For the last year Ive been running a Flex fan on my motor and Ive had ZERO overheating problems. With a 180 deg tstat the motor would run at a constant cool 185, and every now and then get to 220 when I am in this Hot Houston traffic! I decided a couple weeks ago to install a Zirgo 16" 3300 cfm Electric Fan and rid myself of the Flex Fan. The good news is a nice little power gain to my daily driver and about an extra mile to the gallon. The bad news is I'm now running a whopping temp of 220 deg! I want to keep my electric fan but I dont want a thermal meltdown from it! Ive thought about adding the "40 Below" coolant additive and Ive thought about removing my wheel wells too. I already made an air "floom" from a sheet of aluminum and its pretty much air tight for the exception of the fan. This is a puller type application. What should I do.... any suggestions on how I can keep the Electric Fan but keep my car cool? Thanks.

 

Glad I just installed a new flex-fan on mine I say move back to the flex!

 

anyone else?

 

How about a electric pusher fan on the front of the radiator shoving air thru it?

 

Why do you want to keep the electric so bad when the flex was working just fine? I would think the pusher also, but then there would be minimal air circulaing inside the engine bay. I was always under the impression that the fan also moves engine bay air to help cool/circulate it...........as well as cooling the radiator.

 

Oh man, with the electric fan its so much easier to work on the motor... especially making adjustments while its running and not worring about amputating my arm off with the fan blades. Also, Ive notcied some extra pony's. Maybe I can try to put the fan in front as a pusher. Also, I have my factory scoop cut out to allow more air flow into the engine compartment.

Do you think going to a lower tstat might help, maybe going to a 160 deg instead of this 180 I have now?

 

Im thinking of going the same route with the electric. I read an article few weeks back that said a flex fan can pull as much as 18 to 25 HP at higher RPMs. Its also easier on the water pump at 7k rpm. I guess if I run in to overheating probs Ill go back to the flex...



BAMA...... Im moving to Huntsville in 1 week.... how far are you from there.

Ray
78 z28
355 roller with a little spray

 

I am in Montomgery about 3 hours SOUTH of Hunstville .

That is crazy about the flex fan robbing HP, I thought they flex to give HP?

Maybe I should go electric also

 

they do, imagine how much power a solid fan would suck

one thing you havent mentioned is if this is just one of those fans you put against the radiator, and it just sucks air from right where the fan is. if thats the case Id say you need a shroud that pulls air from the whole radiator, not jsut that one concentrated spot. if its doing that then you arent geting anywhere near the cooling you would wiht the flex fan and a shroud.

if you can drive it at highway speeds and the temp is about the same as with the flex fan then I would say the shroud is the answer.

 

Well, I do have an air "floom". Its like a shroud but without the big circle lip going around the fan. The fan sits in an aluminum piece, and the aluminum piece covers the whole radiator. And I went an put silicone in any whole or gap around the fan. verything work great except when Im on the frwy. Any more suggections?

 

I replied to you on Nasty Z28.com......

 

it works ok except when you are on the freeway?

maybe the "floom" thingy is actualy restricting airflow, but not so much that the engine overheats at slower speeds when the fan is doing most or all of the work...

you didnt remove the thermostat completely and forget to mention it did you?

those are the only things I can think of that might cause that problem. though there are probably others

 

that is odd that you say it works fine except on the free way.... On the free way when moving, you can often get away with not having a fan!! (clutched fans disengage over a certain RPM for this reason)

I to would look for air restrictions some how or something....

I have also heard that at higher RPM's the flex fans can actually hurt you in the cooling area. This is because now the blades have "flexed" straight and it is not acting as a fan anymore (not pushing any air) and actually with the blades flattened out and still spinning it is doing it's best to BLOCK air. But in reality, this normally only happens at higher speeds with enough air flow to make up for the fans resistance.

In any case I would not expect any electric fan to run hotter than a flex fan on the highway (unless something else changed also).

 

hEY HERE'S AN IDEA!!

I didnt drive my car for about 6 years and it just set up on blocks. When it was sitting for 6 years the radiator was never drained. Prior to that, my Radiator was purchased new and was used for 2 years. and now Ive been driving the car for about a year. This make the Radiator about 9 years old. Do you think I might need to get it cleaned out? Ive noticied some hard water deposits around the core's inside the Radiator.

Also, about how much does it colst to get them cleaned out?

 

good idea, but do it yourself using prestone antifreeze flush. follow the directions exactly and you should be fine. I actually run 2 seperate final cleaning flush steps though!!!

Heavy

good luck