I have a 1969 Dodge with a 383 engine with radiator problems.?

in the late 60,s to early 70,s ..mopar had a problem with their radiator,s.....they didn't manufacture their own & out sourced to the best bidder.....this caused a little known problem....it seem,s that the radiator manufacture used a solder with an inferior flux compound....that when exposed to an ethylene glycol coolant created a chemical reaction that produced a blockage/corrosion growth at the soldered tube end,s.....once the radiator was boiled out ,rodded , & flushed...this problem never reoccured.....this information was never released [ except to a select few & radiator shop,s] in fear of a recall......R&R your radiator & have it boiled,rodded , & flushed....this should solve your problem.....doubtfull any other problem,s exist because of the low milage...good luck!

Several things can cause this. Assuming the water is not leaking out of the radiator or out of the engine cooling system, your problem (especially in a vehicle this old) could be the radiator is full of gunk. Take it to a radiator shop and have it cleaned. Your engine should also be flushed out. Another thing that can cause overheating is poor air circulation. Not only must the engine and radiator receive fresh air from outside, but the hot air in the engine compartment must also have a means to escape. Check your arirflow.

In short, there are only 2 things that cause an engine to over heat.

Poor air circulation

Poor water circulation

The trick is to find which it is and what is causing the poor circulation. Then correct the problem.

All the answers were good, but one thing came to mind when you stated the car only had a few hundred miles on it. Apparently the car has had some restoration work done, it's doubtful a 38 year old car would be "mint" without some work. If the fan was removed from the water pump shaft or fan clutch, it is possible to get the fan on backwards and it will rotate, but not in the right direction thereby causing overheating problems, usually when idling or during hot weather. Check it out. Big block Mopars are nice whatever they are in.

Well to start with you should check your thermostat ,it could be sticking, then check your radiator to see if it's dirty or clogged up

,if it is flush it with a rad cleaner and fill it back up with water and run it and see if that works ( water is cheaper than antifreeze in a test situation) Before you start your car after filling it, leave the cap off and let it idle untill it warms up and look in the filler spout to see if water is moving, if not your water pump could be worn out or that's a sign that the thermostat is suck shut. Another more serious problem could be a head gasket,not a big job on an old car. Sometimes the gasket leaks pressure from the cylinders to the cooling system and blows out the coolant. Good luck, I hope I was of some help to you.

Bad thermostat, radiator may be plugged up or was replaced with the wrong size, cooling fan shroud is missing or broken, water pump is bad...missing or broken vanes, fan clutch could be bad (if so equipped). Could possibly be a cracked head...have the system pressure tested.

I had a 69 Charger RT 440 with a/c that had lots of cooling problems in summer until I installed a 4 row core radiator and flex fan.

As the person prior stated, several things may cause it.

Thermostat problems?

Since the car is old, the coolant may not be circulating freely due to clogged radiator (clogged by rust and sediment) or the interior of the engine is clogged?

How is the water pump operating?

Since your car is so old, it is obvious a keepsake and something you love. You could see what is sold on the market and try to fix it yourself if you have the courage to do so. However, sometimes such a fix may reveal other serious problems?

Is there any water coming out of the exhaust?Check by placing a paper at the exhaust pipe.Check your dipstick for any water in your oil.Remove your radiator cap and see if water circulates while engine is running.Remove sparkplugs and inspect while in the mean time check your compression.It could be a stuck thermostat.Flush radiator and engine and replace cap.Add good coolant.Squeeze top of hose and feel for a surge to check water pump.Is it using water?Check hoses and freeze plugs for leaks.Other than that,replace radiator.

changing radiators will no hurt the value of it,you can have that one repaired or get a new one for it,i,ll send a web site that sells new originals,and if you need to you can replace it,their could be any number of things causing it to over heat,like a bad thermostat,or some kind of blockage in the cooling system,all you do is start checking things and narrowing it down there's no way i can guess at it without seeing the car,good luck with it, and here's a site for a new radiator if you choose to buy one,http://www.wholesalemopar.com/?iorb=4764 here's another site too that might help you, http://www.partstrain.com/ShopByVehicle/DODGE

It could be sticking thermostat, partially plugged block which prevents proper circulation of the coolant, worn impeller on the water pump (very unlikely), or clogged radiator, which prevents proper cooling.

It might just be your thermostat. If so, they're not very expensive.

Also... it could just be the radiator cap. But, if that is the original radiator, it's probably ready to be replaced!