Last year I replaced the radiator, fan clutch and water pump. Engine runs to temp specs but I want to get better cooling. I have been looking at modern radiator fan blades that can increase the amount of airflow. They are also lighter in weight and add as said @ 200 CFI in air flow. Question is is it worth it and do they realy work. I am not interested in electric fans as I am trying to keep original look.

 

May I ask why? Just as it's not good for an engine to run too hot, it's also not good for it too run to cool. If it's meeting factory specs, why fiddle with it?

 

Bottom line is, I do a great deal of local driving and during the humid hot months you could cook an egg on the hood. The engine stays within 5- deg's of specs. during hot hot days but I worry about the other vital orgins ...trany fluid, fuel line to carb, brake fluid, not to mention the drivers feet. It just seems the engine compartment has issues with moving the hot air away from under the hood.

 

But none of these areas would be affected by an increase in cooling system capacity.

A hood that gets hot is not that uncommon. Hell, on a hot summer day, the hood of a car can get hot enough to cook an egg on just sitting out in the sun. I would try an insulation pad first if you think it's getting too hot from the engine. Besides, how often do you touch the hood while driving?

As far as brake and transmission fluid temperature, these are not going to be affected by modifying the car's cooling system. Yes, the transmission fluid is cooled at the radiator, but I doubt that the degree to which the transmission fluid is cooled would be changed much by changing to a larger radiator. Do you have any evidence that the brake or transmission fluid get so hot on a summer day that you actually have a problem?

Overheated brake fluid becomes a problem when the brakes are ridden too much, and the friction at the brakes themselves causes it to boil. But it's extremely unlikely that the temperature under the hood would ever get warm enough, hot day or not, to boil the brake fluid. At least, I've never heard of such a thing.

I know I don't know the whole story, but it sounds to me like you don't actually have any of these problems, you're just assuming that you might encounter them someday. So this sounds like you're trying to fix something that ain't broken. I would leave things alone, drive the car, and if you do experience any of these problems, then look for the cause and correct it.

The bottom line is, if your car's cooling system is functioning correctly, but you deliberately change it to run cooler than spec because you want to try to prevent some of these other problems, then you're not really solving the problem, you're just trading off one problem for another. In the process of stopping your brake and transmission fluid from getting too hot, you're going to be running your engine at temperatures colder than it should be, and that's not good for it.

 

Well said. Thats why this site is great. I feel confident that on the cooling end of things I have done everything. You are correct I am just assuming that I have a potetential problem. I recently replaced the hood pad (after the hot summer) and I am hoping this helps with the heat. I guess after years driving new cars I forgot how hot these big old engines can get. I appreciate the advice and now can put that thought aside and spend my time and money on other more important issues.Thanks

 

Thanks. Just trying to help.