Cooling Discuss all of the aspects of cooling that you can think of! Radiators, transmissions, electric fans, etc.

3rd cooling fan?

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Old Jul 10, 2012 | 11:02 PM
  #1  
Black88Z's Avatar
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 507
Likes: 1
From: Charlotte, NC
Car: 1988 IROC-Z Camaro, 1981 Trans Am
Engine: 350 TPI, 301 N/A
Transmission: 700r4, 350thm
3rd cooling fan?

Maybe a crazy idea but....

Has anybody ever installed a 3rd fan? I know alot of people have been having this problem, my car has been overheating lately with all the scorching hot days and the fans cant keep it cool enough. Is it possible / how hard is it to install a 3rd fan? I know alot of people like installing tauros fans, could you install one on the opposing side of the condensor? (closer to the front of car, not in engine bay).

It seems like with a big fan on the front and then dual fans on the other side it would pull ALOT of air, helping cool much faster. Seems like it'd be very easy to install too. Might even aid in making the cars a/c blow slightly colder too!

Would that help any? Seems like it'd help cool much faster.
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Old Jul 11, 2012 | 12:02 AM
  #2  
watajob's Avatar
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Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 1,410
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From: Location, Location!
Car: 92 T/A 'vert
Engine: Mild .040 over L98 4 bolt mains
Transmission: Mostly stock 700R4, 2600 Vigilante
Axle/Gears: LS1 3.42
Re: 3rd cooling fan?

If it runs hot in traffic but cools off while moving, it may. If it runs hot all the time you may have a flow problem and/or need a better rad. I know my oil and trans cooler make a big difference, too.
Attached Thumbnails 3rd cooling fan?-dscf2459.jpg  
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Old Jul 11, 2012 | 12:16 AM
  #3  
TreeFiddy's Avatar
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,380
Likes: 6
From: Sydney, Australia
Car: '86 TA
Engine: '74 350
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 2.77
Re: 3rd cooling fan?

I had 3 fans at one stage in my years-long quest to tame my overheating problem. Didn't make any difference for me; then again that was before I twigged to how important shrouding really was. Maybe if I'd shrouded the front ones (I had two in front, one at the back), it would have.

Edit: Also, as we have no front grille, the front fans were always sucking up debris like plastic bags which would jam them up.

Last edited by TreeFiddy; Jul 11, 2012 at 12:19 AM.
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Old Jul 11, 2012 | 04:54 PM
  #4  
88I-ROC's Avatar
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 211
Likes: 1
From: Portland, OR
Car: 1988 Camaro Iroc-Z
Engine: 305
Transmission: T-5
Axle/Gears: 3.08
Re: 3rd cooling fan?

I woudn't go with a 3rd fan, it would be more load on your charging system. When you have 2 fans working at the same time in addition to lights, radio and stuff its loading enough on the system. I would stick with lower temp stat and fan switch that open the fans earlier. Also make sure you still have the air dam underneath the car(very important). if you still having problems I would looking into changing the rad or water pump cause otherwise you should not have any cooling problems with a lower temp stat and fan switch.
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Old Jul 19, 2012 | 12:04 AM
  #5  
abray1's Avatar
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,057
Likes: 3
From: Malvern, Arkansas
Car: 90 IROC 2-92 Zs blk vert & prpl
Engine: stealth ram brodix track 1 ful port
Transmission: 700r4 4l80e
Axle/Gears: iroc 375 lokr 92 Z 277 pos vert 327
Re: 3rd cooling fan?

I had 4 fans at one time and it worked better than 3. Now I have just two and it works better than it ever has. I will probably add another pusher fan though.
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Old Jul 19, 2012 | 01:05 AM
  #6  
TreeFiddy's Avatar
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,380
Likes: 6
From: Sydney, Australia
Car: '86 TA
Engine: '74 350
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 2.77
Re: 3rd cooling fan?

That would have looked orsome! I've got a half-baked, unsubstantiated notion that the opposing fans would interfere with each others airflow due to eddies, spin, shear and such.

Maybe 4 worked better than 3 because pairs of fan's spin axes would have roughly lined up (2 fans side by side, front and back I assume), maybe minimising such effetcs. No idea if there's anything to that tho.
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Old Jul 19, 2012 | 02:18 AM
  #7  
ringo234's Avatar
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,581
Likes: 3
From: So Cal
Car: 89 IROC Z28
Engine: 357 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.42 Posi
Re: 3rd cooling fan?

Corvettes have 2 fans but only had room for 1, so they also have 1 in front spinning the opposite direction.
My IROC had cooling problems so I bought an Aluminum 3 row radiator (champion) on eBay. I still was having problems when a discovered the main fan wasn't running because the plug at the fan was not making good contact. I fixed that and it runs cool on the hottest days even when the car is at an is at an idle.
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