KULTULZ@msn.com and I will send you some tech material.

[tp tbird]

I am pretty sure I understand what it is suppose to do,I just don't understand why the guy that built the engine for me did it.Now I have to correct it and how to do it,get them out and turned the right way.

[tp tbird]

Got the diverters out and turned up with the holes toward the heads.They were hard to get out ,worked all day trying with a make shift slide hammer,heat ,and a few other things.I got my jig-saw out made one cut on each diverter to get them out.The guy that I paid to rebuild the engine put them in wrong,they were facing almost 90 degree from what the should be.

[63-4drpost]

diverters

I tok the diverters out and threw them away!! Man am I stupid! That said, i know ther are guys in this forum that are lots smarter than me. when I rebuilt my 430, it took some thinking on my part to understand the water flow . Has any one thought of doing this? Put the head gasket on so the water passage is at the Rear of the engine. Then installblock the intake manifold gasket water opening. Then take out to frost plugs at the front of each cylinder head and tap pipe threads to make a fitting for the top radiator hose?? In the mean time, I need to get some diveerters installed, as the temp guage does go up on a long idle time, but not enough to throw out water. Thanks for all the knowledge you guys have,Henry

[tbird430]

My 430cid Bird had good diverters still installed from the original owners rebuild- years back. I had the heads off 2 years ago, checking things out & detailing the motor.

I had though about flopping the head gaskets around, as you had mentioned, but I was too chicken to try it out in the end.

I'm not running the 2 smaller waterpump stats either.

Makes one wonder though....

-Jon in TX.

[KULTULZ]

Has any one thought of doing this? Put the head gasket on so the water passage is at the Rear of the engine. Then installblock the intake manifold gasket water opening. Then take out to frost plugs at the front of each cylinder head and tap pipe threads to make a fitting for the top radiator hose?? In the mean time, I need to get some diveerters installed, as the temp guage does go up on a long idle time, but not enough to throw out water.

Thanks for all the knowledge you guys have,Henry

Install the head gaskets backwards and the engine will overheat unless extreme modification(s) are done to the engine.

The MEL flows coolant in reverse as to other engines. Coolant flow is designed to enter the rear of the intake (from the heads and cylinder barrels) and flow to the thermostat in that fashion, not through the cylinder heads.

Forget the block thermostats. They were deleted by LINC in the early sixties.