So yesterday the wife and I put about 70 miles on the roadster. Temps were about 60-65 with cool breeze out of the NW. Temp gauge never went past 185. Today it was 80ish and warm. Put another 70 or so miles and the temp gauge was around 210ish. I'm looking to install a 16" puller electric fan. The radiator core is 16"x16". If I install a fan only to cover 95% of the radiator at the highest CFM I can buy be good enough to keep the temps down? Or go with a 12" and shroud combo? My BBC Chevelle is running a Champion rad with fan and shroud combo and it stays right at 195 where it loves it.
Pictures help.... and you didn't really say when it was getting warm, if it was on the highway, or only in traffic. Fans help in traffic, not so much on the open road.
It was running hotter in traffic and then would only cool down to about 200ish on the highway. The current fan is attached to the water pump pulley a few inches away from the radiator with no shroud. When the temps are around 60ish it runs fine. 70+ degrees it's running hot. If I need to get a new aluminum radiator with fan and shroud to not have any issues I will. Looking to keep the radiator in it and add the fan/shroud or just electric fan to keep it cool in traffic and highway at higher temps.
When adding a Electric fan ,pay attention to the amp draw, I have a Spal that pulls 40 amps , with a 100 amp alternator, it would drain Voltage down to 12.3v in about 3-4 mints at Idle , I switched to a group 34 , The Group 34 that I m using has a 120 mint reserve at 30 amps
I'd try getting the mechanical fan closer to the radiator using a spacer of the proper thickness. This one is 1 inch. https://www.amazon.com/Flex-lite-14...88-b068-baa07f254dd7&pd_rd_i=B000CNLCHU&psc=1 Two inch https://www.amazon.com/Flex-lite-14...e7-b533-4311bf86cfcf&pd_rd_i=B000CNJAMO&psc=1 How far is the fan from the rad?
Why not make a cardboard shroud to test how effective the existing fan could be. Take the easy and cheap way first.
there's a lot more to the cooling system then just the fan... electric fan would be the last resort, and some thing I would never do...when I had my streetrod shop in vegas I fix'd hundreds of A& B roadsters and coupes, made them run in the 120 degree desert temps with ac on....... so how bout a pic to see whatcha got...some times you just don't have enough coolent...I've had to add coolers in the back of the car to make the system have enough to make it work... but, people do things like remove thermostats, don't have by pass hooked up right...the rule of thumb is this...if it gets hot on the freeway, the radiator is too small/ not enough coolent capacity. or the coolent is going through the radiator too fast and not getting a chance to cool down before going back in the motor... I'm going through this on my model A woodie...The fan is too low so I'm doing the zip mod to move it up 5.5"... goes to 210 light to light.. but cools down at speed to 180...210 is not bad , but on mine it will keep climbing so I stop... the other thing is , do you have to add coolent after running it?? could have a head gasket or manifold gasket leak... did you pressure test the system? ..another thing I have seen is the lower rad hose collapse when it gets hot.. also a dirty radiator, or dirty block will cause problems.. some times I've had to pull the freeze plugs only to find the block packed with dirt..
As said, pictures help getting good answers and suggestions a lot. A shroud will most likely help your existing fan do a better job. Either a full shroud or just a ring around the fan extending forward to the radiator to make sure all the air the fan moves goes through the radiator. I like electric fans for many reasons, but there's a time and a place. This probably isn't it.
This is True !!! A typical small block Chevy should hold right at 5 gallons at least, (radiator and block) Never Dealt with Death Valley Temps , Back in late 80s in a 34 with a Radical Blown BBc , added 2 extra mini radiators , 1 on each side up inside fenders wells
When I built my Austin gasser back over a decade ago I knew the limited space was going to be trouble with radiator size, and cooling. My core size is also 16"x16" and no room for a mechanical fan at all. So I contacted Griffin and asked how thick they could build a radiator for my car? They came up with a radiator with a 2.5" thick core, and I bought a 3000 cfm electric fan to mount behind it. Once I mounted radiator and fan direct to the core, I have less than 3/4" clearance from water pump pulley to the fan. But the good news is when the fan is on I can drive or idle in 100 degree weather, and it never gets over 200 degrees. My fan is 16" diameter so it covers all but the corners of my core, and works great. I have a 100a. alternator, and never had any charging issues.
