What cooling problem? - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

Earl Junior · 08-13-2003, 03:48 PM

I had this all set to post when the board died. This is take two.

I was having a problem keeping the caddy motor cool. A new thermostat, water pump, radiator, cap, and a system flush didn't help. So I looked to get rid of my flex fan. But, damnation, these things are expensive!

After pricing dual electric fan setups for well into the $400 range, I decided to try the local junk yard. I found a Nissan dual fan setup that I though was going to work great, but one of the motors had a a bolt stuck in the housing.

I decided to use a pair of Flex-a-lite 13-inch s-blade trimline fans ($159 for both from Summit), and a pair of temp regulators from Schucks ($15 for both). I set one fan to kick on when the gauge hits half and the other when it reaches three-quarters.

I have as good, or better, a set-up than many of the high dollar dual fans and for about half the price. The installations was easy, and I think it cleaned things up under the hood a bit.

Earl Junior · 08-13-2003, 03:48 PM

Pic #2

Earl Junior · 08-13-2003, 03:49 PM

Pic #3

Earl Junior · 08-13-2003, 03:50 PM

Pic #4

jhwkns · 08-13-2003, 04:03 PM

Nice! How well do they cool?

Earl Junior · 08-13-2003, 04:07 PM

Great! It was 100 degrees here last week and the temp gauge went down (!) after the second fan kicked in. Before it would have boiled over and left me stuck somewhere.

Longhorn Man · 08-13-2003, 04:55 PM

Hmmmm...
I have one I mounted on the outside as a pusher. I'll be hooking it up to the 2 sensors on the heads, and also to a manual override toggle on the dash.
You did use relays didn't you?
Looks like a nice job there.

Earl Junior · 08-13-2003, 05:42 PM

Quote:

You did use relays didn't you?

Oh yeah.

After I blew three fuses...

Longhorn Man · 08-13-2003, 06:19 PM

LOL, at least you figured it all out!

crazy longhorn · 08-13-2003, 06:49 PM

I have dual 14" flex a lites on the longhorn, & they work pretty slick. As long as the truck is moving,the fans dont need to run(sb runs cool). My shroud is homemade, & 1 fan was pirated from a wrecked ranger......$84 for the other fan, & a few skinned knuckles. I need to set up relays, & thermostat controls(both fans are fused, & just wired to a toggle for temporary). the fans sure do "cleanup" the eng compartment.......space looks pretty tight with your caddy! crazyL

Jwill41 · 08-13-2003, 06:52 PM

Very nice setup. Those look just like the Hayden fan I used. Mine is a 16" mounted in the shroud with adjustable controller. Works great.

Blue4x4 · 08-13-2003, 11:56 PM

nice install job. What year nissan?

**Classic Heartbeat** · 08-14-2003, 12:17 AM

A word of advise. You better find a shroud or some other way to mount those fans to your radiator. Those plastic things that you are using to hold the fans will eat a hole write in your radiator core. It happened to me and several other people I know. Then you will be another couple hundred bucks. That is why we sell the shrouds that I designed for our trucks. WES www.ClassicHeartbeat.com

72gmcshorty · 08-14-2003, 03:37 AM

Do any of you run fans on a big block motor? I have been looking for some very thin fans ( i have only about 4" from rad to alt pulley). The thinnest I've found are off a ford taurus 94 ( they have nice dual fan setups)

Grim Reaper · 08-14-2003, 03:48 PM

Tho hot jusk yard score right now is the dual fan set up out of a 95 or so Ford winstar. It has a shroud and with some L brackets it can be easily mounted like the stock shroud. I'm hunting one for my 88 454 burb right now. Damn Autzone fan clutch doesn't work any better then the original that was shot and I start to overheat with the A/C on in drive.

Going to go electric and take this POS back and get my money.

crazy longhorn · 08-14-2003, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 72gmcshorty
Do any of you run fans on a big block motor? I have been looking for some very thin fans ( i have only about 4" from rad to alt pulley). The thinnest I've found are off a ford taurus 94 ( they have nice dual fan setups)

http://www.flex-a-lite.com/auto/trimline.htm the trimline fans should fit your space. My sb is in I 6 position, so i have enough room to darn near play basket ball tween the fans & waterpump! Well, about 8-10" clearance anyway. I have a pair of the 114's on a homemade shroud(a steel shelf for a shroud).....it sounds crude, but fits & looks good. The fans real tight in the center, with about 1/8" space between the pair. The shroud has brackects welded on , to bolt to the original shroud mounting points(not to the steels on the core). Im not sure on the BB, but they keep my 383 between 180 & 190 on temp. Good luck,crazyL

08-13-2003, 03:48 PM	#1
Earl Junior Cadillac power Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: North Idaho Posts: 296	What cooling problem? I had this all set to post when the board died. This is take two. I was having a problem keeping the caddy motor cool. A new thermostat, water pump, radiator, cap, and a system flush didn't help. So I looked to get rid of my flex fan. But, damnation, these things are expensive! After pricing dual electric fan setups for well into the $400 range, I decided to try the local junk yard. I found a Nissan dual fan setup that I though was going to work great, but one of the motors had a a bolt stuck in the housing. I decided to use a pair of Flex-a-lite 13-inch s-blade trimline fans ($159 for both from Summit), and a pair of temp regulators from Schucks ($15 for both). I set one fan to kick on when the gauge hits half and the other when it reaches three-quarters. I have as good, or better, a set-up than many of the high dollar dual fans and for about half the price. The installations was easy, and I think it cleaned things up under the hood a bit. Attached Images __________________ Just for the record, if I'm down to my last potato, I'm not sharing it with a guy who wants to kill me so he can get a better supply of virgins in paradise. That lesson is a little thing I call Economics 101, infidel style. --Scott Adams author of Dilbert

08-13-2003, 04:03 PM	#5
jhwkns Registered Cruiser Join Date: May 2002 Location: Las Vegas NV Posts: 2,230	Nice! How well do they cool? __________________ I intend to live forever. So far, so good.

