Electric Fan to Help with Cooling?

[pv40924ss]

Hi,

It is not yet hot here in Albuquerque but the other day the temp of the 327 in my 62 Bel Air rose to about 220, and seemed ready to go higher, just idling in a parking lot for about 3 - 5 minutes. I left right then and the temp dropped to about 210. When driving on I-25 or I-40 the temp is consistently about 180. In town driving from stoplight to stop sign, in traffic, the temp will be 195-200. If I turn the heater on the temp drops about 10 degrees pretty quickly.

Should I add a pusher fan to the front of the radiator, increase the idle speed, or something else? I think it is only idling about 650 - 700 (no tach yet) from what I remember the tach in the timing light was reading when I timed it in April. It has a 180 degree thermostat right now with an OEM fan shroud for the 327. It takes about 5-10 minutes for the temp gauge to read any temperature, and about 10 - 15 minutes for the 327 to get fully warmed up at 180.

I am considering the Flex-a-Lite Model 440 fan as it is a thin style fan and I would use a switch so I can decide when I need it. But, the $272 cost and the amount of plastic covering the front of the radiator are concerns. If I do not have the fan on will the amount of plastic make the cooling worse, and require me to have the electric fan on more often?

 

[pvs409]

I thought you were getting a 4 core 409 radiator with your 409 motor?
Install that first before buying fans.

My 4 core 409 radiator in my 62 Impala 327/300 HP 4 speed cools my motor to 185 degrees all day with stock 5 bladed fan
and factory fan clutch and factory 327 fan shroud. I recall I have a 180 or 190 degree thermostat.
I have driven this combination around for over an hour at less than 5 mph touring the fairgrounds at Back to the Fifties at least 2-3 times in St Paul Minnesota and no overheating.

Also you need puller fans that fit your raditator support and radiator mounting to pull air through the radiator

-they are sold like this link below if you eventually need fans after a 4 core radiator is installed (that you have to have for a 409 motor.)
This set is priced at $299 and fits a factory 409 4 core radiator and will do much better than puller fans that have to be attached to the radiator fins(poor design for adding fans)

https://show-cars.com/product/826
This also operstes with a switch

https://show-cars.com/product/825

Paul

 

[pv40924ss]

Paul, you are correct about getting the 4 core 409 radiator with my 409 motor. But, I am trying to get all the daily-driving quirks worked out of this 327 before I make the swap.

I am close...1) dragging starter when both cold and hot, and 2) the heat issue that is raising it's head. #1 will be rectified soon as the current starter will be replaced with a mini-high torque starter. That leaves #2, the heat issue.

 

[pv40924ss]

Cold start Video
12.78v battery
1/4 throttle for choke
Worse after driving


Warm Start-About 7 minutes later Video
13.08v battery
No throttle
It only starts this quick sometimes

Learned something this morning- after the cold start I let it fast idle with the choke on while uploading the cold start video. Uploading took maybe 5 minutes and the temp was at 180 when I kicked the choke off. I normally kick the choke off within 1-2 minutes and start driving, taking about 10-15 minutes to get to 180. Maybe this is a better way to warm it up.

 

[Shaark92]

consider giving cold case radiators a look. While I don't have a 409, I do have a high compression (high heat) 383 stroker. two core ... but the cores are MASSIVE.and yes, Polly has elect fans. Though I've had to change fan controllers from the Dakota Digital feature in the instrument panel ... I've not had temperature problems with the big cold case which direct mounted. no modding the core support.

At a car show held at Texas Motor Speedway by Good Guys in March '18, I spoke with the rep there. Told him I had a '61 impala, it was getting a 383 stroker from Blueprint, vintage air system ... that I wanted to be able to take Polly to the Texas hill country on an August afternoon, running 75 mph, cold enough to hang meat in the cab, that huge trunk full of sacrete ... then stop at Sonic for a drink ... and that coolant temp never exceed 195.
I have that. In fact, when I drive Polly on a cold clear day, gotta block part of the radiator just to reach operating temp. The thermostat doesn't completely close.

two thumbs up for the big cold case.

