Which fan are you a "fan" of?

-
'66Cuda

'66Cuda

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2015
Messages
59
Reaction score
3
Location
Kansas
My new radiator won't fit in my '66 Barracuda, that has a 360, .060" over (thinking a tendency to run warm until proven otherwise), in it. The 360 has a viscous clutch fan on it and they stick wayyyyy out there in terms of a 360 in an early A body. I need to do something different. I lack around 3/4" of an inch or so of clearing. My options as I see them are a bolt on type flex fan with no clutch, or an electric fan. I installed a Painless wiring kit, and still have the wires under the hood. An electric fan may be a "breeze" to install. Is a no clutch, bolt on flex type a bad idea? Do I need an electric fan?

Thanks FABO. I know I have been wearing you out lately, but I'm close, dang it!:blob:
 
I've used several Flex fans with no issues, just buy a good one. The only issues with the flex is it may need to stick out to far for your situation since it does "flex" into the engine at speed. Electric may be your best choice. You will need some sort of temp controller. for on/off.
 
I like the stainless steel flex fan Summit sells. No need to upgrade the electric system. I think the fan flattens out at higher rpms.
 
Electric. If it would fit, clutch, definitely. Whatever you use, make sure it is shrouded.
 
You cam get a shorter clutch from Hayden. The big block A body guys do this
Part number 2765 IIRC
 
i think the Hayden fan is actually a mid 80's jag replacement and has a short shaft
lots of guys have used these.
 
Stainless Steel Flex Fan all the way...I have one in my Duster and it does the job perfect
 
ir3333 said:
i think the Hayden fan is actually a mid 80's jag replacement and has a short shaft
lots of guys have used these.
Click to expand...

Yes! Use it with the off set 5 blade fan.
 
I use a plastic flex fan with an ebay 26in aluminium rad. I've only driven the car briefly on the street (35 miles) with traffic etc and although the ambient temp was only 65-70 I was sitting on 160 in traffic and about 175 on open road. This is with 12:1 iron headed, solid roller engine..
It will be a test when it gets warmer (winter now in OZ).
 
Purt near anything driven by a belt.
 
Not sure why people add bigger aftermarket aluminum radiators to there cars, especially when COPPER cools better....I have a factory 22" 66 A-body rad in my 66 Valiant, I had it re-cored with a 2 CORE high flow efficiency core and it works great! My 340 engine has 400 HP, no shroud and a stock 4 blade fan, Flow Kooler water pump and that's it, rarely ever gets over 190 and that's even in the upper 90's with high humidity in the summer rush hour traffic....and the best thing of all, it looks good and fits like Ma Mopar intended....:glasses7:
 
66340SEDAN said:
Not sure why people add bigger aftermarket aluminum radiators to there cars, especially when COPPER cools better....I have a factory 22" 66 A-body rad in my 66 Valiant, I had it re-cored with a 2 CORE high flow efficiency core and it works great! My 340 engine has 400 HP, no shroud and a stock 4 blade fan, Flow Kooler water pump and that's it, rarely ever gets over 190 and that's even in the upper 90's with high humidity in the summer rush hour traffic....and the best thing of all, it looks good and fits like Ma Mopar intended....:glasses7:
Click to expand...

Cause their original copper rad is shot and aluminum is lot cheaper. You can get an aftermarket universal aluminum for $15-160. $40 for a set of brackets welded on and your good to go and 98% of the time they do the job just fine. You rarely see a copper radiator sell for less than $400

To the OP. I vote check out the Hayden clutch rumblefish recommended. I had clearance issues on my car and it worked. Also, if you have clearance issues with a viscous fan you'll have a hard time finding an electric fan that will move a good amount of air that's thin enough to fit. Electric fan's typically are just about as fat as a viscous fan. If the Hayden clutch is still too thick my next vote would be the flex fan. I've tried electric fans and unless they have an efficient fan and are a thick high capacity fan they don't usually work that well
 
66340SEDAN said:
Not sure why people add bigger aftermarket aluminum radiators to there cars, especially when COPPER cools better....I have a factory 22" 66 A-body rad in my 66 Valiant, I had it re-cored with a 2 CORE high flow efficiency core and it works great! My 340 engine has 400 HP, no shroud and a stock 4 blade fan, Flow Kooler water pump and that's it, rarely ever gets over 190 and that's even in the upper 90's with high humidity in the summer rush hour traffic....and the best thing of all, it looks good and fits like Ma Mopar intended....:glasses7:
Click to expand...

