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Opinions on an addition of a helper electric fan #1416803
04/08/13 03:48 PM
04/08/13 03:48 PM
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South San Francisco, Californi...
MidPenMopar Offline OP
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One of the things I have been waiting to do is I want to install is a helper electric fan on my roadrunner's 383. normally I don't have any issues when driving but the engine will start to overheat if I am sitting in traffic on a hot day for any more than a few minutes.

I have asked a lot of my local car club folks and I get the range of replies from "Its the best thing they did to help cooling" or "If you need one your have other problems you should address first as the stock radiator should be sufficent". Then the debate over puller or pusher fans come into play as well.

So far I have had the stock 22 inch recently radiator flushed out and cleaned. I am running straight distilled water and some soluble oil as an additive. I also installed a higher output water pump and am running a stock clutch fan.


So I was thinking of just adding a front pusher fan that I can operate when only needed via a switch but I wanted to get some opinions from people that have done this before to what really works best.

Thank you
Stu

Re: Opinions on an addition of a helper electric fan [Re: MidPenMopar] #1416804
04/08/13 04:00 PM
04/08/13 04:00 PM
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North Carolina
cjskotni Offline
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I will take a crack at this one. :-)

I would think a big block car should have a 26" radiator and not a 22" which would be correct for SB or /6. This would be the first thing I would upgrade to address your cooling issue.

I have heard mostly negative things about using pusher fans from "they do little to nothing" to "they hurt cooling". I have heard some say they can actually obstruct airflow through the radiator when you are cruising because they sit in front of it. At idle, it might help some, but I would not pursue this course of action. In addition, you will most likely have to upgrade the charging system to handle the extra current draw since you will want to run that fan @ idle where your alternator output is at its lowest.

Also, make sure your fan shoud is well-fitted (better have one). If I were you, I'd see about going to the larger radiator first. I think a 22" radiator with a BB is a little tiny.

Re: Opinions on an addition of a helper electric fan [Re: MidPenMopar] #1416805
04/08/13 04:03 PM
04/08/13 04:03 PM
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Rancho Cordova, CA
Exit1965 Offline
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Hi Stu. For the idling in traffic problem.. I installed 2 small Spal pusher fans. 8 or 9 inches..for ATVs. They sit at the bottom of the radiator opening basically behind the bumper. So they do not restrict airflow through the grill. I rarely need them but when they are on it will start dropping the water temp no problem. I run them with manual switches. At the top they are connected using those plastic screws that have a plastic nut on the other side of the radiator. The bottom are held on with zip ties to small holes I drilled in the body.

Re: Opinions on an addition of a helper electric fan [Re: cjskotni] #1416806
04/08/13 04:10 PM
04/08/13 04:10 PM
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Quote:

I think a 22" radiator with a BB is a little tiny.




Yep that is the factory radiator that Mother Mopar felt was good enough for my 383 for some reason though.

Re: Opinions on an addition of a helper electric fan [Re: MidPenMopar] #1416807
04/08/13 04:10 PM
04/08/13 04:10 PM
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Lincoln Nebraska
RapidRobert Offline
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Quote:

normally I don't have any issues when driving but the engine will start to overheat if I am sitting in traffic on a hot day for any more than a few minutes.


If it recovers when you get moving that tells me that you need more airflow or water flow (or both) & more likely to need airflow. A smaller WP pulley will speedup the fan & the WP & will give you room to run a larger crank pulley which will speed em up even further plus a side bennie of speeding up the alt (always needed). Alot of times just flushing a rad wont clear the cores much (rodding is good but dangerous on weak tubes) but if it recovers quickly when you get moving then you are good there. I'm assuming your fan depth is good & you're running a shroud. Is the front grill unobstructed? An anticav plate on the pump would be good. . I've never ran an electric fan in addition to a regular fan so no opinion if it would help but I'd think that it would if it didn't obstruct much. Just an electric fan by itself is inadequate from what I've gleaned on here about em.


live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
Re: Opinions on an addition of a helper electric fan [Re: RapidRobert] #1416808
04/08/13 04:20 PM
04/08/13 04:20 PM
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Northern OH
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rapom Offline
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Northern OH
I used this one on my 68 charger because I had the exact overheating problem at idle plus my A/C would stop blowing cold at idle. Installing this fan solved both issues.

http://www.the-fan-man.com/shop/size-pus...316f4ddd4b70a22

But you may have to upgrade your alt.

I have it wired to come on automatically with the a/c or if the temp goes over 175.

Re: Opinions on an addition of a helper electric fan [Re: MidPenMopar] #1416809
04/08/13 04:30 PM
04/08/13 04:30 PM
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Washington State
70Duster440 Offline
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Fan shroud? That can make all the difference. I cooled my 440 with a 22" 3 row, shroud, and solid fan.

Re: Opinions on an addition of a helper electric fan [Re: 70Duster440] #1416810
04/08/13 04:46 PM
04/08/13 04:46 PM
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Quote:

Fan shroud? That can make all the difference. I cooled my 440 with a 22" 3 row, shroud, and solid fan.




Yep i have a nice factory shroud and the fan is about 2 inches away from it.

