Joe,
One thing covered in your original message should be of a tad bit of concern
to you. That is if you are running at a consistent 170 degrees you may be
running TOO COLD.....at least IMHO. As has been noted on the list many
times by experts such as Tom Hall, Dick Barker, et al, Ford documented many
years ago that for maximum efficiency and minimum wear, it is best to have
the engine temp in the neighborhood of 185-205 degrees. (did I get that
right folks?).
Anyway, based on your observation of your temp, you are probably running a
160 degree thermostat. Consider moving up to a 185. But first, go back to
your radiator shop when the engine is warm and have them take a reading to
make sure your temp gauge does not need to be calibrated. Most shops today
have a hand held "gun" that looks like a bar code scanner which the operator
can point to a source of heat and get an extremely accurate reading.
One final thought. If indeed you are running THAT cool, I would not worry
about changing out your fan blade at this point. If you still want to go
that route, John Crawly (sp?) has recommended a Volvo fan blade in the past
which is basically a "bolt-on" application. Just about anything else you
are able to find will require modification of the fan blades to clear the
steering rack and drilling a larger hole to fit the hub on the water pump.
Pardon me if I have made too many assumptions. Congratulations on cooling
down your baby!
Regards,
Allan
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