I just introduced myself over in the "introduce yourself" place. LOL. But I'll just jump in with a question. We just bought a '53 Merc Monterey with a 1970 351W with C4 in it. Seems to run great, plenty of power. This is my first car without it's original drivetrain, so it's odd to me that I can't just grab a manual and look stuff up. And I didn't buy it from the builder so I don't have a resource to go back to. Anyway. The car has an aftermarket aluminum radiator. It has a typical belt driven cooling fan on the water pump -- actually looks to be one of those flex fans that flattens out at higher RPM. But it ALSO has an electric fan mounted on the front of the radiator. Can this really be necessary? All the original gauges are wired to the modern engine, so I don't exactly have a reliable temp figure. But it seems to me, that when driving down the highway on a 40 degree day at 65 MPH, with a belt driven fan running, having that electric fan coming on can't possibly be necessary?!?!? When I start it up and warm it up for a few minutes before heading out, the electric fan comes on as well -- the temp gauge shows below normal operating -- but then again calibration on the 1953 gauge? It appears to me that the fan on the front of the radiator is serving more to block airflow than anything else. And how can it be pushing more air through the radiator when it's blowing it into the belt driven fan? Especially when driving down the road? I'm only going to have a couple more weeks to mess with it before it goes away for the winter. And I'm not exactly working in warm weather. But it sure seems like I could be doing without it? When it comes on it's LOUD and you can feel it vibrating in the car. Don't like it a bit and would rather do without. I wonder if the previous guy drove in heavy traffic or parades a lot? It came from the Minneapolis/St.Paul area. My town doesn't even have a stoplight. No hot summer day traffic jams up here. Does that front electric fan make any sense? Tim in Bovey
How about just hooking up another, non electric heat guage, and see what temps it runs with & without the electric fan running, might help you make a decision as to whether or not you need the pusher fan...bet you don't.
I think your right on target. But I would suggest not to get into a fired up hurry. 1. Get an accurate measurement of your engine temp. 2. The cooler fall temps will not be a good example of a hot summer day. 3. Drive the thing during 80-90 degree weather with an accurate reading. 4. If the problem is actually what you suspect start by removing the electric fan. 5. Get that flex fan off of there. They are junk. Install a shroud. Even if you have to make one. Now your are ready to see how the car acts without the electric fan. Sounds like a next summer project.
I'm with you. I agree the flex fan is junk. It's going to be hard to do much this year about it, as we're already getting into the 20's over night and maybe 50 during the day, so I've got no warm ambient air to work with. I had just never noticed having both the belt fan AND an electric fan at the same time. But again, my old car experience is pretty good, but my hot rod experience is not so good! I'm ***uming the flex fan is on there to reduce drag and increase HP a bit. Clearly the builder was out for some speed/power. The heads were redone and "souped up" etc. It's a strong runner, that's for sure. It's got a lot of get-up-and-go. I am thinking the electric fan shouldn't be so loud? And vibrate so much? Never had one in anything but modern cars and you can't really tell they're running. THIS one you can hear and feel. I'll have to do some experimenting. We could very well have snow in the next two weeks, so that could put a damper on things. I've only had the car three days, put about 60 miles on it. But the electric fan is about my only squawk (so far). That and the fact that even though the headliner and door panels are done, the seats are basically springs with blankets over them. But we're got a shop that's done work for us before that will get the seats as soon as we put it in the garage for winter. Is it really a thing to run an electric fan AND the belt fan at the same time? Tim in Bovey
Junk fan heck, send it to me for free... Where's that thread that we just discussed fans ---it around here somewhere....
A good radiator and a mechanical fan that is correctly spaced from the radiator and good fan shroud should not need an electric fan. Make sure the air under the hood is going through the radiator and over or around it.
I would go back to square one- get an accurate temperature gauge and then a shroud and a good mechanical fan. Then see what you have. The electric fan should not be vibrating like that. As was said, the flex fan has to go. And make sure air can get out from under the hood.
At highway speed, you shouldn't need a fan at all. The speed should force more air through the radiator than the fan can. Since the radiator has been replaced, we might ***ume whoever changed it just threw it in there without thinking about air flow - no matter how good the radiator is it won't cool properly if the air doesn't go through it. First, all air entering through the grille should be lead to and through the radiator, there should be no way around it. Second, there should be a shroud, making sure all the air the fan moves goes through the radiator. Just get those basics right and most cooling problems are avoided.
FWIW: My A/C guy told me to wire my electric fan so it always run when the A/C is on. He said I won't need it to cool the engine but will need it to move air thru the condenser.
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