I have an '89 Camaro I just switched from a 305 tbi to a 350 tpi and its running really hot. My car has a single fan but the engine was designed to run a dual fan. The shop that did the swap hooked my fan to the switch in the head and the fan isn't turning on until 260 degrees. Do I need the dual fan or should the single fan just be hooked up to the ecm or could I just use the fan switch from my old 305 since that kicked on around 220 degrees? I need help asap I spent a long time and a lot of money on my car and I cant even drive it.

 

Having a let’s say 195* thermostat and a fan that comes on at even 220* is basically the stock setting. Many, many of us consider it to high. IMO an aftermarket fan switch that replaces the stock one in the block and a 180* thermostat should solve your problem.
Here are some part numbers you can use for the switch .These are direct replacement =
Jet Performance #60600 =
195* on 185* off
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/JET0/60600.oap?ck=Search_60600_-1_3101&keyword=60600#at
Or
Hypertec part # HYP-4028
200* on 185* off
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/HYP0/4028.oap?ck=Search_4028_-1_-1&keyword=4028

Or my favorite. An adjustable thermostat control switch
Hayden part # 733653 =
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/search.oap?keyword=733653

I have two of them controlling a pusher and puller.
They are just the basic switch and using a relay is easy to wire in.

 

Thanks that's what I wanted to do but everyone told me the car wouldn't run right at the lower temp. Will the single fan work good enough if I do this and would I have to change my chip?

 

I just looked up the fan switch that I have and it said its 204-220 degrees then why would my fan not turn on until 260? The mechanic that swapped my engine said my gauge was off so I hooked a manual gauge up and it was the same. I don't know what to do. All the mechanics I talk to say I need the dual fan but if its not turning on until 260 then that's not going to do me any good either.

 

I have duals plus the original on mine. It's the stock 305 but I hate hate hate the way the cars like To run hot. I tried the Hayden controller on the Hayden fans I added but went through two in six months and didn't even put 3k miles on the car so I ended up put them on a switch. I've heard several complaints about the Hayden controller so id stay away from them.

 

Thanks I wouldn't mind if my car ran a little hot. With the 305 it stayed around 220 I would love if my car stayed there now. My car runs at around 270 when I'm sitting and my gauge only goes up to 260. I don't think the shop that did my engine swap knows what there doing so I don't want to take it back to them.

 

Not a problem. You said that a "mechanic" did your swap? Are you sure that he flushed the cooling system just for good measure? Also did you have him put a new water pump and thermostat in? Oh and I almost forgot Little trick I picked up from a friend, take the tstat and in the outside perimeter of it drill like a 1/8 hole in it. This will let just enough coolant through to open it up a little quicker. But you can get a switch to go in the head like previously mentioned that will make the fan come on sooner. Outside of that and the cooling system being 100% you may end up with extra fans.

 

Everything on my motor is new. The engine was just rebuilt. I want to get a lower temp switch but the switch I have is supposed to kick on at 204-213 and it doesn't. I don't know maybe the switch could be bad.

 

Sorry, but this will not allow the thermostat to open up quicker. It will only help to be easier to fill the 1st time. After that, it will actually make the thermostat open later because of the bypassing coolant running through the closed thermostat and through the radiator. There are reasons to drill holes in the thermostat flange, this is not one of them.
(respectfully )

 

270 is extremely hot for any engine. Can you jump your fan and run it continuous to see what happens with the temps then? If the radiator has never been serviced or replaced I would be suspect of that as well even though the problem would be more prominent at higher rpm while driving. If your coolant was very dirty/rusty with the old engine, the radiator is probably full of crap on the inlet side and if the fan is kicking on late, this is just aggravating the situation. Glance at the belts routing & make sure this is right. Is your radiator the type that uses the heater return hose just below the filler neck? If it is, it would make it very easy to see if water pump is pumping well. Just turn on the heater controls so the valve opens and watch in the filler neck to see if you get good coolant movement into the radiator via the heater connection. I would check this first before it warms up. If all is well there, then put the cap on and continue with the constant on fan to see if this helps. If you do not have this type of return, there are other ways to check this with out removing the pump. Post your results back here when you can.

