do you guys think a 16in 2100cfm electic fan is enough to cool a 302?? im running a 2 row radiator and a 180 degree thermostat
That may do it. I'm running a 2000 cfm Black Magic with a 3 core and it's marginal in the summer, but good the other 3 seasons. Make sure you install a temp gauge and watch that it doesn't overheat. If you have a modified 302, it will heat up more and strain the system. Someday, I may move up to a aftermarket rad.
Your fan isn't necessary when you are on the highway. Your speed will push enough air through the radiator to keep the engine cool. Iran a SBF without a belt (threw it off when the engine spun to fast) and the only way I new that the belt was gone was the charge light came on. As long as I was running over 40 mph the engine stayed cool.
if you ever look at a temp gauge it gets alot hotter just sitting at idle then when your gassing it down the highway. im sure you got alot more then 2100cfm blowing throug the rad at 40mph
A problem unique to the MAV/COMETs is the motor bay is quite closed up with the solid side panels. I think a Mustang has more room. The only place the air can go is down the sides past the exhaust headers and out under the car in the front. A motor with tube headers restricts the space even more. Often what is done in an effort to increase cooling is not very much more effective because of this. Here is an example of it. My 73 Comet has fuel injection and shorty headers, the largest new oem radiator and an oem shroud with a 7 blade Bronco II clutch fan. This combo generates so much pressure in the engine bay it lifts the rear of the hood up almost an inch and still will allow the motor temp to climb in hot weather when, pushed for power. This shows the air flow can't get out of the engine bay fast enough so the air cant get in the front either because it's blocked up with no where to go so the air passing thru the radiator is also reduced causing a cooling problem for the motor dispite all the attempts to get more airflow and cooling. Find some way to open the side panels to help this situation out or raise the rear of the hood to alivieate the pressure build up. I have even changed the hood hinges to be sure what I was seeing but see the same result. Anyone realize the amount of pressure it takes to raise a steel hood that far under the resistance of the hinges, yet? This is a problem many have in the hotter climates on a stock motor and dont realize it. The cooling system airflow is marginal for very hot temps, even in a stock car..
Redneck forced induction! Even with a 6 cylinder I have noticed what Bluegrass describes. Every time I run over 70 mph the back of the hood lifts up and kind of floats along. I've thought about making some openings/vents into the cowl in the area above where the shock tower braces bolt up, but I'm not sure about it. The obvious thought is that the air could escape up through the cowl, relieving the pressure to an extent. But I'm certainly no aerodynamics expert, so I'm also afraid it may cause more air to get shoved into the engine bay instead of pulling air out like I hope it would work. Need to research it more. I've also thought about putting vents in the fender aprons behind the shock towers.
could try hood spacers, a lot of tuners use them. before my friend put a set on his supra after running for a bit the IM was burning hot, after he put them on it was cool to the touch regarless how long it was running.
I tossed that Idea around too.The problem is the air stream at the cowl is high pressure air not low pressure air so it wont pull the hot air out from under the hood the best bet is to either block airflow under the car with a chin spoiler/and side skirts to create a vacuum under the car so it sucks air out the bottom of the engine compartment or vent the the side aprons in front of and behind the shock towers.The problem is knowing how much air volume is under the hood so you can size the vents properly to allow it to escape.Im still workin on it too.
A lot of street rods have that same problem....factory hood sides were louvered to allow air to escape, when they put the smoothie sides on, they overheat. Since our cars have a inner and outer fender, you would need to connect the vents together somehow, or else the air would be trapped between the inner and outer fender......with nowhere to go....
Related to this subject, I saw a good one on Hot Rod TV last Saturday. They put a 500+ cubic inch motor into an 80s GM something or other. To keep it coil they installed a humongous aluminum radiator then added a little bitty 16" electric fan rated at 1300 cfm. I'm thinking at the time "Yeah, let us know how you make out with that". I use a 2900 cfm fan to keep my little 306 cool.
A tall cowl may help some, say 4" but air at the cowl is high pressure so its better for forcing air into the compartment hence the term "cowl induction"
