The power difference between the added alternator resistance and a mechanical fan is big. About 5 HP or so...
I heard that you can actually lose power with a flex fan. I know the flex is lighter but i was told with a clutch fan the fan isn't always spinning so less drag that way. Kinda makes sense i think. And besides if it does make a couple more HP i think they definatly not worth the annoying wine that comes with them. JMO
Jeri; I had the overheating problem with my 302. It is stock, with just a 4bbl and headers. I found that the 6blade fan for an A/C car and the factory shroud, with a 160 degree stat did the trick. It never gets over 180degrees, with the A/C on, on a hot day. The problem may be the custom shroud. Find a stock one and see. Hope this helps. Earl
Speaking of fans and shrouds, an old-timer once told me that the secret to effective cooling is to have the fan and shroud arranged so that the shroud covers exactly half of the fan blade width as you are looking straight down on it. If the fan is too far forward or too far away from the shroud it apparently does not make effective use of the shroud's "suction". Also all Mavericks/Comets originally had a gasket (about 24 inches long) on top of the radiator support to block air from going over top of the radiator support and thus bypassing the cooling benefits of the radiator. I've seen a lot of cars where this is missing. A combination of these things along with all the others mentioned in previous posts could contribute to an overheating problem. On the other hand, my EFI Mav uses a clutch fan from a '96 T-Bird V-6, no shroud and has never had a problem. Go figure.
Did this happen all at once/after a modification/or progressively get worse. The more info the better response I can give you. So far alot of great advice has been handed out. That is why I love this site. Good tech advice most of the time. IS your motor stock or modified??
Running Hot... Mine was running hot too toward the end of the Summer here in PA. The car mostly sits in the garage alot (only drive 100 miles/yr) with a 50/50 mix of antifreeze & water. Temp went to about 210 on a 15 minute drive and it was "pinging.". I had a 180 thermostat in it. I added octane booster, checked the timing, then finally decided to put a new thermostat in it. I found that the waterpump bypass hose outlet on the water neck was packed with a white powdery substance. Corrosion can crop up in the cooling system very easily if the car just sits. Luckily there was nothing in the aluminum intake - just the water neck. I got a new water neck & installed it with a 160 thermostat & it's been fine ever since. Good Luck! MAVRICK513
Running Hot... If your engine has been bored .030" or more it will run hotter than a standard bore block. If your carb is too lean it will run hotter too. Try the 160 thermostat. That should fix it. MAVRICK513
Just to let everyone know, the heating problem was fixed with a 160 Therm. and a new gauge. thanks for all of the help. Jeri
don't you love it when you fear the worst and find out the problem was relatively minor? good for you jeri! just for fun... did you do the meat thermo test? if so, how far off was your guage?
Scott, Yes I did the meat therm. test and can you believe the temp was off by almost 15 degrees! Yeah hooo! thanks guys for all of your help. Jeri
