Okay guys, I spent a few hours trying to read the various cooling ideas in this forum trying to see what all the popular options were for making sure we keep our beasts cool.

I still have a few questions...

Has anyone made their system open instead of closed? Meaning a vented overflow bottle. I used to work on Jeep Cherokees a lot and this was a popular modification to increase the effectiveness of the cooling system. Right now my system leaks due to pressure, it comes out the lid of the coolant expansion bottle.

Is anyone familiar with a thermostatic(SP?) switch? My roommate said he had one on his camaro awhile back, essentially it turned the fan on at a given temp and then turned it off once the temp was below the target level again. Right now my fan is on a manual switch and I just get to watch the gauge.

This weekend I am swapping my heater core, putting it back into the loop without a bypass valve, and replacing the top and bottom radiator hoses. While I do this is there anything else I should do? I do not know what thermostat the PO has in, but for now it works and swapping it later would be easy so I will not mess with that seal for the moment.

Any thoughts/input/advice are welcome. Thanks guys.

 

All the f-bodies that have electric fans have a thermostatic switch - it's in the pass side head between #6 & #8 plugs and officially named a "fan switch".

I never liked the stock fan switch - I never got one to work for very long in my car, and hated changing them out and getting that face full of coolant. I even tried expensive ones and GM brand, and all failed on me in less than 3 months.

I swapped to an external seperate fan controller for my electric fan - they are available from $30 up to $200 - depending on the brand and what bells/whistles are included. They have a probe that inserts between two radiator fins and senses temps at radiator. Mine is a Flex-a-lite about $80 - it's fully adjustable on and off temps, and has provisions for manual on and manual off switches - I wired in a manual on switch just to have, as sometimes I do get warm in a drive thru in summer. But it's never failed me, always comes on and off where I set it, and it's been 3 years now and it's operating as good as the day I installed it.

Although it all works good, I am planning to swap out my stock electric fan next spring for a better higher cfm aftermarket fan. Otherwise, I'm running a stock radiator, no fancy coolant additives, and I've never seen above 230 on my temp guage, and my 350 with headers does run quite alot warmer than the stock 305 ever did - so the Flex-a-lite controller is doing it's job well.

 

I bought a fan w/shroud from pick and pull that would fit inside of the front bracket against the front of the radiator. Then I reversed the wires so the fan would push air through the radiator .Kragens sells a relay and switch that is for this kind of setup.(any auto parts store should)I believe its also used to wire up axillary running lights.(comes with full instructions.) So I ran the manual switch to the dash. Its run through a power line thats only hot with the key on. That way I can shut it off manually if I want to with the switch. But it comes on automatically with start up. The stock fan only comes on when the temp. gets to 200. At that point both fans are running. (The stock fan switch is set at 220 or 230 I think. )Thats to hot IMO. I replaced the stock fan switch with a 200 degree switch instead. (fits where the stock switch was. Its a direct after market replacement. So far Its really helped a lot. Car stays at 190 most of the time and never above 230 even in heavy traffic.) By the way I also have a Derally combo cooler ( link=http://www.summitracing.com/parts/DER-15903/ ) for the trans and engine oil. That is also installed on the back side ( engine side of the radiator) between the stock fan and radiator. Last but not least is the 180 thermostat. The stock thermostat is 190. 160 is to low IMO. I have never seen a 170. So 180 is gust wright.

 

I have one in my car. It is the one from AC Delco that you can order from the dealership or through TPIS (though TPIS is more $ for the same exact part). Before you can order it from the dealership you have to have the p/n (which is 10220957). Their search for a 170* t-stat will come up empty. But if you give them the p/n it will come up. You can find the p/n and other good info in the "GM F-Body Electric Coolant Fan Specifications and Modifications (Dual Fan)" article by Willie (IIRC) in the Tech Articles on the home page. For the lazy folks, here's the link:

https://www.thirdgen.org/electric_co..._spec_mod_dual