Because a comparable in size and cooling ability copper/brass radiator to an aluminum one costs two to sometimes three times as much.

It's a disposable world, Keith. Nobody wants to get anything repaired anymore. We have a local radiator shop, Ben's Macon Radiator. Been in business since probably about the 40s. They, along with the rest of that industrial block are struggling badly.

But you're 100% correct. Copper/brass is more efficient at cooling than aluminum. I had Ben's recore a slant six radiator in my 65 Valiant that I put a very hot 360 in. They put a 4 row core in it. I think I remember it was 300 bucks even. That thing never saw above 185. Not once. Not even in 100 degree Georgia heat with 70% and more humidity.

You can preach it all you want, but people won't listen. There are some high quality aluminum radiators out there......Griffin comes to mind. But they ain't no 100 buck chinkesium. They are nice and they will cool good.

The imported aluminum radiators are a crap shoot. We've all seen a lot of them right here that did a good job and some of the same ones that could not.

I have really never understood why people have trouble with overheating. Something I have never experienced. Just use the right stuff and you'll be fine. Sure as hell is hard getting people to understand that though.
 
66340SEDAN said:
Not sure why people add bigger aftermarket aluminum radiators to there cars, especially when COPPER cools better....I have a factory 22" 66 A-body rad in my 66 Valiant, I had it re-cored with a 2 CORE high flow efficiency core and it works great! My 340 engine has 400 HP, no shroud and a stock 4 blade fan, Flow Kooler water pump and that's it, rarely ever gets over 190 and that's even in the upper 90's with high humidity in the summer rush hour traffic....and the best thing of all, it looks good and fits like Ma Mopar intended....:glasses7:
Click to expand...

Keith, try to FIND an affordable copper radiator anymore. Modine got bought out by a Chinese company, kept the "brass/copper " part numbers,swapped in glued together high efficiency aluminum. Of course, the product prices stayed the same,or went up. As for the O.P.: I would run a factory fan clutch setup,find a spacer to fit. If not, the "Black Magic" electric fans ,work very well.Depends, on your budget...
 
Abodybomber said:
Keith, try to FIND an affordable copper radiator anymore. Modine got bought out by a Chinese company, kept the "brass/copper " part numbers,swapped in glued together high efficiency aluminum. Of course, the product prices stayed the same,or went up. As for the O.P.: I would run a factory fan clutch setup,find a spacer to fit. If not, the "Black Magic" electric fans ,work very well.Depends, on your budget...
Click to expand...

When I bought this 75 F250 late last year, the guy kept goin on and on about all the new stuff he put on it......and he did put a lot into it, I must admit. One of the new items is a radiator. It's a specific, bolt in replacement. No cutting or moddin was done. But, it's an aluminum core with 2 1" rows with plastic tanks. It's still like new, so it's stayin. But I sure would like an original copper/brass one instead. We CAN get one at work that's copper/brass and a three row.......but it's 363 bucks before my discount. Not really on my short list as long as this aluminum one holds out. It cools great though. It barely gets over the first line on the temp gauge.

I am not sure you can even find an American made radiator in copper/brass anymore. We sell Murray and I am sure they are imported.
 
i have a warmed up 360 and i bought this radiator and electric fan setup but the fan would not fit on the front side of the radiator because the water pump was to long and it hit. So i put the reg 4 blade steel fan on like normal and then the electric fan on the front side as backup and hooked it to a thermostatically controlled switch and set it at 190 so the electric will come on and off as needed all by itself.

I only hear it come on when im in traffic on hot days and it usually cycles a time (or once in a blue moon twice )after i shut the car off. I still need to fabricate a shroud for it but it does not over heat now i just wanna do it for looks and safety and don't wanna chop up the factory plastic one i have .




View attachment rad1.jpg

View attachment rad2.jpg
 
It actually moves more air even though it has less blades.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top