Overheating

[rustang girl]

Originally posted by PKRWUD
The fans job is to suck air through the radiator when the vehicle is not travelling fast enough to do it naturally, which is roughly at speeds below 20 mph. Simply putting a fan behind the radiator isn't enough by itself. The fan will draw in air from the point of least resistance, which means the majority of the air it will move will be from underneath the car, and it won't go through the radiator at all, or minimally at best. When installed correctly (with the fan half in and half out, if viewing it from the side), the shroud makes it so that the only place the fan can get any air is through the radiator. If it makes it any easier to understand, think of it reversed; if the fan was blowing forward, where would the air go? Without a shroud, it would hit the radiator, and deflect everywhere else, but with a shroud, it would have to go through the radiator. Air moving through the radiator takes the heat with it, and allows the newly cooled water to re-enter the engine so that it can transfer some more of the heat from the block to itself, and go back to the radiator to do it all over again.

K, I think I'm understanding. Makes sence. = )

One more thing regarding the shroud. You're telling me it's mainly for slower speeds, like 20mph. I only over heats going say 80+mph. I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but it over heats on "The Grape Vine". If you haven't heard of it, it's the freeway you'd take to get from LA to Bakersfield and back. It has some VERY large hills. The first one, leaving Bakersfield is killer. That's where we generally overheat, going up it. If we make it to the top before it overheats we're good the rest of the way home. The downhills cool it down. We generally don't make it, and we go @ 2am or so.

Aywho, what I was wondering, sine you say it's for more like 20mph, and I'm doing more like 70-80 on the hills it will still help?

BTW, I think UPS dropped it off this morning. I haven't opened the box yet, I'll go now. = )

Shroud looks rather small. Blades were backordered, so not here yet.

Originally posted by PKRWUD
Don't worry about it right now. If it still overheats, something else is wrong. You also could have him install what's called a "pusher fan" in front of the radiator. It's an electric fan that is thermostatically controlled, and only comes on when you get too hot.

hmmmmmm. Ok, I'll look into that.

Technically I could install blades myself.
I've done it before, and I could do it again.
I helped rebuild an engine once. Actually, my fiance I did it and the guy told us what to do.

So even if I do sound like an idiot who doesn't know what she's doing, I do know quite a bit.

Originally posted by PKRWUD
When you get it back, start it up and let it idle. Every few minutes, feel the upper radiator hose with your hand. It will slowly get warm, then rather suddenly get hot. That means your t-stat is opening. This should happen within 10 minutes of idling. If it doesn't, have someone install a new 180 degree t-stat, preferably bought at Ford (their t-stats are MUCH better than Pep Boys).

K, I'll do that.

Originally posted by PKRWUD
Go to an auto parts store, and buy a Stant LeverVent(something like that) 16 pound radiator cap. It will have a red lever on top of it to release the pressure without burning your hands. Put it on, and ignore anyone that tells you differently.

hehe k

Originally posted by PKRWUD
Because they either didn't flush out the block, or because the heater was turned on.

No heater. Turns out it wasn't a "new" radiator. Just rebuild and painted. It wasn't like that in the beginning. We put some no rust stuff into it.

Originally posted by PKRWUD For the record, I still haven't.

That's good to hear, thanks!

Originally posted by PKRWUD
Take care,
~Chris

Thanks, you too! = )