Hello,

I was speaking to a couple of motor heads aroung my way about my issue and wanted to gain your opinions as well.

I have been running a flex fan on my car and with a 180 thermostat in there, it will run a constant 190 with the occasional 200-210 in hot weather. I started to notice that it started running 200 instead of the 190. I flushed the system and saw the thermostat closing and opening as it should but the car was still running a bit hot.

We installed an electric fan (Not sure the CFM) and the car now runs a constant 220.

Currently the radiator is out of the car and i sent it out to have it cleaned out incase i have some lower tubes clogged or something.

I would like to keep the electric fan on the car if i could (little HP gain) so a couple of my friends advised me to put in a restrictor plate in place of the thermostat, i know there are different sizes but i guess i can check them out starting with the biggest and see how it works.

The car is not driven in the winter, so maintaining temp for heating purposes is not an issue.

I was also going to put a bottle or 2 of that water wetter stuff in and see if that helps any.

What are your opinions/experience with something like this?

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84 Cutlass Supreme
Chevy 350 .030 over
Comp Cams Magnum 292 (w) 1.6 roller rockers
2.02/1.6 Chevy HP Heads Ported and Polished
Holley 3310 750cfm Carb
MSD 6AL (W) Pro-billt Dist.
Weiand X-Cellerator Intake
Mobil 1 10w30
Headers with 2 1/2" Dual Flowmaster's
TH350 (W) shift kit and 3000 stall, backed by 3.73 rear!

All this equal's the exciting ride of the Olds-Ma-Chevy!

 

Double check the radiator. Most times it is clogged or not the right application for the motor in the car.

Keep the 180 stat. Restrictors allow the coolant to contantly move through and not allowing it enough time in the radiator to cool. Also, check the timing. If it is advanced too much, that will cause it to run hot. Wetter Water will help also.

 

The radiator is from a mid 80's monte carlo ss. As i mentioned, i did send it out to have it checked.

the timing is set right on to what it should be with my cam, and I have not had any issues with it.

Many people i have spoken with seem to like the restrictor plates, i know it is not good for heat purposes but that is the least of my worries at this point.

Someone else i was speaking to seems to think my temp guage may be off a bit as well, but yu can tell the difference when your car runs hot, and this is definatly running HOT.

 

I would say that your electric fan is too small. Most are except the high dollar black magic fans. And flex fans do not cool as well as clutch fans do. I recommend after getting your radiator back to switch to a thermal clutch fan. And no, the flex fan actually takes more horsepower away from the motor than a clutch fan, Car Craft tested that already. Keep the thermostat, get a clutch fan....oh, and you might want to make sure your fan shroud is good, that the fan blades are at least half way inside the fan shroud, and that all the other plastic pieces to deflect air toward the radiator are there. If you want to keep the electric fan, you can make it a pusher and place it in front of the radiator, but that is your call. Hope this helps and stay cool!

JR

 

Well,

The radiator guy contacted me last night and told me about 1/4 of the radiator is blocked?... Not really sure how that happened as i change the antifreeze once a year at a 50/50 mix..

Before taking the radiator out, i tried each of the 3 fans, and the clutch fan actually had the car running the hottest at 240, where as i put the flex on right after that and it run's 200. I even tried spacing the flex fan into the shroud more as it was even with it and that did not help any.

I may try keeping the electric fan on there in pulling mode and put the clutch fan on as well.. As long as i do not put the spacer on the clutch fan, they will both fit but the clutch will be even with the shroud instead of being inside it.

Not real sure yet, if the guy comes back and tells me that i need a new radiator, time for aluminum and then some water wetter... hopefully with the addition of those two the electric fan will do fine on it's own.

Thanks...

 

A) Run straight water and 1 bottle of water wetter.

B)Do NOT use restrictor plates in place of your stat.

C)Do NOT use a black magic electric fan. They are overpriced pieces of ****. They cost almost as much as a spal dual 11" setup, which is twice as effective.

Hopefully you won't need to buy another fan, but if you do, go with a Spal.

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-Joe
79' Z28 4-spd
http://joesmith59.freeservers.com/
*Boycott Lapeer*

 

Wont straight water run the risk of 1) rotting away my radiator and 2) freezing over the winter..... I dont drive the car in the winter but i do store it (I guess i could put anti freeze in over the winter though).....

why not run the restrictor plate? I have heard nothing but good things about them?