In a message dated 98-04-01 16:52:53 EST, ebrown@ms.com writes:
<< Wow. It sounds like many of the respondents to the "Keeping Cool"
question think that electric fans aren't necessarily a good answer.
We've heard about blockage, ineffectiveness (see below), and using
alternative measures, air dams, pressurized tanks and the like. To
this interested observer, this is a real surprise. We only have one
response that had a positive experience with fans. So many new cars
have electric fans! Has anyone else out there become a real fan of
fans? Can anyone recommend a particular pressurized reservoir to use
with the older cars?
I think you'll find that when an electric fan is installed to compensate for a
poorly functioning cooling system, rather than rehabilitating the system
itself, that you will get very mixed results. I think it's a good solution to
'extraordinary' heat circumstances in a car that has a well maintained and
efficient stock cooling system. Bring the system up to snuff first, then add
the electric fan as extra protection if you feel you need it. The overflow
bottle is a good idea, but again , in a properly function cooling system it
probably won't get much use. I run both here in New Mexico where the temp on
the tarmac soars in the summer.
. It would always overheat when I got
stuck in traffic, even though it had an electric fan with a manual
override. Whenever I stopped I flipped the switch, but the gauge would
gradually creep up and up.
I had this same thing happen with a completely rebuilt cooling system on a TR
engine. Recored modern radiator, new pump, fan belt, thermostat all flow
checked. When it would get a little warmish the fan would kick on and the
temperature would then soar. Checked everything twice. Changed the thermostat
3 times. Drained and replaced all the coolant. Then one day after a HOT run I
left the fan run with the engine off while parked in the garage to cool things
off . In frustration I bent over to have a look into the grille for possible
blockage and was greeted by a stream of very hot air blowing OUT the radiator.
I had changed the vehicle over to negative ground to install a solid state
ignition, but had neglected to switch over the fan connections, it was running
backwards !
Bob Paul
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