08-13-2003, 04:07 PM	#6
Earl Junior Cadillac power Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: North Idaho Posts: 296	Great! It was 100 degrees here last week and the temp gauge went down (!) after the second fan kicked in. Before it would have boiled over and left me stuck somewhere. __________________ Just for the record, if I'm down to my last potato, I'm not sharing it with a guy who wants to kill me so he can get a better supply of virgins in paradise. That lesson is a little thing I call Economics 101, infidel style. --Scott Adams author of Dilbert

08-13-2003, 06:49 PM	#10
crazy longhorn Fabricate till you "puke" Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ill Posts: 9,403	I have dual 14" flex a lites on the longhorn, & they work pretty slick. As long as the truck is moving,the fans dont need to run(sb runs cool). My shroud is homemade, & 1 fan was pirated from a wrecked ranger......$84 for the other fan, & a few skinned knuckles. I need to set up relays, & thermostat controls(both fans are fused, & just wired to a toggle for temporary). the fans sure do "cleanup" the eng compartment.......space looks pretty tight with your caddy! crazyL __________________ 69 longhorn,4" chop,3/5 drop, 1/2 ton suspension/disc brakes,1 1/2" body drop,steel tilt clip, 5.3/Edelbrock rpm intake/600 carb, Hooker streetrod shorties,2 1/2" exhaust/ H pipe/50's Flows , 6 spd Richmond trans,12 bolt/ 3.40 gears....

08-13-2003, 06:52 PM	#11
Jwill41 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Farmers Branch, Tx Posts: 1,009	Very nice setup. Those look just like the Hayden fan I used. Mine is a 16" mounted in the shroud with adjustable controller. Works great. __________________ http://www.picturetrail.com/jwill41 67 1/2 ton GMC short step side 68 1/2 ton Chevy long fleet side 72 1/2 ton Chevy Suburban 99 1/2 ton Chevy Suburban founder (and only member) of the primer/clearcoat club

08-13-2003, 03:48 PM	#2
Earl Junior Cadillac power Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: North Idaho Posts: 296	Pic #2 Attached Images __________________ Just for the record, if I'm down to my last potato, I'm not sharing it with a guy who wants to kill me so he can get a better supply of virgins in paradise. That lesson is a little thing I call Economics 101, infidel style. --Scott Adams author of Dilbert

08-13-2003, 03:49 PM	#3
Earl Junior Cadillac power Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: North Idaho Posts: 296	Pic #3 Attached Images __________________ Just for the record, if I'm down to my last potato, I'm not sharing it with a guy who wants to kill me so he can get a better supply of virgins in paradise. That lesson is a little thing I call Economics 101, infidel style. --Scott Adams author of Dilbert

08-13-2003, 03:50 PM	#4
Earl Junior Cadillac power Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: North Idaho Posts: 296	Pic #4 Attached Images __________________ Just for the record, if I'm down to my last potato, I'm not sharing it with a guy who wants to kill me so he can get a better supply of virgins in paradise. That lesson is a little thing I call Economics 101, infidel style. --Scott Adams author of Dilbert

08-13-2003, 04:55 PM	#7
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,693	Hmmmm... I have one I mounted on the outside as a pusher. I'll be hooking it up to the 2 sensors on the heads, and also to a manual override toggle on the dash. You did use relays didn't you? Looks like a nice job there.

08-13-2003, 06:19 PM	#9
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,693	LOL, at least you figured it all out!

08-13-2003, 11:56 PM	#12
Blue4x4 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sparks, NV Posts: 790	nice install job. What year nissan?

08-14-2003, 12:17 AM	#13
Classic Heartbeat Project Junkie! Fishing Poor!! Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Olympia,Wa. 98512 Posts: 10,770	A word of advise. You better find a shroud or some other way to mount those fans to your radiator. Those plastic things that you are using to hold the fans will eat a hole write in your radiator core. It happened to me and several other people I know. Then you will be another couple hundred bucks. That is why we sell the shrouds that I designed for our trucks. WES www.ClassicHeartbeat.com __________________ On-line catolog Classic Heartbeat Pickup Parts WEHEPP@comcast.net Call us Toll Free (888) 338-2502 Like Us on Facebook No appointment necessary. 72 BB Chevy Custom Deluxe / Custom Camper 67 I-6 (Soon to be 5.7 LS1) Panel 68 BB Chevy Short Bed 72 6.0 LQ9 Short Bed Chevy 4X4 Olympia's fastest growing truck parts supplier. Olympia's home for Wayward Chevys

08-14-2003, 03:37 AM	#14
72gmcshorty Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: North Delta, British Columbia Posts: 1,344	Do any of you run fans on a big block motor? I have been looking for some very thin fans ( i have only about 4" from rad to alt pulley). The thinnest I've found are off a ford taurus 94 ( they have nice dual fan setups) __________________ 1992 Gmc 2wd 1972 Chevy Blazer 2wd

08-14-2003, 03:48 PM	#15
Grim Reaper Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 1,704	Tho hot jusk yard score right now is the dual fan set up out of a 95 or so Ford winstar. It has a shroud and with some L brackets it can be easily mounted like the stock shroud. I'm hunting one for my 88 454 burb right now. Damn Autzone fan clutch doesn't work any better then the original that was shot and I start to overheat with the A/C on in drive. Going to go electric and take this POS back and get my money. __________________ Grim-Reaper 70 Pontiac LeMans Sport Convertible, worlds longest resto in progress Looking for 71-72 2wd Blazer or Jimmy Project



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