Technical '35 Ford, need help determining electric fan

Took first ride today after build, wisely stayed very close to home. Over heated as I was turning in the driveway ( 20 minutes ). Engine is 8BA Flatty worked to around 200HP. Tried a small fan from the smaller V8 flatty ford made for clearance reasons. Obviously not enough to keep it cool enough. I want to get an electric for the engine side and remove the mechanical fan. I can accommodate up to 17" X 17" X 3.5".
Any Recommendations?

 

Are you sure you have enough coolant?,,when the thermastat opens the water level can drop. HRP

 

no thermostats

 

Get some washers with a 5/8 to 3/4 hole in them that fit inside the water knecks but won't slide around or up the hoses. You need to slow the water down in the Flathead. Or get some Thermostats. Sounds crazy but it works, and a mechanical fan should keep it cool. Also check the advance retard on the distributor, too much retard will make it run hot as well.

Good luck,

Tim

 

I have a 1935 ford with an 8ba. I have thermostats. 160 ones. My car has a electric fan on the front of the radiator that the previous owner installed. It doesnt come on much while im moving. I only overheat when i run it real hard or up a long hill in the summer.

 

junk yard kid, Maybe that's what I'll do. leave the small 11" 4 blade mechanical on the motor side for ascetics and mount the electric between the grill and the radiator where it won't be obvious.

 

electric fans are for pussies! Real men fix any and all the problems that make it over heat.

 

If you go to an electric fan, buy a Spal. They don't use them on Ferrari's for nothing.

 

I used to use SPAL but since I discovered Cooling Components Inc. electric fans and shrouds no more SPAL for me. Nothing wrong with SPAL but CCI are just as if not more powerful, much quieter and only 2-5/8" deep inc. shroud so they will fit where no other electric fan will. Be sure to use a 70 amp relay - these puppies have some serious power....

 

I don't let the electric fan haters worry me, I live in Florida and want to drive my car, even on the hottest days. I agree 100% on SPAL. I was just thinking the other day as I drove my car to work that the current one has been on my 27 for 5 years and is still working great. Before I started buying SPAL I was going through a fan every year. Put the biggest SPAL you can fit (I think it is 2700 CFMS)

You are going to get people who consider you worse than Hitler for running one, but let them put mechanical fans on theirs if they want. Do what you want and what works for you.

Don

 

Stop and read post #4 one more time. You need to keep the water/ coolant in the
radiator longer, too let it cool, before it's returned to the engine.
This is simple and clean and won't cost very much.

.......................Jack

 

Jack and Tim, will do. Probably go with thermostats instead of the washers. Hope that does it.
Thx

 

Yep, ^^^^

going electric to cool a flatty in a '35 is a 20 dollar cure for a 10 cent problem. Cooling your ford should not be an issue that takes late 20th century technology to cure.

You only have 3 main issues going on here.

You have to move water through the engine, that is a water pump issue, open the rad cap and see if water is moving though the engine. If you are not moving a good volumn of water then a good water pump or pumps is in order.

You have to keep the water in the engine long enough to soak up the heat, T stats or restricters will help you accomplish that, running without stats is what you do when you have a stat stuck and you have to limp to the next town.

Last you need to move a decent volumn of air through the radiator. Out on the road a fan should not be necessary as a rule. But around town your fan does the job of pulling air through the radiator. Sometimes you have to build a shroud to accomplish that. There are other things that can make the air not go throught the radiator but none that would apply to this conversation.

Throwing money at a car is not a cure it just makes the car a money pit.

 

I'm with Ryan, fix your problem and keep the mech. fan.

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Well said and 110% on the $$. I have never ever had an electric fan on any of my old car and any OH problem I was able to overcome with fixing the basics as explained by PnB'er.

Get dependent on an electric fan, if it ****s out, chances you aren't going to get home when you're stuck out in EBF with it.

Bob

 

A pusher fan in front of the radiator may block more air than help. Maybe as a last resort but I would exhaust all other possibilities first.

 

"tommy" is right.. Fix it the right way...

 

An 8ba is a tight fit on a 35 I didn't think there was any room on mine for a mechanical fan. I was gunna pull the radiator to freshen it up and put the fan on the back side. It can be seen on the front and does look ugly when it can be seen.


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These problems were solved long before anyone ever heard of electric fans,but if that's what you want to do go for it.

Just keep the hood closed. HRP

 

Hey tudortony, id love to see how you did your mechanical fan. ive only got two inches infront of my powergen pully.

 

I was expecting a big back lash and not so many people to agree. I've been building hotrods long before Walker radiator or electric fans ever came along. It gets hot in the mid-Atlantic too. I thought that my 34 came with a Walker because of the filler neck but found out that it was a modified original.

When I see an electric fan on a stock early ford radiator...I think the builder is either stupid or lazy. Don't believe all the flathead wives tales that get p***ed on as gospel from people that never tried to build a hotrod. It got hot in the 30s also.

 

One of the best electric fan setups is on Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable. Cheap and plentiful at nearest Pic-a-Part.

 

I'm not a 'fan' of those either. But then again not many 200 hp flattys running the streets. I'd definatlly go with thermostats and maybe a 5 blade flattty fan would help I had one of those but can't remember what or where i got it from. I think it was off a 50 Ford with a Merc motor.

 

Another thing to consider that has not come up yet, is whether you have the original frame to engine pans or baffles in place and or does the hood have original louvers or are you running solid hood sides? If there is no place for air to exit it won't come through your radiator.

Yes my Merc motor has a five blade fan.

Good luck.

 

Sounds downright spacious!

 

You went through all that work, building a bad *** flatty and you're going to drop an electric fan in there? C'mon, MAN! Even I know better than that.

 

junk yard kid, I've got a 1/2" between fan and radiator at closest, here's kind of a lousy pic but does show my configuration with the small fan and no room for a larger. I tried to attach good video of it running that shows much more clearly the tight clearance with regard to the fan / alternator setup with the crab dist but it wouldn't load.
Pensive Scribe, running no hood for now, do have the louvered type.
Per Tim post #4 I did restrict the flow to slow the coolant down to let it gather and pull away more heat and it did improve from 20 minutes at idle to overheat to 40 minutes. Going to mess with timing and retard it a bit think it's advanced too much, EI dist. Hopefully all the little things will add up and resolve.

 

Done deal. Fabricated a temp. shroud with galvanized sheet metal I had around from some old ducts. Seemed to do the trick. Ran car at idle for 2 hours stayed below 180. Will be. Did check out Walker polymer shrouds and am going to buy one with their help in finding the right one as my config. as stated is a little different.

Also did re-torque head bolts, retarded the timing a bit.

Took it out on the road second time with no issues. Waxed it up yesterday and today and naturally started rainy here and will be raining till Thurs. Willl be showing it off then. Here's a couple of Pic's waxed up. Took Grill off in anticipation of needing the push e-fan but will be putting it back as I am pretty confident I won't need it.
Thx for the suggestions / ideas.

 

Glad to hear you fixed the problem without having to resort to using a electric fan. HRP

 

That's one sweet ride Tony. Glad you ditched the electric fan idea.......I have a 400 horse small block in my '36 with a steel fixed blade fan and steel shroud. The shroud made the whole difference. Another thing you can do also is make a filler plate for the area just in front of the top of the radiator to keep air from going over the top. Sounds like you did all the right things to me............