Electric Cooling Fan Question

[green68250]

How much will my 390 beneifit from an 880 CFM electric cooling fan? I already have a fan shroud and my fan is within an inch of the radiator. It seems to pull air through well but it still runs a little hot. I would mount the fan as a pusher infront of the radiator. What do you think?

Thanks,
Corbin

[green68250]

Im thinking of this one...
http://store.summitracing.com/partdetai ... &N=700+150+
or this one...
http://store.summitracing.com/partdetai ... toview=sku


Corbin

[green68250]

I have decided to try a different radiator first to see if that makes a difference. I can get a free one in good shape. I had read in other posts that a dead giveaway of a bad radiator is that the temp increases and the vehicle increases in speed. That is exactly what mine does, so we will see what happens. Just in case, though, what do you think about the fan option?

Corbin

[NM5K]

I think you need a new radiator worse than a new fan. I think the radiator
will do the trick. I'd hold off on the fan. As far as switching to an electric fan,
the only real advantage I could see would be slightly less drag on the engine.
If the radiator is good, a stock fan with a shroud should have no trouble keeping
things cool.
Mine has no shroud at all, and I never overheat. And just a stock plain jane fixed
pitch fan.. But I have a fairly new radiator.

[green68250]

Well I tried a new radiator and as far as the guage goes there was no change. I will try a thermal heat gun on the intake and see what the temp really is. If it is ok than I will just ignore the factory guage and get an aftermarket one. If is actually overheating then im lost because I have replaced everything in the cooling system and still no change. The cap has never popped and coolant has never spewed out so I am hoping it is just a bad guage and I can put my mind at rest.

Corbin

[NM5K]

Hummm. How high on the stock gauge does it go? If I remember right,
there is a couple of notches that show the appx normal range. Does it
go higher than the higher notch? Do you know how many rows that radiator
is? I think the V8's require at least a 3 row... And yours is a big block 390..
I don't know if a IR thermometer will show the true water temp or not..
Maybe it will show fairly close once it's been running a while and lets the
pipe or hose get close to the water temp.
I've got one of those red dot thermometers.. Nifty little toys..
I use it for work, but it's also a handy toy.. I'll often check weird stuff
like the temp of the pavement on the freeway while I'm driving down it,
dashboard temp, etc..
Fire, and charcoal too.. If I remember right, I was getting an
average of 700 degrees or so from the surface of a charcoal lump that
is glowing.
I'm still dubious as to an electric fan helping, being it does it worse at
speed, when the fan is least critical.

[peanutman]

I have read that your fan should not extend more than 1/2 inch into the shroud or it will produce a rap around effect reducing air flow thru the radiator- if that makes sense. Seems like that would effect you more at an idle though. I know my factory gauge is way off from my mech one. 160-185 on mech vs almost to the hot mark on the factory.

[Johnm]

y dont you try replacing the ECT Sensor first, they're like 12$ at napa

[green68250]

The solution seemed to be the new radiator. That with the fan shroud keeps the engine nice and cool. My fan will pull enough air through the radiator to hold a piece of paper against the radiator. I drove it and got it good and warm and measured the temp with an infrared gun and measured 150 degrees and that was on a 70 degree day. The guage still reads above the center but I ignore it and haven't had any problems. I even drove it on a 90 degree plus day and idled at stop lights for awhile and no problems at all. Thanks for all the help and advice.

Corbin