Dealer Locator

High Performance Radiators. Aluminum radiators for American cars and trucks. Lifetime Warranty and guaranteed to cool your vehicle.

www.coldcaseradiators.com

 

[WENGINE]

I agree with Shaark92 after the 4 core I had in my 69 Camaro sprung a leak between the core and the tank I decided to replace it with a Cold Case radiator. Only two core but the tubes are twice the size of the 4 core. With the 4 core I would always have a getting hot when in heavy traffic or on line to get into a show situation even with a pusher fan. I’d wind up putting the heater on or bring engine RPM up to speed up the engine fan. But so far not the case with the Cold Case

 

[our1962]

i bought a 3 core aluminum from eBay for the 63 409/400hp Biscayne direct fit after my 4 core sprung a leak.

i live in Florida and it runs 180-185 in 95 degree weather.

 

[425/409ER]

I have a 16" pusher on our 409 and it makes a heck of a difference when in the heat sitting at idle. Just make sure you put the electrical circuit on a relay to take the load off the power switch as that will get quite hot without a relay.

 

[Jim Sullivan]

I have run a Champion two row aluminum rad in my four door. Runs down the road at 175 no matter the outdoor temp. It may creep up to 200 at a long idle in 80-90 degree temps. Mike runs an aluminum two row rad from Auto City Classics and has similar results.

 

[Seon]

My 62 wagon with a SBC runs at 190° but climbs over 210° at idle so I just installed a 16" Spal fan. 185° on temp sensor but has yet been installed however, I do have an override manual switch. Now I'm thinking that the 185° sensor will have the fan running all the time so should a 200° on sensor be better suited (?).

 

[Don Jacks]

If the car has a//c,I 'd use the 185.

 

[Seon]

Does not have a/c.

 

[59K9]

just curious, what size alternators are you fellas running with these fans...I used a monster alternator and used 2 gauge wire to charge the battery...I have 2 fans and both are wired with different degree theromstat sensors and both have manual override for hot days...the motor is dyno'd at 428 HP and doesn't care for florida traffic lights...

 

[1964SuperStocker]

One thing many of us forget about (and I myself have yet to install in my wagon) is the fan shroud installed correctly. They are very important and serve a purpose.

 

[Seon]

I have a clutch fan, that I've tested and is in working order. I drove the wagon this afternoon in 105° ambient temp and gauge stayed at 190° and when I got home before parking it the garage it rosed to 200 ° so I shut the engine off, flipped on the electric fan and temp gauge stayed at that temp till the engine cool.
I don't have a shroud but if I do install it and having the fan in the correct position then it would have me eliminating the clutch fan. I don't know if that's a pro on con move.
I
I don't know what size alternator is because it was in the car when I bought it but gauge reads 13+v .

 

[Don Jacks]

Put the shroud on,leave the clutch fan,your problem will go away.

 

[Seon]

I'll try that Don. Again, it only get over 200° when stopped at traffic lights or when I shut it down. Would be nice if I could wire the electric fan to shut off after 4-5 minute after parking like the newer vehicles fthat runs until the temp drops then the fan shut off.

 

[1964SuperStocker]

These electric 12v thermostat set ups are simple and easy to install. This one is on amazon but they are just about anywhere you can buy car parts.

https://www.amazon.com/LCWRGS-185-200-Electric-Thermostat-Temperature/dp/B08B8QXY9G/ref=sr_1_67?keywords=12v+fan+thermostat&qid=1689535721&sr=8-67

 

[Seon]

I've already installed the fan with relay but but have yet installed the 185/175 thermostat that I'll probably replace with a 200/190 thermo.

So once the ignition key is turned off, does the fan keep running til it hits the lower off temp?

 

[Shaark92]

I've already installed the fan with relay but but have yet installed the 185/175 thermostat that I'll probably replace with a 200/190 thermo.

So once the ignition key is turned off, does the fan keep running til it hits the lower off temp?

mine doesn't. switch off, fan off.
with the IGN switch ON, fans on low at 195, high at 205. off at 185. There's probably more variation of the temps when parading with the elect fan setup than the OEM clutch fan, but I knew I was going to need more airflow, so two puller fans. I can somewhat augment with tranny oil and eng oil coolers which have fans and are in front of the radiator. Switch panel below the OEM HVAC controls bypasses their thermostat.