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Jul 18, 2008 | 07:04 PM

#16

David85

Lead Driver

Joined: Nov 2003

Posts: 6,900

Likes: 3

From: Campbell River, B.C.

Quote:

Originally Posted by M.L.S.C.

Dunno, if you do try to pull off a stunt like that you better be running empty, with very light throttle, at high speed. So even tho it works, tis practically useless.

Agreed. I'll probably never try it unless I won the lottery or something (yes, I would still pay with 6.9 engines if I won the jackpot

) Still interesting though.

Jul 18, 2008 | 09:48 PM

#17

Dave Sponaugle

Post Fiend

Joined: Nov 2003

Posts: 21,285

Likes: 16

From: Nutter Fort, WV

In the winter you wil have no problems, even towing or hauling.

You can not run the AC unless you are moving about 50 MPH.

Even with outside temps close to 90 degrees, as long as you can run 50 MPH, you will be OK with a load.

How often can you run a constant 50 MPH?

And speeds over 50 MPH are counter productive on a 4x4 at least.
A constant 70 MPH causes the engine temp to rise.
When I was running dual 16" Flex Lites I did some experimenting.
80 MPH with both fans running, the engine temp was still increasing.

Big hills, big loads, hot days and cheap electric fans are not a good combination.

I don't know the CFM specs on the stock fan, but I can tell you that you will be very hard pressed to find a pair of electrics that can move that much air.

Jul 18, 2008 | 11:05 PM

#18

Dodge/Cummins

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Joined: Mar 2008

Posts: 3,255

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From: Sweet Home, OR

Quote:

Originally Posted by M.L.S.C.

It ain't no temperature issue, tis a heat flow issue - the IDI diesels makes LOTS more heat than a regular gasser does. I used to have a hopped-up 350 with a small V6 radiator in my '79 C10 Chevy, no shroud either, it never overheated even in stop and go traffic or idling in gear for prolonged times. My diesel on the other hand will easily get hot (not overheat, just get hot) if I have to leave it idling for even 5 minutes on a hot day. A regular aftermarket fan designed for a gasser would not move enough airflow to keep the diesel cool. Two fans may be enough, but tis still a bit risky if towing. Now the good news - Ford already gave us some great OEM fans, the 3.8 V6 Taurus fan pulls like 4200 cfm on its high settings, and then there's the Lincoln Mark VIII beats with 4800 cfm. Two of those, with their shrouds and all, should have no issue keeping a diesel cool, with the A/C running and in a gridlock as well.

Oh yeah, I solved my cooling issue last week - locked the fan to the water pump, some folks just pin the clutch but I was a bit worried about the thing unscrewing itself and flying out due to the inertia when the engine shuts off, so I made some 1/16"-thick steel brackets and used the bolts for the fan blade and those for the water pump - I got 4 brackets there and they are more than sufficient, but I'm adding another one tonight or tomorrow, just to be on the safe side. Truck stays nice and cool now, no matter how long I have it idling in gear with no motion of the wheels.

Did the V-6 radiator come out of an '87? I think that was the only year of that body style w/ a V-6. Or was it a straight-6.
And is the radiator actually different in these trucks between V-8 and 6-cyl.?
I don't know.

Jul 19, 2008 | 12:43 AM

#19

LCAM-01XA

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Joined: Apr 2008

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You're absolutely right, I meant an I6, only tis so rare that i get to work on one, and so often I have to fight a V6 of some sort, that even if I'm thinking I6 tis likely that I'll say V6. And yes, the V8 radiators are usually thicker than the I6 ones, at least all that I've seen have been thicker than what I had and whatever else Chevy I6s I've found in the local U-Pull-It.

Jul 19, 2008 | 12:49 AM

#20

LCAM-01XA

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Joined: Apr 2008

Posts: 4,802

Likes: 1

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Sponaugle

In the winter you wil have no problems, even towing or hauling.

You can not run the AC unless you are moving about 50 MPH.

Oh, my A/C sucks hardcore even at my cruise speed of 52mph, the drier barely gets cool, and the line between the evaporator and condenser is ridiculously hot between the condenser and where I think the orifice tube is, and very cold between the orifice tube and the evaporator, but the drier is still barely cool. In contrast the drier in my '88 Lincoln gets so cold that even at idle you can probably glue your skin to it, and vents blow freezing cold all the time, and that's from a system converted to R134 with just a kit from a parts store, and with the air never evacuated from it before charging up with refrigerant. Tomorrow I'm installing a heater core bypass valve tho, so hopefully that and the locked fan will help a bit... if not, there's always the variable orifice tube that I can upgrade to.

Jul 21, 2008 | 12:43 PM

#21

snowman84

Junior User

Joined: Jul 2008

Posts: 72

Likes: 0

From: Grunthal Manitoba Canada

Quote:

Originally Posted by M.L.S.C.

Dunno, if you do try to pull off a stunt like that you better be running empty, with very light throttle, at high speed. So even tho it works, tis practically useless.

Just to let u know it was in the month of january and it was -30 to -35C out side. Tat was on the highway doing 60mph and never went over 210F. i also had no winter front in it. I drove it like tat for a month until i could get my fans. i also have a mechanical temp guage on my pillar. I also tried some full throttle pulls to be safe and it never seemed to get any higher then 220F.

Jul 22, 2008 | 11:59 PM

#22

mattsautobody442

Tuned

Joined: Jan 2008

Posts: 295

Likes: 0

From: Ohio

well all a radiator does is use moving air through it to cool antifreeze moving through small passages. once the t-stat opens it circulates through the radiator. i recommended a ford fan because i knew it would be quieter then a flex-a-lite fan, they're famous for being noisy, especially the belt driven ones, although they do move ALOT of air, too noisy for my liking. the junkyard way is much cheaper, especially if your always changing your rig. and is easier to come by

Jul 24, 2008 | 12:50 PM

#23

snowman84

Junior User

Joined: Jul 2008

Posts: 72

Likes: 0

From: Grunthal Manitoba Canada

The fans r super quiet. the only time i hear them is when i shut down the truck and they automatically turn on to 100% air flow and run for about 60 seconds.