Electric Fan for 1960 Radiator

[Joe M.]

Since my engine has been bored out 0.060, it runs hot and stopping at a couple of traffic lights pushes the temp over 200. I am considering the installation of a 12V fan on the radiator. What size fan can the radiator accommodate? Suggestions on fans that will work on my car?

Will I have to make a custom frame to mount the fan onto the front of the radiator?

[Terry D.]

Re: Electric Fan for 1960 Radiator

Joe
I too have a larger than stock motor and have been looking into electric fans. I don't think you can have too big of fan ( at least that's what three fan makers have told me). You need to run a thermostat to the fan so it doesn't run all the time. These are adjustable. I like the Spal setup because it has flaps top and bottom of the shroud that let air thru when you are moving. Feel free to give me a call if you want to discuss this further.
Terry

[Robert K.]

Re: Electric Fan for 1960 Radiator

I read a long debate on this subject, on a different board, a few years ago. It discussed pushers and puller fans, shroulds and duct, cfms, etc. and pros and cons of electric and mechanical fans. Then a guy entered the discussion that stated he has spent his life as a fan engineer (what ever that is). He produced the science and math to support his statements. The Reader's Digust version was all electric fans can't possibly move the amount of air that they advertise and no electric fan can out perform a properly shroulded mechanical fan. As a result I removed my electric fan off my 1970 Olds Rallye 350 and replaced it with the stock fan.

Just food for thought.

[Joe M.]

Re: Electric Fan for 1960 Radiator

My plan is to install the electric fan as a supplement to the belt-driven fan; not as a stand-alone fan.

[Thomas H.]

Re: Electric Fan for 1960 Radiator

My plan is to install the electric fan as a supplement to the belt-driven fan; not as a stand-alone fan.

Joe,

I can't imagine that having your engine 0.060" over will cause it to run much hotter then normal unless you put some really big cam in and bumped the compression. My 60 is 0.030 over and I had an overheating problem. Didn't understand it at first since everything in the cooling system was new, radiator, water pump, hoses.... I tried a 5 blade fan with clutch in place of the 4 blade fan, no difference. I finally traced the problem to a defective vacuum advance canister. Replaced it, set the timing correctly and the car runs between 180/190 all the time now.

Also, don't just rely on your gauge. Use an IR gun on the thermostat housing and compare that with what you read on the gauge. 200 on the gauge may be normal for the car. Does it overheat meaning is it puking coolant?

I also had temperature issues on my 71 LS5 a few years back. Tried everything, timing, seals, etc.... Finally replaced the original radiator with a new Dewitts and the temp doesn't even hit 200 on a hot summer day. (Feels like it inside the car though with all the heat from the big block................)

[Joe M.]

Re: Electric Fan for 1960 Radiator

On a 90+ degree day, the gauge shows 180, but if I stop at a couple of traffic lights or get in slow traffic, it goes over 200 in a matter of minutes. Once I get back over 50 MPH, temp returns to 180. Nothing special added to the 283 when it was rebuilt 8 years ago. Installed a new radiator core. I realize that the gauge could be off. I did compare gauge reading to IR reading from thermostat housing once and they were in agreement. I tested a handful of new temp senders before I purchased one that at 70 degrees, registered close to correct resistance. It rarely pukes fluid; usually when I overfill it.

[Robert S.]

Re: Electric Fan for 1960 Radiator

My 60 was also bored 060 over except that it is a 327. An electric fan will really overload your generator. My advice is to get an aluminum radiator. Mine never overheats with a correctly working vacuum advance and a clean aluminum radiator.

Bob

[Thomas H.]

Re: Electric Fan for 1960 Radiator

Joe,

Are you using the std 4 blade fan or a 5 blade with a clutch? If a 4, then upgrading to a 5 blade clutch fan may help pull more air through at idle. Also there is a hood seal that should be in place. I don't think it would help much at idle, but it should be in place anyway.

What about your timing? Make sure the initial is set correctly and the vac advance is functioning properly. If you have an adjustable timing light you can easily check that the advance is working at idle.

Also, a lean idle mixture can play a part in this temp rise.

Tom

[Joe M.]

Re: Electric Fan for 1960 Radiator

I am running a 4 blade. One gentleman said he switched to a 5 blade with no improvement. The engine is tuned correctly as I use a Corvette mechanic that I have used for years.

How many amps would overload the generator?

[Jim L.]

Re: Electric Fan for 1960 Radiator

How many amps would overload the generator?

In literal terms, if you have a 30 Amp generator, then that's the absolute limit.

However, to ensure generator (and probably Voltage regulator) reliability, you ought to draw significantly less than this on a sustained basis. A good choice would be no more than 20% to 25% of the maximum.

Electric fans that move meaningful quantities of air will draw several 10s of Amps. So even if a generator has the advertised Ampacity to run a fan, it won't live very long doing so.

Jim

[Joe M.]

Re: Electric Fan for 1960 Radiator

That is good information. A C1 friend recommended that the first thing I should try is a 13 pound radiator cap. Thoughts on that option?

[Thomas H.]

Re: Electric Fan for 1960 Radiator

Joe,

A higher pressure cap will not lower the temp, it will just increase the point at which the car boils over.

Sounds like you are dealing with a flow problem, either air, water or a combination of both.

If you have, or can borrow, a 5 blade fan set up, you might give that a try I noticed right away that it mves a lot more air then the 4 blade one does.

Changing over to an all aluminum rad was suggested and that would help. Dewitts makes a great product. They are a bit pricey, but from the experience I had with my LS5 car, worth every penny. Just keep in mind, eventhough your radiator has a new core in it, that core may be a "generic" one and not very effecient. The tubes in the core may be smaller then the factory ones and thus limit the flow.

Tom

[Joe M.]

Re: Electric Fan for 1960 Radiator

Great info Tom. I suspected that the higher PSI cap would only mask the problem. I don't know anything about the core that was installed in the radiator 8 years ago; I am sure it was not high efficiency. I have a friend with a 5 blade that I could borrow to see if that helps. Another poster stated that he tried a five blade and it did not help, but he could have had different circumstances (like a different core).

I did not realize that this would not be a simple fix; buy a fan, install it, and watch the temp moderate because of the fan.

[Thomas H.]

Re: Electric Fan for 1960 Radiator

Joe,

When I was fighting the overheating on the C3, I kept telling myself, these cars ran fine from the factory so I must have something wrong. Tracking down the problem caused me to replace all of the seals and get everything back to factory design. The only thing left at that point was the radiator. The radiator was the original one which I had "cleaned out" by a rad shop when I rebuilt the engine. After reading about how the tubes within the radiator get clogged over time (similar to our veins) I decided to change it. Bought the Dewitts and never looked back.

You shouldn't have to add additional fans to a stock engine setup to keep it cool.

Tom

[Paul H.]

Re: Electric Fan for 1960 Radiator

I'm running a 383 stroker in my 61. It runs nice and cool with a Dewitt's aluminum radiator and a clutch fan. I'm not a big fan of these electric fans. I think they are unnecessary. If everything in the cooling system as well as your timing is as it should be the Dewitts radiator would be the way to go IMHO.