overheating

[Big Ben]

Hi can anyone help I am new to Austin Sevens and have a 1935 Ruby which has been standing for many years I have got it running but not driven it yet, it will tick over fine but after a few minutes you can hear the water in the top hose starting to boil, the bottem hose is cold, I have taken the bottom hose off and water runs through the engiune and the radiator is this boiling normal.Thanks Paul.

[Reckless Rat]

Two possible problems...

Firstly there may be some blockage in the water jacket surrounding the block - highly possible given the age of the car. only real way to sort it is to take the head off & have a good poke round with a piece of wire & then flush out. I would advise against disturbing the top and side water branches if it can be avoided (you have been warned!).

Or, it could be that the radiator is partially blocked and needs a flush out (also possible if it's an old one). It is not usual for an A7 engine to overheat if the water jacket is in good order. I would advise replacing the coolant with some inhibitor as the rust is a direct result of the interaction with the water! However... an anti-freeze mixture WILL find any leaks you may have.

In either case it's not normal for the bottom hose to be cold when the top end is boiling. Something isn't right somewhere, so you need to investigate.

Good luck.

Check the oil jets aren't blocked too before you run the engine any more - replacing a set of big ends can cost!