I have been using a adjustable fan controller that has the probe you stick thru the fins for 12 years on my 56 Fairlane with no problems. Remember fan won't come on till the radiator is at the set temp regardless of the engine temp. Nice thing about this unit is it has a delay so fans don't run for a few seconds after key on so you can start engine and they run for a few seconds after shutdown to cool the radiator.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/flx-31174/overview/

 

update... and later that same day.... CCI rep Sam called ME and apologized for the previous conversation and said that he wanted to make sure I was happy with their products. He explained that they had many many problems with the two relay controller and it had cost them a fortune. He said he knew I wasn't happy with the conclusion of our talk and offered to give me a better deal. They make a single relay controller that is good for 70 amps and uses a submersed sensor. He offered it at less than their cost. It's only a single speed controller (hi only) and said that the had good success with it without one failure being reported. I had already been looking at other controllers on the net and realized I'd spend nearly what he offered for another plus shipping. His attitude during the second call was quite different and he sounded like he was really trying to make this bad situation right again.

I decided to give them one more chance...two reasons... first to give them a chance to make it right and second by using both their controller and fan I eliminate the vendor finger pointing if there is ever another problem... should be here Tues or Wed,,, soooo, we'll see... more when I get the unit.

thought about the one speed some more and figured other than the amp draw and the noise it might make, a high speed only would cool quicker or keep it cool better in stop/go driving... like to hear some comments on the need for high and low fan speed

john

 

Got to ask why put the sender in the upper hose or intake?
This is all before it goes thru the radiator and cools off.
If it was in the lower hose it would be after it cools off and where it would get a real feel if the fan is needed to make it cooler.

If in the upper hose and set for say 195* it could be that temp coming out of the motor but may not be needed after it cools off thru the radiator like going down the road.
If you look at where some of the factory senders are they are placed lower in the rotator tank where it should be cooler.
Just my .02
Dave ----

 

The sender needs to be on the motor itself to read correct engine temp .
If you have it out on the radiator or in the hoses it can give false readings of actual engine temp .
How would you be if you had your sender out on your radiator , and had a stuck thermostat ?
Your engine could be boiling away destroying itself , but the hot water would not be reaching the radiator to trigger the fans !!

 

What good would turning on the fan do, in that situation?

 

I'm just trying to get the point across that a probe on the rad is not a true indication of ACTUAL engine heat .
There can be a big difference between the heat in a rad and actual heat of engine .

 

I agree with Scott... I've taken IR temp readings on intake manifold at thermostat housing and on the radiator tanks and there can be 50-100 degrees difference.


j

 

WHERE TO PUT THE PROBE... (this is not a proctology question) Now that I'm going with a submersed water temp probe for the fan controller I need a hole. I have the water temp gauge sending unit in this hole in the intake



now I need another hole for the fan controller probe... I'm thinking this hole... it's on the same plane as the water temp sender...and right behind the thermostat housing..... experts ???

 

To each his own, but I'm in the group that says bottom tank of the radiator. My 53 has the probe in the drain **** hole and has run this way for 11 years and close to 100K miles with zero problems.

 

I was wondering about that MM. I've got a female bung in the lower tank with a nipple, a short coupling and a drain petcock that dumps back past the crossmember so antifreeze goes straight in the bucket. I could replace the coupling with a tee and put the sensor there... easier wiring also... the water would be the coolest at that point after running thru the radiator but after the temp stabilizes it should be as accurate as any place. My other choice is the intake manifold if that port I showed above is actually in the waterjacket.

john