Dave Terrick here.
Did anyone else notice they get three (!!!) digests a day now and most of
the traffic is about cooling fans?!?!?
My 65 TR4a was retrofitted by me the DCO with a renault fan that could blow
me over it has that much pitch. In summer days (85-90) when the Tr <used>
to run a bit warm with stock fan, turning the electric on (no other fan
present) provided a noticible movement on the temp gauge. I only ever
needed to use it during rush hour.
Case 2. Said Gt666, currently having a thrustwasherectomy due to DCO, now
has a wimpy little electric fan. It is a pusher and was installed to
remedy poor cooling with the stock fan which was incapable of handling the
hp generated heat. For reasons too lengthy to waste bandwidth I removed
the stock fan. I noticed absolutely no difference in engine temps and used
the electric fan only when stationary or cruising below 30 mph.
In both the above cases, I noticed an incredibly large difference in
throttle response above 4 grand. Of course, the '4 only revved to 5 but
the GT has a cam that likes 7. HP or torque, who cares. The car is faster
when you drive like an Andretti without the ball nad chain of a crank
driven fan.
Case 3. a fifty thousand dollar all aluminum Austin Healey RHD vintage
racer destroyed a flex fan AND a custom 4 core rad when a motor mount let
go under heavy braking a t turn 1 `of the Gimli road course. Guess what
wouldn't have happened if he had a Kenlowe or equvalent in place of the
blades of death on the end of the water pump. BTW, Terry still swears
that an electric wont cool sufficiently. So why does a Tr race motor cool
with sparks when a Healey won't?
A final point earlier mentionned.... ignition timing is also important to
heat generation and hp. Those of you that are unfortunate enough to have
smog laws have likely retarded the timing etc. Guess what that does to
power and temperatures. TR6's may disconnect the vacuum retard and run 12
dec btdc static (best personal experience with an early spec motor). My
Gt6 has no vacuum anything connected and runs the same timing. Running at
30 deg total per Kastner race prep, it overheats at idle, idles like a
bag of shit, and is generally cantankerous.
When a car overheats, there is a reason. These cars didnt overheat when
new. Therefore, something has happened since new to make them overheat.
Find that problem first. Then, and only then, is it prudent to use the
modern technology to overtax your poor old Lucas gerbils by hooking up an
electric.
Of course, you could go for a floor mounted fuel tank, sub box, amps, and
speakers insted of an electric fan, get no more bhp, add 150 lbs to the
car making it slower and poorer handling, <but sound really cool> <g>.
so ends the lesson (I hope)
Dave Terrick
Winnipeg.
|