210 isn’t hot to me But running hotter than you like while cruising ya probably need more rad If running hot parked, no enough airflow General rule of thumb My bus has a Brice Thomas rad. Aluminum 2 flu. Runs 180-185. No shroud and has a flex fan. To me it runs too cool. I’m planning to change the t-stat to see if it will reach 205-210. I’m just used to things running in the 205-215 range.
All good points. I did check the coolant level at my parents before we headed home. Coolant was at the top just below the fill neck. I will mock up a cardboard shroud first and see what happens. My brother in law works in the fabshop at the mill which is right next door to the locomotive shop I work in. So making a metal shroud won't be a problem. I will try to upload a better pic.
I have the same problem so I will be watching this thread closely. I made a shroud and didn’t seem to help. Mine mainly gets hot in traffic. I will not succumb to the electric fan though. I just don’t like the look of them. I think it’s the small radiator that’s giving us trouble. I can drive mine all day long until it gets to 80° and above.
I’m running a 4 core Walker on my sbc with an a/c condenser in front which pushes the radiator back about an inch and a half. So no room for mechanical. Electric was the only choice. I made a shroud about 3/8” thick with a 13” fan. This setup keeps the engine right at 185 to 190, no problem.
Walker Z , flathead 32, so I have the other 2 caped off , with 180 thermal, Static 10:5:1 on gas ,10 psi @ WOT, I pull coolant also from back of intake , BDS manifold with thermal in front , So I pulled thermal out of intake , I modified a old Offey thermal by adding a 1-1/2 nipple in the side So all coolant passes threw Thermal 190 cruising ,sitting still takes about 10- 15 minutes to get up to 215, 2 temp gages , 1 in each head . Spal fan ,close to 3,500 cfm, pulls 43 amps, thats down side .
With that spacer you have plenty of room to build and use a shroud. With what you have now I would use a baking pan. Get one at a kitchen supply. Many have rolled edges and you can section a 1” thick one to fit. Make 4 aluminum tabs and paint it BBQ black. If you don’t want the spacer, you can get a circle track shroud kit from Speedway or Summit. I’ve done them both. Also get an over flow receiver …. They have really nice black ones on Amazon. The one on my LSR roadster needs an electric fan and has one of the over flows. The one on my sons 40 Chevrolet is mechcanical 14” fan on a 10-1 engine using one from Summit turned verticle.
Jimmy six I'm digging the idea of the baking pan. I like the black one you made. That shouldn't be too hard to fab up. I lived in so-cal once upon a time. Marines from 93-97 then stayed till 2011 when marriage failed moved back to Indiana which is home. Lived in Temecula most of the time I was out there. I know all about the heat.
Who-rah…Marine family here. With Tustin Helicopter Base , El Toro Air Station, and Camp Pendleton all close to where I live and one grandson still serving in the reserves So Cal/ Orange County and surround area had and still has many who served in the Corps. Being by the beach is fine but to go anywhere you go to or thru the heat so I build cars to take it. The kitchen store has been my go to aluminum and stainless “parts” store for engines. Cake lids make the coolest air cleaner covers..
I have no experience with flex fans but I have heard comments that they aren't optimal for pumping air. Plus you got to do that shroud...
I just want to throw this out there. I originally put my 355 in a small OT vehicle. It was running on the high side of sane running temperature. I was getting ready to louver it pretty heavy to let the heat out of the engine bay, I really did not want to to do that as the car was a sleeper. I was looking at a water pump ad that declared that a Flow Cooler pump would drop the temp by 15 degrees. I called my favorite catalog speed shop and asked them. They said it is was true and if I bought one and my temps did not drop 15 degrees they I could send it back. I did and it did drop 15 degrees. Your pump makes all the difference in the world. Try the best pump you can lay your hands on. it does not have to be a flow cooler other companies are making the same basic pump now.
I have considered one of those Flow Cooler pumps. Looks like a nice piece. I do think most of my problem is this short radiator but I don’t have room for the full length one. I’ll try that pump.
There are a lot of tricks. Fast acting T stat. Makeing sure that the air is passing through the rad and not around it. Good pump. Obviously core area is important too but if you make sure everything else is up to par you can help the core get the job done. Give it every chance you can.
Gonna make a shroud, flush the radiator good and see what happens. Don't know much about the motor but it runs too good to fool with. It's an 010 block. I have an 010 block in my shop that is ready for a stroker kit and some forced induction. But that motor when built is going in the Chevelle.
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