How far back should the fan be from the radiator? How about as far as the shroud lets it while still keeping the fan 1/2 out of the shroud. Check out a V6 Tbird. The fan is about 12 inches from the radiator, but the shroud is also that long. Make sure your shroud is sealed around the radiator and is is doing what is designed to do: allowing the fan to pull the maximum amount of airflow across the entire surface of the radiator. Also check for clutch slippage/seepage, cold spots in the radiator surface, that would show areas of blockage. Does your radiator look good inside ie. low/no corrosion? Take a STRAIGHT coathanger and put it down one of the tubes, does it go in smoothly? Might just need a rod out or a solid fan coupler.