Technical New member and question on cooling system

[GiacomoPuccini]

Hello! I am a new member, having just acquired my first 1968 Fiat 600D.

I look forward to learning a lot in the coming years. I have a few noob questions:

1. I made a big rookie mistake yesterday taking it for it’s second drive. I drove it about 16 miles around town, in 2 legs. The first was 4 miles, which took me about 10 minutes at low speed. The second leg was 12 miles and that took me about 30 min at low speed, with one small 1/2 stretch going slightly uphill. When I got home I heard a hissing in the engine compartment which stopped about 2 minutes later. I later checked and the car was completely out of water. Dumb me never checked the water level before the trip. The weather was about 88F.

I am now very worried if the engine could have suffered some long-term or more substantial damage as a result of this huge mistake on my part. Can anyone shed some light on whether or not my worries are justified?

2. This leads me to my second question: do I just put regular water in this car? I found a PDF of the owner manual which recommends using antifreeze in the winter months. But I’m unsure what is best during the summer months for us here in Southern California.

3. During transport of the car after I purchased it a few weeks ago, the left hood hinge broke. I’ve managed to find a replacement. However, I’m curious if anyone knows how the end that attaches to the frame is anchored. Is it welded or bolted on? I am having a hard time looking into that area with a flashlight to determine this. Here is a photo:

Thank you everyone in advance for any assistance!

 

[The Panda Nut]

Sorry to hesr of your problems. You have a nice looking little car,

You will need to refill the system, check for leaks and then try the engine to see if its suffered. Hopefully you will be OK. These things are not always a catastrophe.

Generally I use coolant mixture for the anti corrosive qualities it provides as well as for the anti freeze part that you dont need as much.

I expect that hinge is all bolt on, but dont know. I have a camera that attaches to my phone which is only a cheap USB thing but works well for this sort of thing. Have a look on ebay it may save a lot of time in the end.

Best of luck

 

[GiacomoPuccini]

Sorry to hesr of your problems. You have a nice looking little car,

You will need to refill the system, check for leaks and then try the engine to see if its suffered. Hopefully you will be OK. These things are not always a catastrophe.

Generally I use coolant mixture for the anti corrosive qualities it provides as well as for the anti freeze part that you dont need as much.

I expect that hinge is all bolt on, but dont know. I have a camera that attaches to my phone which is only a cheap USB thing but works well for this sort of thing. Have a look on ebay it may save a lot of time in the end.

Best of luck

Thank you very much for the helpful input.

If I may: would any coolant mixture be okay, or is there a specific one I should look for?

Also, after checking for leaks, what would you recommend I look or listen for to determine if the engine has suffered at all?

Thank you again for all the help!

 

[The Panda Nut]

There are different types of anti freeze and I believe you do need to select the right type. Newer engines use the pink type and older ones can use the old blue type. I am sure someone on here will be along soon and clarify or correct me.

 

[stocky]

Looks like it's bolted looking at manual

 

[stocky]

With regards your overheating check when engine is up to temp the air flap under radiator is opening to allow air to flow.
If not remove the thermostat under the radiator and test in boiling water to check the plunger still comes out.
If it doesn't you need a new thermostat approx £170 a common fault.