> Does an electric fan work better than the 6-bladed yellow plastic fan??
> I currently have the old 4-bladed steel fan and was going to replace it
> with the plastic one...
> Summer temperatures up here sit around and above 100F for about 6 weeks
> in summer...
IMHO, yes it does. I feel that the original setup worked fine on the
original drivetrain in England. If your engine is a bit hotter than stock
and/or you live in a hotter/dryer climate than Merry Olde, heat can become
an issue.
As Derf says, step one is to be sure you have a good radiator. As I said in
my previous post, mine was just re-cored with a brand new ultra-efficiency
core. Automatic Geo Metro radiators can be used on Bugeyes with a bit of
creativity, but they do not fit as well on the squarebodies.
Electric fans are more efficient pulling the air through the rad than
pushing it, but it can be tricky fitting it in there.
Derf is also correct in that the sheetmetal to mount the rad in a 1500
Midget also fits the earlier Spridgets, AND it is slimmer, granting you more
room for the fan. You still have to be a little selective with the fan you
use. I like my adjustable-temperature fan switch which I set to just above
the opening temperature for the thermostat so that it kicks in as soon as
the heat is exceeding the ability of the radiator and thermostat to control
it by themselves. That way, about the only time it should kick in is when
you are sitting in stop and go traffic (not that it would ever happen around
Chicago!).
David
|