Looking for some pictures and info on running a mechanical fan on hotrods and how cool it keeps the car.Anyone use a shroud as well?What type of fan to engine and all the rest..............Marq
You'll have to run a shroud or more than likely it will overheat. Get the fan as close the radiator as possible.
Oh that fan is close Root i'll tell ya and the rad is a work of art,but a shroud is a real good idea i think.............Marq
Run em with no real issues...running temp of the small block was baout 160-170..traffic was about 190-200 tops never overheated oh and NO shroud either and in HOT FLA I had a guy tell me just last weekend you couldnt run one without a electric fan........I told him he was full of shit..he got back in his 80's corvette and pondered the thought again..
I am using a mech 4 blade fan on my Roadster. It is a small one of some 6Cyl I think... It had to be small for clearence. Blown 283 SBC, 5" chopped Radiator, no shroud, Arizona heat... No problems in normal traffic, but it will over heat when I let it sit and idle a for long time.
I've got a six blade mac. fan in front of a mildly beefed up small block, in my 31. no shroud. I ran at 180-190 in the Texas heat, 195-200 and climing in traffic. I put some of that super coolant stuff in a couple of years ago (can't rember the brand, ice water or something) and now I run at 170-180 no matter what the outside temp is.
Perhaps those in the know can help with this, but isnt a mechanical fan (when used with a shroud) supposed to be better for your vehicle than just about any electric fan?
I would like to but the law over here would jump on your case more so than a fenderless car running on headers, not trying to put you off but remember you need permission to breath here. Remember all those cars in the 70's & 80 with the stupid looking grilles around the moving pulleys & fans. Don't get me wrong i'm all for it!
Runnin mine with a small block and a Walker. It's just a stock fan about 2" from the radiator. Not running a shroud, but that would be agreat idea. Never heats up a bit, even in Texas.
I'm running a mech. fan on the 331" Cad in my '31 roadster. Runs about 100 degrees above ambient temp. while on the road and will heat up if sitting for more than a couple of minutes in traffic. I've had it up to 210 but with 50% anti-freeze and a 15 lb. cap it hasn't been a problem. I intend to build a ring-shroud for it one of these days when I get time. Driving it too much now.
I gotta say, I have an electric, but I almost never run it. Only on a warm day if I'm stuck in traffic will I need to put it on. And then, I turn it on for about 5 min & the temp is back down to about 170 or so. Damn thing runs almost too cool! But that's a Rover V8 for ya...
I've got an old chrome 4 blade fan on my roadster. It is at least 2 inches from the radiator and has no shroud. The radiator is an origional 32 ford. I've never had an overheating problem. It rarely get's over 190 even on the hottest days or in trafic.
Cut down 4 blade half inch from the rad on the A - heats up on a hot day in traffic . While we're on the subject, I recently saw smaller pulleys being advertised for Y-Blocks claiming the fan would turn faster at idle, draw more air and keep the water cooler. Wouldn't it also though push the water through the radiator quicker not giving it enough time to cool properly. ? Just curious, does anyone think there might be a benefit with these pulleys ?
I have an original radiator in my model A, with a flex-fan (6 blade??), and my car runs real cool, and has only got up over 200 degrees when I was caught in a traffic jam on a 90 + degree day. I have a 160 thermostat, and the car usually runs between 160-170. The fan is about an inch from the radiator, and there is no fan shroud. Here is a pic, not the greatest, but you should get the idea. -Joe
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