I have a hard time keeping the temp gauge of my 1971 454 below 235 F. I know I could change the radiator for an aluminum one and go with an electric fan, but I try to keep my toy as close to stock as I can. I thought on adding an electric fan instead of installing it in lieu of the original one. But I don't have much room since I got the A/C condenser in front of the radiator. The only room I have is between the condenser and the radiator but they are only 1.5" apart. From a cosmetic stand point I like the idea, but does anyone know of an electric fan that could fit in this space?

|UPDATED|10/21/2003 9:22:34 PM|/UPDATED|

I checked the Summit catalog and couldn't find any electric fans thinner than about 2 1/4". I think you need to, before anything, is determine why your car runs so hot. Check the basics...check the belts and hoses. Pressure test your radiator and pressure cap. A bad cap can cause serious overheating problems.

One thing to check is whether the engine is really running too hot. I have a '67 Dodge Charger that seemed to be running way too hot. It turned out the guage was bad.

Everything is not always as it seems. Once the source of the problem is identifed, you should be able to make a repair without resorting to add-ons.

Thanks for your research. I did not find anything that thin so far either.

You are totally right when you say I should first check whether the engine runs really hot and why.

I checked the thermostat. It works. The radiator, although old, is in good condition and clean. The hoses are almost new. I changed the sending unit a few months ago. The list goes on.
I live in SW Florida and the summertime does not help. To help keeping the engine below 235F, I never turn the A/C on.

For all these reasons I am considering adding an electric fan although I want to keep it stock. Between the condenser and the radiator, a thin electric fan would be concealed and won't have any cosmetic impact.
That is why I like the idea. I figured out I should not be the first one to come up with this idea.

Finding the root cause is important. Radiator seals, lower spoiler, radiator cleaning, lower hose with spring, fan shroud, pump, thermostat, engine timing, etc.... I have not seen an electric fan thin as you are looking for. Also I think you will find that a 'puller' fan is more effecient than a 'pusher' fan. Let us know what you find and what you decide to do.

Owen

Christian,
My '81 used to run hot all the time, and I checked everything over thinking it was good. But! My radiator was clean but old. Well, one day I developed a tiny leak in the radiator. I took it over to the local radiator guy to have it re-cored. He informed me that the lower half of the core was just about completely blocked, but the top half was fine. After installing the radiator, my temp gauge rarely when past 200 deg.
Good luck, Sarge

Like to comment on this one. I have a 73-454 and the nature of the beast is hot. Lots of iron in cramped space. It everything is not perfect the cooling system does not have the capacity to overcome it. Your 235 is at idle, in traffic, on the highway??? All the time?? Here are some suggestions:

1. What temp are you truely running at. Odds are the head sensor for the gauge has been changed and is not accurate. Replacements can be 10-20 degrees off. Get a digital temp gauge and see what temp the coolant is coming out of the block.

2. Check the temp of the lower hose going back into the water pump. You need at least a 30 degree drop from from the exit temp - otherwise it won't cool.

3. Use a 180 t-stat

4. Consider a high flow water pump like the Stewart's stage 2. Look at www.waterpumps.com for info.

5. Make sure all the seals, shround, top of radiator seal and and "chin flap" are good.

6. Timing, carb mixture etc.

7. Run a mixture in Florida (no chance of freezing), of 90% distolled water and 10% antifreeze for lub and rust preventative. Water cools better than antifreeze.

A puller inside the shroud on a stock bb mounted on the radiator does not work with a stock fan and fan clutch. I installed a 16" puller and the thing ran hotter. Why -The fan pulls "cooler air" in and cools down the fan clutch so it disengages and is virturally ineffective. It also sets up air currents inside the engine compartment that causes the super heated air to stay inside and no exit down and out the side fender vents. This wasn't just me, it was after much diagnosis and spending a great deal o ftime on the phoine with a Flex-O-Lite engineeer that had run similiar tests. Crazy but when I removed the 16" fan the engine ran cooler.

Good luck as these things will cool but take a lot of work to get there.

Another thing I would suggest is to have your existing radiator looked at. Make sure it has 4 rows and has been cleaned out. I did this on my '71 454 with a 180 deg. thermostat and it now runs under 210 deg. in most situations.

Thank you all.

I am sorry for my late reply.

This is not really new to me. I have spend quite a bit of time on the subject. However your point about the innefficient 16" puller is quite interesting, Note that installing a fan between the A/C and the radiator makes it a pusher for the radiator, no?

The more I think, the more I question the radiator although I thought it was clean.

Thanks again.

If you are looking to install a pusher, do you have room for the fan in front of the A/C condenser? Probably not. Why go in between? But then you may have the problem stated above, and it could get worse. This depends on the air flow rate. You almost have to use a very strong electric by itself, or just use the original. The original set up does work if everything is right....SO...something is still wrong. Finding it may be the hard part. Don't forget the seals around the radiator and shroud.

Ken Styer