Re: Opinions on an addition of a helper electric fan [Re: MidPenMopar] #1416811
04/08/13 04:56 PM
04/08/13 04:56 PM
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So Cal
autoxcuda Offline
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Quote:

...

So far I have had the stock 22 inch recently radiator flushed out and cleaned. I am running straight distilled water and some soluble oil as an additive. I also installed a higher output water pump and am running a stock clutch fan.

...




Do you have a stock fan shroud on it?

Could also have to do with the carb tune and timing curve/events of the motor.

Re: Opinions on an addition of a helper electric fan [Re: MidPenMopar] #1416812
04/08/13 04:58 PM
04/08/13 04:58 PM
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Lincoln Nebraska
RapidRobert Offline
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I believe you want the fan to be ~2/3 of the way into the shroud. Can someone clarify


live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
Re: Opinions on an addition of a helper electric fan [Re: MidPenMopar] #1416813
04/08/13 04:59 PM
04/08/13 04:59 PM
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So Cal
autoxcuda Offline
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Quote:

Quote:

Fan shroud? That can make all the difference. I cooled my 440 with a 22" 3 row, shroud, and solid fan.




Yep i have a nice factory shroud and the fan is about 2 inches away from it.




What is the amound the fan is sunk into the fan shroud opening? Like 50/50 in and out. Or something else?

What is the minimum gap between the fan tip and shroud edge? Probably not 100% perfect consistant gap all the way around and that's fine.

Re: Opinions on an addition of a helper electric fan [Re: RapidRobert] #1416814
04/08/13 05:01 PM
04/08/13 05:01 PM
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So Cal
autoxcuda Offline
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Quote:

I believe you want the fan to be ~2/3 of the way into the shroud. Can someone clarify




50/50. Half in and half out.

Re: Opinions on an addition of a helper electric fan [Re: MidPenMopar] #1416815
04/08/13 05:07 PM
04/08/13 05:07 PM
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Blair County,PA
62maxwgn Offline
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Straight water is not the best coolant !

Re: Opinions on an addition of a helper electric fan [Re: 62maxwgn] #1416816
04/08/13 05:09 PM
04/08/13 05:09 PM
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North Carolina
cjskotni Offline
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Quote:

Straight water is not the best coolant !




Straight water will transfer heat better than anti-freeze or the water/anti-freeze mix.

However, your boiling point is not going to be near as high as with coolant added so always a danger of boiling the coolant which could blow a hose!

Re: Opinions on an addition of a helper electric fan [Re: 62maxwgn] #1416817
04/08/13 05:13 PM
04/08/13 05:13 PM
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So Cal
autoxcuda Offline
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Quote:

Straight water is not the best coolant !




It removes heat better than anti freeze.

It's not the best resistance to freezing for sure though.

http://www.turbomagazine.com/features/0703_turp_cooling_system_additives/viewall.html

Re: Opinions on an addition of a helper electric fan [Re: cjskotni] #1416818
04/08/13 05:27 PM
04/08/13 05:27 PM
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So Cal
autoxcuda Offline
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Quote:

Quote:

Straight water is not the best coolant !




Straight water will transfer heat better than anti-freeze or the water/anti-freeze mix.

However, your boiling point is not going to be near as high as with coolant added so always a danger of boiling the coolant which could blow a hose!




50/50 Antifreeze mix only raises the boiling point about 11-12 degrees F.

A 15 lbs radiator pressure cap raises the boiling point another 45 F.



The much more important value in the cooling system is what’s called the Specific Heat Capacity. The heat capacity is basically how much heat energy the coolant can carry out of the engine and to the radiator.


Last edited by autoxcuda; 04/08/13 05:28 PM.
Re: Opinions on an addition of a helper electric fan [Re: MidPenMopar] #1416819
04/08/13 05:33 PM
04/08/13 05:33 PM
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Florida STAYcation
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On a bone-stocker that is not going to be RPMed a lot .... a shroud WITH one of those OEM big-bladed flex-fans works well ....

Pusher fans are not worth a HOOT ..

Re: Opinions on an addition of a helper electric fan [Re: dIc dOc Deity !] #1416820
04/08/13 05:38 PM
04/08/13 05:38 PM
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Lincoln Nebraska
RapidRobert Offline
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OT, On the (warm weather only) stock car: straight water & a can of water pump lube & antirust & some water wetter or several drops of dish soap


live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
Re: Opinions on an addition of a helper electric fan [Re: autoxcuda] #1416821
04/08/13 05:46 PM
04/08/13 05:46 PM
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Quote:

Quote:

I believe you want the fan to be ~2/3 of the way into the shroud. Can someone clarify




50/50. Half in and half out.




So is that the definate answer for fan placement as i have always wondered what was the best. I thought as close to the radiator as possible, but it seems not.

Re: Opinions on an addition of a helper electric fan [Re: RapidRobert] #1416822
04/08/13 05:49 PM
04/08/13 05:49 PM
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Niles , Ohio
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therocks Offline
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My 65 440 that built large runs a stock never touched rad.Its a C body 22 with factory shroud.I run a SS 18 inch flex fan.Never overheats even at the track and idling in the 90s.When I street drive in the 80s,90s it still never goes over 190.My kids 62 300 built 413 also runs a 22 factory.It runs like mine never over 190.His was recored to a 4 row about 12 years ago.Rocky


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