finally figuring out overheating
 

I been very active on the board title evap-o-rust. I visited with Bob at Baxter Ford in Lawrence, we discussed my overheating problem, the part where I slow down and the temp goes down. this is pretty simple really when I slow down I don't need as much air to pass through the radiator as I need at 75 mph. The electric fan an shroud completely covers the radiator only allowing so much air to pass through. need to remove electric fan an use 4 to six blade fan, not using a shroud, so as much air will pass through as possable

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

I found Bob at Baxter Ford to be very knowledgeable. He helped me calibrate my speedometer on my '39 and got me the right "turtle" gear.

Don't throw the electric fan away until you see how the engine mounted fan performs.

Hope this solves your problem.

Dick.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

My 39 Ford sedan with a mercury 8ba was running hot I put a coolant electric fan sold by Walker and found out with fan off doing say 50mph it would run hotter.
I cut off the lower shroud so as to get more flow, they do put rubber flaps on bottom to help the flow of air. I only put fan on in traffic. I run a 12 volt fan.
http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/pictur...ictureid=32267

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

I've been following your "journey".

Have you addressed the radiator?? Clean?? Rodded out??
Use a digital hand held temp gauge at diff spots on your radiator at operating temp. Should be diff temp top to bottom. FWIW
Paul in CT

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

You had an aftermarket core if i dont remember wrong.
It is more efficient so its less easy for the air to pass then an original.
Taking the shroud away makes the fan very unefficient.
So if it will work better without a shroud only means your fan aint doing the job.
Drop the electric one to start with then try a truckfan thats what i would do.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

I got a 6 blade fan I am going to try, wont know till next week how it works, I have to have an adapter made so fan will fit.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

If you are determined to try this, I would remove the fan and shroud and try it on the road. Above 30-40 mph you shouldn't need a fan. If the car cools at 70 as well as at 55, maybe the shroud was part of the problem. If it still runs hotter (too hot), you don't have enough radiator capacity.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

I think it would be more like not enough coolant flowing through the radiator. A restriction, poor pumps or low coolant lever would cause this condition. Coolant lose from non working pressure cap allowing coolant to back out the over flow tube. G.M.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

good day i had the same deal with my 46 running hot did ever thing you can do took my air condition condenser off ran cool move it under the front bumper look at my album may help

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

One thing to remember is that fans (electric and mechanical) are only needed (and useful) for slow speed driving. There is no fan that can match the airflow that nature provides at highway speeds. As a matter of fact, a fan is more of an obstacle on the highway than a benefit.

So, with that in mind if you are overheating at highway speeds, there is either a serious engine problem or your fans are blocking the air.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

Do you think 6 blade fan will do more harm than good, it had a 4 blade fan on it before I put on air, it ran a little hot not bad. I think I will try the 4 blade and see the how it works with air.

I appreciate all the help you have provided, makes me look things I haven't though about.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

I'm running a 7 blade flex fan and it pumps a lot more air than the original 4 blade.
Especially at idle.
It's off of a 78' Granada.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...x.jpg~original

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

With an A/C condenser and an electric fan blocking air flow through the radiator it is not surprising there are heat issues.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

I have a six blade after market flex fan and it pulls a huge amount of air. I dont notice alot of noise but it has been on the motor since I bought the car....... MARK

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

I was testing a 32 tall coil on my 34 as a result I could not run the fan ,at highway speeds I was surprised to see the Temperature rise . My conclusion was that at 50MPH the fan is assisting and sucking a high amount of air .My radiator tube design was not ideal so radiator affiance was on the low side .I rectified this by adding a shroud which makes it suck even more air at high way speeds .and now it runs on the cool side .At the lights the shroud really comes into its own .In some cases you can run these cars with out a fan but its not a hard fast rule as there seem to be lots of variations .Ted

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

I installed a 12 volt 18" puller [3000 cfm] fan, thermal switch and a walker shroud on my 38 Pickup. I had no heating problems before the installation, but needed to replace the 16" 6 volt fan. I thought the shroud would improve air flow and help to cool the engine even better. I was wrong. The shroud fit the radiator perfectly, but seemed to really restrict air flow. The engine ran hot at highway speeds and while stopped at stop signs. That had never happened before.

