So I finally go t the bird out with the new electric fan installed. First day it was probably 90-100 deg out. And she ran about 204. The next day I drove to work and home in commuter traffic. Temp out was about 75 in stop and go for half an hour. Ran up to about 207. I was noticing the original temp gauge was reading 215-220 but I tend to believe the temp signal coming from the digital readout on the FI display. I'm not really happy with it yet. I'd like to get it down under 200 no matter what. If I can do that I think I'll be satisfied. I'm going to replace the 160 thermostat with a 190 today and see if that slows the coolant flow any. I don't expect a change but it's worth a try. Won't cost me anything. Kind of tough because the temps are rarely that hot around here and then I have to find the time for testing when it is. It's a process. I'm starting to think the trick might be to somehow evacuate the under hood heat.
Hi Robert, Good luck with the testing. As you may recall I'm not a big electric fan ... "FAN". lol It's not because I don't think they work, it's because I hate the way they sound. I just sold my 454 motor home. It has the largest electric fan made by man. And does it suck. I wish I had video taped that fan. Turn on the A/C or anything that generates heat and that thing comes on. It would appear by watching the temp gauge, it is keeping the engine cool. If you get a chance, video taped the sound of your engine with it running. Maybe the electric fans are quiet now. The electric fan in my motor home is 1988 technology.
Summer heat in Alberta is much like San Fran, just less no. of days a year.
Have a look at this thread in regards to the 68 Firebird flex fan specially designed for 68 400 engines. This is information right out of the sales book (I have the original book).
I put a cheap after market flex fan on my old Firebird coupe. It was amazing in how much cooler my engine was and the "no noise" it made. You couldn't touch the hood with my 4 blade fan and the car would not restart, if I stalled, until the engine cooled down.
I have attached some pics of a cheap flex fan. Works well, FB flex fan works even better. They look pretty cool as well. You rev up the the engine and the fan turns into a disc. It flattens because you don't require a fan to evacuate the heat from the rad once the car is moving fast enough, the air passing through the rad freely from you front grille supplies ample cooling air. So no performance hit (no hp lost to turning a big fan at higher revs and engine runs cooler. I did not have filler panels installed back then either.
I did some more research on the T-stats. When you start a cold engine the t-stat closes so the heating up of the engine components can be controlled. Like your vac controlled components they sense heat. Like your choke, air clearer pre heat etc. So if your in an environment where it takes some time to get the engine to operating temperature (cold environments), you want a T-stat. Otherwise it does nothing to cool the engine. In fact, 190 stats are "winter" stats and 160's are "summer" stats. You want 190's for winter to help keep the cabin warm in the winter. Ever drive one of these cars in -30? I been to the Rockies in the winter with mine.
Last edited by Gus68; 06/29/1901:31 PM.
Engine Test Stand Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwoxyUwptUcdqEb-o2ArqyiUaHW0G_C88 restoring my 1968 Firebird 400 HO convertible (Firedawg) 1965 Pontiac Catalina Safari Wagon 389 TriPower (Catwagon) 1999 JD AWS LX Lawn tractor 17hp (my daily driver) 2006 Sequoia 2017 Murano (wife's car) 202? Electric car 203? 68 Firebird /w electric engine 2007 Bayliner 175 runabout /w 3.0L Mercuiser__________________________________________________________