Air Deflector
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From: East Palestine, Ohio
Air Deflector
I've been having some problems with overheating when in cruise traffic where you sit in line for 45 minutes and move 1 mile. I added two 7" pusher fans in front of the radiator with a thermostat to control on and off. It does seem to help some as long as it don't get to hot to begin with. What i am wondering about is the air deflector that mounts to the hood. Does it fit the contour of the hood or does it fit in front of the hood? I have a deflector but i don't have it mounted yet. I was thinking if i bolted this on it would also help. Is there a difference between the 6 cyl. and the 8 cyl. radiators other than the dual inlets for the 8 cyl. The deflector i have does not fit the contour of the rad.
Thanks
Terry
Thanks
Terry
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From: Littleton, New Hampshire
I doubt if the hood deflector will cure your heating problem or but it might help. The hood deflector keeps air coming through the grille from going over the top of the radiator instead of through it but I would think it would come into play more at speed than in traffic. The same is true of the lower one in front of the radiator. The hood deflector for an 8 cylinder is different from the one for a 6. I moved my radiator forward to the 6 cyl mounting position for extra fan room and had to modify the 8 cyl hood deflector to keep it from contacting the radiator. I don't like using electric fans for cooling and have also heard that pusher fans are not as efficient as puller fans. 
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From: Northwest Fl
Are you running the original stock radiator? Has it been cleaned out properly? Are you running a thermostat in the 302? When you say overheating, what is the gauge showing? Is the gauge/sending unit working properly?
Lead Driver
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From: Brentwood, TN
I have a 460 in my 56 with a new stock radiator with no shroud and it runs all day long at 190-200 with only a flex fan. I think that I would look into the condition of the radiator first.
Postmaster
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From: Riverside, So Cal
From the sound of it, assuming the radiator is reasonabley clean, you just need more air over the radiator. I would change out the two 7" fans for a 16" pusher. Use the same fan switch setup.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Oct 2002
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From: Valley Center, CA
I'm with Huntsman. What heating problems are you having? I have several friends who think they have problems but their rad never boils over. Just because the heat goes up, it does not mean it's a problem. What is your coolant mix ratio? Jag
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From: East Palestine, Ohio
I bought a 16" electric fan to mount as a puller because they are more efficient but it would not fit between the radiator and the water pump pulley. I only have about 2 1/4" of clearance between the pulley and the radiator. I tried putting the 7" fans on the inside but the engine fan blade would hit the housing for the 7" fans. I have not had a chance to see if they will work as well as i like. I may try them out tonight after work because it is supposed to be 90 today. When i am out on the highway may temp stays between 185 to 195 degrees. I would be happy if it would stay there all the time. I have the original radiator but it has been re-cored sometime in the past. I did have it and the engine flushed out last year. I am running a 50/50 mix of water and anti freeze with a 160 degree thermostat.
Terry
Terry
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From: East Palestine, Ohio
I don't have a shroud but there is a swap near here next weekend. I may try to find one.
I went to a cruise a couple of weeks ago and got in a long slow line of cars and my temp gauge was reading 240 degrees. I did not boil over, no steam coming out and i checked the level in the rad. after it cooled down and i did not lose any anti freeze. I'am not sure how acurate my gauge is. I checked the temp with an infrared heat gun and after everything heated up to 190 degrees the temp at the sending unit and at the inlet of the rad. where reading the same.
I went to a cruise a couple of weeks ago and got in a long slow line of cars and my temp gauge was reading 240 degrees. I did not boil over, no steam coming out and i checked the level in the rad. after it cooled down and i did not lose any anti freeze. I'am not sure how acurate my gauge is. I checked the temp with an infrared heat gun and after everything heated up to 190 degrees the temp at the sending unit and at the inlet of the rad. where reading the same.
Last edited by tlb; Jun 27, 2007 at 05:37 PM.
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I would think if you can find or make a shroud that encloses the entire core area and set it up so that about one-third of your fan depth is outside the opening you will have a cooler radiator and may not need those pushers.
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From: San Jose, CA
6 cyl and V8 air deflectors are different in size. 6 cyl air deflector is approximately 33" wide and the V8 is 31" wide. The 6 cyl air deflector mounts closer to the front of the hood since the radiatior is closer to the front of the truck, while the V8 air deflector mounts towards the rear of the hood (a few inches south of the 6 cyl mounting location) as the V8 radiator is mounted a few inches away from the 6 cyl rad location. 6 cyl blocks were longer than V8 blocks, thus the difference.
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From: Littleton, New Hampshire
A shroud is not going to help if you are running pusher fans. You really need to convert to a puller fan if you can....then the shroud would help. It sounds like you are not moving enough air through the radiator at idle. You could live with 220 in traffic but 240 is too high (if that is indeed an accurate temperature reading). Your 160 thermostat is also useless since it's staying open all the time. I'd go with a higher degree thermostat...at least 180.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Durham NC
Put the large puller fan back on tight against the radiator with a temp switch and take the mechanical fan off, you don't need both, and using both actually can be detrimental by changing the air flow. Seal all around the radiator so all the air coming thru the grill must go thru the radiator. Sealing is MUCH more important at low speeds than high where there is plenty of air flow. Check you temp gauge and the radiator's efficiency by using a metal dial cooking thermometer stuck into the coolant in the radiator (DON'T remove the cap while the engine is hot! Start the engine with the cap off and check it after you see the coolant circulating indicating the thermostat has opened.).
I have to respectfully disagree with Vern, running a higher temp thermostat has no effect on cooling, only on how quickly the engine reaches operating temp. All thermostats should be full open at operating temp.
I have to respectfully disagree with Vern, running a higher temp thermostat has no effect on cooling, only on how quickly the engine reaches operating temp. All thermostats should be full open at operating temp.
Last edited by AXracer; Jun 28, 2007 at 08:04 AM.
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From: Littleton, New Hampshire
Originally Posted by AXracer
I have to respectfully disagree with Vern, running a higher temp thermostat has no effect on cooling, only on how quickly the engine reaches operating temp. All thermostats should be full open at operating temp.
I had a 34 Plymouth years ago with an SBC that ran over 220 in traffic with a 160 thermostat. A friend suggested I try a 195. It didn't make sense to me but after I installed it the temperature never went over 200 after that so I was convinced that it helped. Perhaps there were other forces in play I was unaware of...
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Joined: Oct 2002
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From: Valley Center, CA
Vern, I agree with AX. And, I believe that the 195* thermostat helped you by opening all the way as it should. Perhaps your old one was only opening part way due to age or corrosion, thus restricting flow. Also, some designs of thermostats have bigger openings than others for what ever reason.
As far as an electric fan, my truck was set up with a puller with shroud from Sac Vintage Ford. It worked very well, especially after I installed the new US Radiator. Jag
As far as an electric fan, my truck was set up with a puller with shroud from Sac Vintage Ford. It worked very well, especially after I installed the new US Radiator.
Jag