Coolant Temperature

[Lippyp]

Can anybody tell me what coolant temperature (In Centigrade/celsius, not Farenheit, we're modern over here!) my 67' 1/2 ton with a fairly stock 350 (4 barrel Carter AFB) should be running at. The previous owner fitted an electric fan on a manual switch so I am relying on a 34 year old gauge to decide when I turn it on, not a brilliant situation.

I have found a great electronic inline thermostatic control that comes in an aluminium houing that fits in your top rad hose. (Just cut a section out and use it to join the two sections) no problems trying to seal a sensor past the edge of a hose or between rad vanes. It is adjustable between 70 -120 C, what should it be set at?

Thanks

[71GMC_3/4T]

185 F is 85 C. The conversion is (F - 32) * 5/9, or C * 9/5 + 32.
You could start there and adjust the thermostatic control from there to fine tune it.
You are running a thermostat in the engine still, right?
I wonder if you'd be better off with the theromostatic control in the lower radiator hose so it would respond to the coolant as it enters the engine. That would keep it from cycling on and off unnecessarily. When the engine thermostat opens, it will be pumping hot water toward the top of the radiator, but if the radiator cools it enough, the fan doesn't need to run.
Good Luck!

[Longhorn Man]

I've heard many bad things about the set up you are refering to...not a very reliable set up.

[Lippyp]

I actually questioned whether it would be better going in the bottom hose as your thinking was the same as mine and was told top hose. I may just put it in the bottom hose anyway as that seems to be the more logical answer, I only ever need the fan when I am sat idling for any length of time as above about 20 MPH the ram effect seems to give enough cooling. Is the bottom hose 1 3/4" diameter? It looks to be bigger than the top hose.

Longhornmail, what have you heard bad about this setup. It appears to be a well engineered setup, it;s electronic so should be accurate and is being sold by a company that specialises in racecar parts. It's gotta be better than trying to seal a sensor in a normal hose or the between the fins sensors which can't be that accurate. What do you suggest as an alternative?

[A.P.]

Check this web sit out to convert from F to C or vice versa.
http://www.graniterock.com/calculators/calcconv.htm

[Longhorn Man]

I've personally seen 5 of them dead right out of the box. I had a bunch of friends want to go with electric fans so they all got this kit. One guy blew a head gasket.
I'm sure there was just a quality control problem, but that seems a little exsessive to me.
I'm stil a die hard clutch fan believer....but that's just my opinion.

[Lippyp]

I don't suppose you know who the manufacturer was? Bear in mind that I am in the UK and it may well be manufactured by a different company, but thanks for the advice and If I buy one i'll keep a close eye on it.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Lippyp: Is your truck rigged with Right Hand drive? I've seen the illustratons for the export model in the 67-72 Factory Assembly Manual, but I've never seen a real one. I was in the UK on a rugby tour in 1982 -- not long enough to drive. But when I was in Japan, in the service, I had to drive on the left hand side of the road. Sometimes with the CO's jeep and (US-style wheel) and sometimes in a local car. It felt weird shifting with my left. Thank God the foot pedal set-up was the same.

[Lippyp]

My truck is a California import so is left hand drive. You get used to being on the wrong side quite quickly, just makes overtaking a PITA as you can't see around things very easily, theres a lot of truck to pull into the wrong lane to get a good view!

I've driven right hand drive cars in Europe (the wrong side) , left hand drive hire cars in Europe (the right side) and Left and right hand drive cars in the UK so I guess I'm fairly adaptable. I've never seen a right hand drive truck over here, but then I only know directly of two other 67-72 trucks over here, both 68 short steps. A guy up the road from me has just bought a 71 Mustang Mach One that is right and drive and has been from new. Not sure whether it was a factory or aftermarket conversion.

We're just waiting for the rest of the world to see the error of their ways and join us on the left!!

[1967LWBstepside]

I just installed a dual 12" Flex-a-Lite electric fan system this past Saturday onto my truck. The kit instructions said to put the thermostat into the upper radiator hose portion of the radiator. So far no problems other than a tiny bit of water leakage.

Mike

[Protrucks]

I was always told that we (US) drive on the Right side and you all drive on the wrong side

[Lippyp]

The "seal in the hose type" sensors where you push a sensor up the end of the hose and put the hose back on the neck with the wires coming out the end of the hose invariably leak. Everybody I know that has used one has had a very small trickle of water. Try a bit of silicone sealant on the neck where the wire comes out, usually works. The setup that I am looking at comes sealed into an aluminium housing the same diameter as the hose stubs, you cut a short section out of the hose and fit the housing into the middle with normal hose clamps, should be no leaks. The unit has an adjuster on the top of the housing to set the on-off temp.

As to driving on the right side of the road in the USA you have been misinformed

I have however, driven in Turkey and there you seem to drive on whichever side of the road has the least potholes. I was driving down a four lane highway through a large town and was confronted by a family of 4 on a 50cc Honda with a crate of chickens on the back and a tethered goat running along behind it, going the wrong way in the outside lane whilst the lunatic Turkish drivers screamed past them in the opposite direction (I am not joking!) I have never been so scared driving anywhere else in the world in my life, especially after we were held up by two 18 year old armed Policeboys demanding cigarettes with menace.

I drove in Maui a couple of years back and found the vast majority of American drivers to be very polite, courteous and careful drivers, perhaps because they are all conscious of being on the wrong side of the road!!!

['68OrangeSunshine]

I may prove to be more of a pain than it's worth -- but it would be cool and more user friendly to run a RHD in the UK. Export model specific parts probably are gathering dust in Australian junkyards as we speak. Big difference is the windshield wiper assembly is a crossover type -- since the domestic version has a missed spot in the upper right windshield corner. There are indentations in the firewall for the steering column to go on the right. Instrument panel and glove box can swap. Under-dash wiring can be extended to right -- easier than getting Export model RH fuse box, wiring harnesses, and bulkhead connectors. Some minor brazing to mount flanges to hold headlight, wiper, choke switches in proper position where the glove box was. With an automatic tranny, you don't have to worry about a mirror-image Z-bar for a clutch linkage. If export AT shift linkage is unobtainable, you could go to a Hurst or B&M floor shifter. You may need to convert to '72 style throttle cable control and delete the '67/'68 accelerator rod. You can get cables as long as you need and it's a more reliable set-up -- smoother control. Master brake cylinder and heater box need to swap. Not sure if there's export specific heater box or not. Now, can the emergency brake handle flip 180^ or do you need a '69-later emergency foot brake conversion?
Just some theoretical gearhead speculation.

Cheers,
Brian