My '77 Stepside

[boatpuller]

Originally Posted by benoit454

I think it's a very nice looking truck good job and good work.

As for the fan, I was going to comment on it also, I think it's a GREAT choice.

I ran a really mild big camm'd 350 in my 76 and it had a 2 core radiator, with a smaller 6 blade flex fan and no shroud. it NEVER got hot.

I run that same motor now in my monte carlo, and it has a smaller comp 268 cam now, I tried to run that same radiator in it, thing stayed hot. I tried a shroud, no improvment. I had to run a 3 core radiator due to the small opening for a grille and long distance between it and the radiator.

The 86 4x4 we had ran a 3 core with a stock 5 blade clutch fan, condition unknown. it ran fine. I put that fan on mine, ran up to 180 while driving, wouldn't cool it off one bit.

At least with the small flex fan all I had to do was run it to get it cooled off. I only had troubles idleing in traffic with the flex fan, and the old radiator. Once I started moving it cool off great, harder I ran it, faster and better it cooled.

So when I got the new radiator I got a new 7 blade wide paddle blade, flex fan. it only raised to about 190 or so IN traffic on 90's with high humidity or triple digits, with or without heat index. When I'm driving, it doesn't go past 160-180. I run a 180 thermostat in it.

Some might say yea your problem was the thin radiator, and they'd be right, but the clutch fan killed it. it cost me a valve job, and a whole top end tear down and rebuild. Have to change head gaskets, and do a valve job on it after it got up past 280. So for me, no more clutch fans EVER.

For a truck, maybe, it does good on the 84 we got and the one on the 86 done fine also. it sure sucked on my car though. I mean it ran fine, but when it got up to 280 and pegged my guage(mechanical autometer one) all of a sudden it started missing, and then BAM, upper radiator hose blew of the water neck. So I shut it down. I think that's the only thing that saved it. I managed to get water from the creek we stopped by and made it home.

Later on though it would smoke when you started it up, and I went to do valve seals on it, but when I hooked the compresor to it, it leaked into the exhaust, wouldn;'t hold the valves shut, so I had to take it apart for the valve job.

SO if she don't run hot on you I'd leave her alone.

hey chris,don't start the clutch fan vs flex fan war.(just kiddin ya) iv'e seen it get heated on a camaro forum i belonged to.then the electric guys jump in.gets about as bad as ford vs chevrolet.the shroud and 4 row,clutch fan works great for my truck with a similar set up as him.iv'e owned just about every chevy motor made from big block to 6 cylinder.from camaro's to drag boats.iv'e had flex,clutch,and electric.one thing for sure there all different.and that quote of if don't run hot leave it alone is a good one."kinda like if it ain't broke don't fix it" now sit back and read clutch fan vs flex fan.althugh i guess that should be in a different thread.didn't mean to steal cu's thread on a good looking project that's comin along.