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Difference 20° makes

diesel_lv

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I've seen ads and I've seen posts where people say that their electric fans keep their engine cool "even" in 90° heat. For reference, 90° is not hot. We always say "my 600hp engine is cooled by 'x'". When we are driving, we are driving a typically higher compression engine but using only about 200hp. So the blower, turbo, etc... don't make our engines hotter while city cruising and interstate cruising. It take a slant 6 the same hp to propel a '67 Coronet 80mph as is does a blown hemi.

My 496 w mechanical fan, factory shroud, 2 row aluminum 26" radiator, flowkooler w/p, 70/30 coolant w 2 bottles of Water Wetter and 180° t-stat runs 174° on interstate in 120° temps and 161° in 95° temps. 196° in stop n go traffic in 120° and 185° in 95°.

3 different dual fan setups have been tried all did well in stop n go but as soon as over 45mph they started getting hot and at interstate speeds were hitting 225° n climbing fast. Cut slots/ports w rubber flaps in the shrouds and all still did the same. They seem to cause a high pressure area in front of the radiator due to their smaller openings, including the slots, which prevents enough air from going through. Yes, factory cars nowadays have e-fans and stay cool in 125° weather. Those fan/shroud setups were designed for those cars, molded plastic w large enough openings to allow enough air to cool the engine down to 200-220. That is the normal operating temp of modern engines w e-fans.

Moral of the story, if you're going to cool an engine in a hot, 120°, environment, what works for that blown hemi, twin turbo'd 512 in 90° weather, doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for your stock 383/440 in 120°.
 
I had considered going to electric fans on my Charger but the current cooling system has worked so well there is no reason to do it. I run a champion 26” aluminum radiator with the factory shroud and a direct drive stainless flex fan. Thermostat is Stanton 180 and 50/50 premixed coolant.

Engine warms to 190, t-stat opens and she settles in between 180 and 185 regardless of conditions. I have always believed that you must have a really good cooling system regardless of what sits behind the radiator.

The 64 Sport Fury has a 22” champion radiator, no shroud and same flex fan and thermostat and runs almost the same way. Both cars have the same high flow water pump from Napa.

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My main point is when ads and people say it cools "even in 90° temps" as if 90° is hot. My engine runs 10-15° cooler in 95° than in 115-125° weather. And in 90-95° nighttime temps, no sun, it runs about 154° on the interstate. "Hot" is above 110° not 90°.
 
3 different dual fan setups have been tried all did well in stop n go but as soon as over 45mph they started getting hot and at interstate speeds were hitting 225° n climbing fast.

What you are describing is generally a symptom of not enough radiator and not a fan issue. fans are basically only needed in town when there is not enough air movement over the radiator to cool it down.
 
What you are describing is generally a symptom of not enough radiator and not a fan issue. fans are basically only needed in town when there is not enough air movement over the radiator to cool it down.
If it is cooling w a mechanical fan and shroud at any speed, it has plenty of radiator. If it's not cooling at highway w electric n same radiator, then it is the e-fan shroud causing high pressure zone. Wasn't asking, just stating a fact on this car.
 
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