I am wondering if a pusher fan is my answer. Here's my question, I currently have a 16" 3000cfm puller fan in my car now, it runs 180-190 on hyway, but as soon as I get in town or slow traffic it heats up. My question is, can I run a pusher fan with this combo to help cool down in slower traffic?
A puller. is always more effective than a pusher. A pusher also blocks air going into the radiator. Check your distributor to be sure the advance is operating properly. Are you running too lean? The radiator looks rather new but is the thermostat acting correctly? Check the lower hose is it constricting?. Have an inner spring? Maybe a broken impeller? Try removing the thermostat to see if the condition persists. How hot is hot??? Measuring it with a gun? Boiling over?
Everything is new ( water pump stock, thermastat 180 Steward fail safe, Zirgo 16" 3000 cm, 2 core aluminium radiator), runs from 180 to 220 at a stop. Vintage Air ac
It's a 1950 Mercury with a 350 SBC, there is no room for a shroud unless I run it around the fan. But the fan would still be mounted to the radiator, do too only about a 1/4" room between fan and water pump pulley.
I'd start by tossing the Zirgo fan as far as I could. It's not an honest 3000 cfm, look at the current it draws and compare it to a REAL 2300- 2500 cfm fan. I'll bet it's fed with 16 or 18 gauge wire... Zirgo is a Hoffman Group brand, all their stuff is offshore rubbish.
I've got 2 3/4" of clearance between the face of the radiator to the fan pulley. Haven't found a fan setup that will fit in that space and clear the pulley. Any suggestions?
If I've got this right, the fan is between the radiator and engine but being a pusher you are trying to 'push' the hot air forward? As you drive it's pushing the hot air back into the pusher? The electric fan I use on my avatar can be wired to push or pull. It pulls air through the radiator when I'm stopped and across the engine.
give us a better picture of the engine compartment. A small block in a 50 merc usually has way more room than that.
He said its a 16'' puller fan not a pusher. Is it a short or long water pump? Also said its only a two row radiator. JW
That is not much of a fan and they should never be attached to the radiator core IMFSHO. The fan should be buried in the shroud and attached to it and the shroud attached to the frame on the radiator. I know the way you have it is the way everyone does it but they are wrong and I am right. And use a SPAL fan, as big as you can fit and their controller with a relay. Is it even HAMB etiquette to discuss proper electric fan usage? I doubt it. Oh well, done is done. Something like this...not exactly like this cuz this one is mine but you get the idea.
Two row radiator “might” work depending on the size of the tubes. If its a budget radiator it “might” not work.
In a very recent discussion with a radiator manufacturer he said, very explicitly, the fan should be at the TOP of the radiator (applies to downflow style). NOT in the middle or bottom, if you want the most effective cooling from a given core. Ray
It's a 2 row 1 1/4" tubes, it's not attached to the radiator. Its mounted with mounting tabs, but it's still flush with face of the radiator. I only have 2 3/4" of room to work with not much room for a shroud. If I make a shroud and mount the fan on the inside it would still be on the face of the radiator.
show us a pic of the whole engine compartment. A Merc usually has way more room and a much taller radiator than what you have
I respect that post as you are always well informed and your posts are intelligent but I will base the following comment not on a conversation but on actual use; my heat prone (supposedly) flathead, bored 125 over, running a 471 supercharger has been running all summer, including this hot evening, with zero overheating issues. Money where my mouth is (and a lot of it!). Of course I am not an expert radiator manufacturer, I just paid Lee at Brassworks to be.
It seems to me that there is room for a mechanical fan and shroud. I don’t understand why people use electric fans when there is room for a water pump driven fan
^^ What Moriarity said. A water pump mounted fan should fit and give you room for a shroud. The shroud will help the fan pull air through the entire radiator. You also want to be sure the air can't flow around the radiator from the front side.
I'd have to pile on with these guys. A shroud and flex fan are second to none if room and physical placement are available. If forced by radiator location to run an electric fan an shroud are the next best way to go. I just got through this problem with my '58 truck and not enough CFM's of air going through it. Camero sub frame puts radiator way to high for a flex fan. Home made shroud and a legit 3,000CFM double fan from Summit now keeps it cool in Texas heat and traffic. You might have to get creative... Best of luck!