 

Hmmmm interesting. Thanks I Thought it did. Oh well let us know what you figure out on your cooling issue. I know it's a pain trying to find the right combination especially after you've spent the money for a new engine.

 

I would call a different shop than you used and ask them if they will shine an inferred temp. gun at your engine. (Usually free) I would do it in acouple different locations and compare what there readings are with your gage so you have an accurate assessment and can truly know how far your gage is off.Try to get it there before your gage is pegged out.

Clime under the car as suggested and take the wire off of the temp. switch and mount it to a good ground. Scrap off anything like paint and get to bare metal and do what is necessary to ground it without damaging the end that goes on the switch .This will cause the fan to run when you start the car that way you can see if the single fan is enough to keep it running at a cooler temp.Keep in mind that the thermostat setting will determine how cool. a 190* stat will have the car running hotter than a 180* .Find out what temp. stat you have. All of that plus knowing your exact temp. on the gage because you had an inferred temp gun tell you what it is and how far off the gage is. Pretty simple stuff really but if you do this procedure you will have all of your questions answered.

 

How many fans did you have on one controller ?
I have two fans that are run by two different controllers so they come on at different times. Each with their own relay. There is a fuse on the 12v ignition source to the relay ,a fuse just after the relay and one after the controller to the fan. No problems so far but its only been 3 months. I will keep a close eye on it just in case.
Side note = They make high amperage controlers just specifically for running more than one fan.

 

If your engine is mostly stock, ( no cam or head changes ) than all you need is a stock single fan. The fact that it's not coming on till 260 is the problem.

Properly mixed Coolant - 50/50 - will begin to boil @ 260. a 70/30 mix of coolant will begin to boil about 276 degrees If your Coolant is mixed properly, & the gauge was reading 260 but it was not boiling back into the overflow tank - your gauge is probably wrong. Buy a cheap coolany gauge from teh parts store so you KNOW what your coolant is rated for.

If your cars has ANY headers it will run much hotter than stock manifolds.

Many times during a rebuild if the car overheats before the fans are kicking on ( and the sensor/fans work correctly ) then the Thermostat is bad.

I've run a Hayden fan switch on my 355ci and it was no good. The "performance" engine simply heated up too fast and it was very hard to find the 'right' setting on the Hayden adjustable switch. ( due to sensor location IMO ! )

I'm currently running a Hayden fan switch on a mostly stock 305 ( roller rockers - that's it ) along with a 160 stat & it works great. Thermostat allows the car to warm till 160 then opens - fan kicks on @ about 200 and off about 180.

 

My fan switch is designed to run one fan on a basically stock engine I'm sure. We are talking about a very basic unit that cost under $20.00.
There are a few controllers out there made to handle more amperage and dual fans but expect to pay more because there is more to it like some have dual relays etc., pretty much exactly the way I have mine set up.
Besides you don't have to by Hayden products because there are others out there. Hears Flex-a-lites version of the one I'm using and what I will try if these go bad. Luckily the Haydens came with a great lifetime warranty .
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/flx-31147/overview/

and this is there model for single/duel fans. =
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/flx-31149/overview/

There is just a little price difference between the two.

 

I had their dual fan controller, running two 10in fans. I use to work at oreilly and another guy there had the same issue on his Monte Carlo and had several customers return theirs for same problem. But I've also seen complaints on other forums about them.

 

I had a friend check it with an inferred gun that's how I know what temp the fan was turning on at. The shop said they did that and my gauge was off but its not.

