I just got my Vintage air 16" slimline fan. The easiest way to mount it leaves about 3/4" between the fan and the radiator. Will this affect it's cooling ability? I don't have a shroud (can't fit one and 16" is the biggest fan I could afford) and I might be able to bend the mounting brackets a little to get it closer.

 

I thought with the electric fan you remove the existing fan? Is this a different type of electric fan? Most guys just have the water pump pulley mounted.

 

Can you maybe get some thick weather stripping and fill the gap in? I've seen guys also use rubber hose, cut in the middle and wrapped around the shroud.

 

I have an electric fan in my panel but the fan was mounted in front of the radiator, trans cooler between the radiator and water pump pulley, no shroud. It just doesn't cut it in traffic in Pensacola. I have just ordered a frame rail transmission cooler to get some of that heat out from under the hood. Next is a shroud and them mount the fan on the engine side of the the radiator. Do you think that will help the problem or should I consider going back to a mechanical fan? I'm not running airconditioning, yet. Have to get this cooling thing under control. In traffic, I'm seeing 235 degrees way more often then I want.

 

I am having a challenge keeping my 302 cool in Pensacola traffic, temps have been running in the mid to high 80's. The current setup is a 16" electric fan mounted in front of the radiator, a trans cooler mounted on the engine side. To help aleviate the heat build up, I have orderd a frame rail trans cooler which I plan on mounting on the outside of the driver's side frame rail. I then plan on moving the fan to the engine side of the radiator and installing a shroud. I need to get airconditioning in this truck before next summer and have to solve the cooling challenge first. Any other suggestions from someone who has done it?

 

sorry for the double post, I received an error message when I sent the first and didn't know it went through.

bm

 

235 degrees is way too hot. I'm in CA and temps are around 80-100 regularly. I don't have shroud either and running a regular fan. My truck rarely sees 190 degrees. I'm running a cam and intake manifold also. You may want to check if the radiator needs cleaning, or even pull the thermostat and replace it with a 160 degree thermostat. One more thing, I had problems with a Mustang of mine. It used to get hot at idle or a stop light. I changed fans and it ran real cool again.

 

I am running a Griffin Rad with dual 11in. spal fans with rubber relief ports to get rid of excess air at high way speeds. never runs more then one min in temperature over 100 degrees except up mountain road in very hot weather. This is R&B street rod supplier unit for 48-52 F1. Was not the bolt in it was suppose to be but clean and works great. 28 amp draw from the fans. I use a 110 amp powermast alternator. Ed ke6bnl

 

Can you post a few pictures. I am originally from Missouri the Show Me State. I am not sure what the fan looks like could you attach plastic to the edges of the fan to act as a shroud? That would keep air from being pulled in from the sides instead of through the radiator.

 

I have what looks to be a 15" Flex-a-lite fan (Summit Racing) mounted behind the radiator. It comes with an integral shroud and mounts up tight against the radiator, with ugly mounting brackets need to be customized. A have a trans cooler mounted on the front of the rad. Running a 352 in the Palm Springs desert things have stayed plenty cool - the fan shuts off when I'm rolling down the road in 100+ heat, and starts at stop lights, etc.

 

I changed my 56 (with 351C) over to an electric fan last year because it got hot in traffic. I assumed a shroud would be a good idea and made one. Mine mounted to the engine side of the radiator. My tranny cooler is remote (not on the radiator). I plan to mount an A/C core on the front of the radiator.
This summer (100 degree+), it ran fine in stop-and-go traffic, but too hot (210) on the freeway. I noodled that the opening in my shroud was actually limiting the air flow over the radiator core at freeway speeds too much. So I just mounted the electric fan directly to the back of the radiator core, and ditched the shroud. The thermostat now controls temperature entirely. The air running thru the radiator around the fan at freeway speed is essential. At idle, the fan comes on to handle the heat-up in traffic.
Couldn't be happier with the setup.
It is definately worth it to have the radiator serviced. Silt builds up and fills the core, effectively reducing the radiator's size. I had mine cleaned, resoldered, pressure tested and repainted for under $100 at a local shop.
Unless you know the thermostat was recently installed, change it out. One of the "Horsepower TV" shows about cooling systems recommended changing the thermostat as a part of annual maintenance, pointing out that they are very inexpensive, easy to change out and that failure of one (since they almost always fail in the closed position) could cost an engine rebuild. Cheap insurance.

 

If you try the new fan out and it doesn't cool enough, you have your answer. An old trick is to toss a shop rag at the front of the radiator with the engine running. If it gets sucked up to the radiator then you are getting good flow. However, without the shroud, Dueller, you will be getting only localized flow, not over the whole front of the rad. So give it try and let us know, John

 

Up here in Saskatchewan the hottest it will ever get would be 35'C. I had a tranny cooler installed in the radiator. The stock radiator and engine took 17 Litres of antifreeze. I just bypassed the heater for now. I don't think I'll overheat the engine. I just hope it starts in the -40'C weather!. When I get it hooked up I'll try the rag trick.

 

Thanks for the responses. Some really good advice and I will let you know how I come out. Right now, the priority is to dig out of the mess that Hurricane Ivan left me, then we can get do to really important stuff.

 

Also you guys who are overheating you may want to try flushing the radiator at home. I used the radiator flush off the shelf at the store and couldn't believe all the crud that came out. The truck stopped overheating at that point. Luckily I did not uncover any holes.