I removed the shroud and installed the fan directly on the radiator. Now there is plenty of air flow and the engine again runs cool. In town at stop lights it will heat up to 185 and the fan comes on and keeps the engine cool. Once out of town and on the road the engine cools down and the fan shuts off. For me the shroud absolutely did not work! It acted as an air dam and made the engine overheat. Not enough air could flow through the 18" hole in the shroud. Even with the fan on, the engine ran very hot with the fan shroud. Without the fan shroud everything is fine! The new fan moves much more air than the old fan did and without the fan shroud it keeps the engine cool while stopped.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

Just to add some more information, the fan bearing on my '51 started making noise, so I decided to replace it. In the interim, I had a '51 Mercury fan assembly (without a fan on it) that I decided to run in the interim. It didn't work at all well without a fan (got hot real fast), so I bought an aftermarket six blade aluminum fan. It works OK, but doesn't seem to work any better than the stock 3 blade fan. My car is completely stock (no shroud). I think that the Ford engineers had this all figured out, and that adding a shroud and more blades screws up the designed airflow. After I put in my recored radiator in 1987, I have never had an overheating problem. Maybe I'm just lucky, but this isn't the first time that I found that the original design was right on.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

I am fighting between taking the shroud off using the electric fan or using the 4 blade ford fan or using the six bladed fan mechanical????????????????

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

Johnny
Look closely at HELENT's album
May be your answer with the AC
Seems to work well

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

I have heard that the engine blade fan can be installed backwards. Is this true ?
Since this post is about fans I thought I would ask. I know my '41 fan has a metal strip that the blades are riveted to.That is my guide for installation. Just wunderin.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

Kahuna, how do I find Helent:s album

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

Here is his album. http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/album.php?albumid=3341

Bob

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

HELENT's post inferred that there would be pictures of the AC condenser moved from in front of the radiator, but I don't see them.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

There is a pic of the condenser with fan located under & behind the bumper

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

Here.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

Thanks for all the info, if I use 6 blade fan will that be hard on fan bearing? do I have to worry about bearing going out?

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

Trucks had 6 blades and they worked...

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

I'm of the opinion that you should relocate the condensor as Helent has done

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

No. if you do it will push the car backwards.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

Years ago, i had overheating with my '47. You could hardly go around that block before the gauge was pinned. I bought a rebuilt radiator from Don Baxter in Kansas, and never had the problem again. Yesterday, the air temp was above ninety, and the gauge stayed right in the middle. Fooling with fans, shrouds, etc, is usually just an attempt to cover for radiator poor flow and/or a radiator with fins that have become separated from the tubes.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

My thoughts are just that because of the AIR Conditioning, he has heating issues.
Relocation of the condensor seemed like the logical answer

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

Yep, I agree, the condenser can't be helping the situation.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

Today I wil, put the orginal 4 blade fan on, have not tried it since I put in ac, seemed to work ok before let you know what happens. I guess I jumped before to electric fan thinking may be a problem.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

Go back and read post#8. G.M.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

Took off electric fan installed 4 blade ford fan, at 65 to 75 the temp runs with ac 185 ambient being 90 degree, really great, thats good news, bad news slow trafic stop and go around runs 210 degree as long as tbe traffic keep moving shutting off ac. Next will be to put on 6 blade fan se what does.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

You got the shroud mounted ?
Does a huge difference for idle performance of the fan.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

no shroud

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

Not that I ever heard of.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

I just read the thread and did not see any discussion of coolant and thermostats. Some of the guys in my EFV-8 chapter are running distilled water with water pump lube and no thermostats or other restrictions in summer with great success. There are a ton of threads (and opinions) on the Barn about coolants and thermostats. Nothing will work in traffic without a proper shroud to guide the air. Go back to Henry's design, but with distilled water, water pump lube, and no thermostats and see what happens. Start with the basic and simple and work your way up from there. Then read all the threads on cooling systems and decide whether to try different stats and coolant additives. Might be advantageous to remove the condenser until you have the stock system working well. Then add one thing at a time and test performance. I apologize if you've already done all this; I did not see it discussed. Good luck. BTW, don't follow any links if they appear; I did not put them there.

Re: finally figuring out overheating
 

Just assuming the pumps and stuff work and aint the issue focusing on the fan part.
I would try a flexfan since what you need is more idle cooling.
A shroud is a huge improvement to a fans effiency to.