 

I just jumped the fan so it would run continuously. I let the car run until it got hot like it did before. Between 250-260 I turned the fan on and it brought it right down to around 220. I let the car run for about 20 minutes and it stayed right around 220. I'm going to bring it back to the shop and have them hook it up to the ecm. If that doesn't work I'll just have them jump it for now just so I can drive it to car shows for the rest of the summer and I'll figure it out over the winter. Thanks for all of your help.

 

You know since you are having to jump it you could wire it to a toggle switch till you are able decide exactly what to do.

 

I don't want to watch the gauge and flip the switch off and on and there's no need to run wires and a switch when my switch wire has already been spliced together anyway I can just cut it and put a terminal on it and screw it to something

 

Gotcha. Just wanted to throw it at ya.

 

I doubt you need dual fans.I say this because once you get everything else is the current cooling setup working properly..flushed,verify tstat(use a 180/190*),get a lower temp fan switch,good waterpump etc ..this will bring your temps down.Even 220* to a lot of people is still hot.My old 383hsr motor ran 190-200* and and sitting in hot traffic days my secondary fan was not needed.the only times the ecm commanded it to be on is if I turn on a/c.

I also suggest maybe start looking for a new mechanic to suit your future needs,someone that its just a bolt on/replace parts but understands more on a performance level with a good rep with a sbc.If not..learn to become more handy and get yourself dirty..lots of good info on here to guide you to do it yourself..save money and spend extra time to know your car.Good luck

 

I would not even mess with the ECM. Just have them install one of the switches I listed in the block and put in a 180* thermostat. That's it. Your car will stay around 190* /200*. Heavy traffic = 220* maybe. IMO that's perfect.
Besides your car was designed to run a single fan from the switch in the block not using the ECM.

 

I agree. If you are concerned about the fuel injection working properly with colder thermostat, can monitor the ecm and make sure it goes into closed loop and at what temperature. It may work just fine with 180. I'm sure someone on here knows exactly what temp this takes place. Mine is a FAST computer so I am not well studied on that topic.
Good luck!

 

It was supposed to just be a simple engine swap that I could have done myself I just didn't have the time or the space to do it. The shop was supposed to just pull the old motor and put the new one in and I was going to help them hook everything up but I didn't have the time to go there and mechanics don't like customers telling them how to do their job. I have friends that do sbc and all of them tell me something different. They can all build motors but nobody really does computer controlled engines and know what temp the fan turns on.

 

I talked to a friend of mine who's a GM certified mechanic and some other mechanics and performance guys to see what they suggest I do and all of them said not to do the 180 thermostat and lower fan switch. Even though my friend said 220 is to hot and it should run at around 200 and that I should have the dual fan. I don't even understand how the dual fan would keep it cooler when the secondary fan only turns on when needed it doesn't make my car run at 200

 

I don't even care anymore. I got this car to drive while I restore my 2nd gen Camaro and now its taken me so long to do this car I could have been done with my 2nd gen by now. I don't care about getting the best performance out of this car anymore I just want to know how the fan should be hooked up and what the factory temp is. The only reason I paid a shop to do the swap is so I could have it done by summer time. Here it is 5 months later and I cant even drive the car. I should have just put the money into a big block for my 2nd gen.

 

Sorry about the pain your car is causing you but this should be easy.Problem is you're getting conflicting suggestions so maybe just ask your certified mechanic to give you some part # for the stock switch (single fan)and thermostat. Or you can call Napa Auto parts or any auto parts store and ask for stock replacements for your car. Just go back to stock. The stock thermostat is 195* and a stock fan switch will activate the fan at 222*
I hope that helps

 

That's what my problem is. I purchased all new stock replacement parts and the fan doesn't turn on until 260. Does the ecm control the main fan on a dual fan setup or does it control the secondary fan?

 

There is "no" way any one made a switch for our cars intentionally that comes on at any were close to 260*.

You have a bad switch.
When it comes to getting a new switch it seems that sometimes you have to call the manufacture of the switch because the temp. is not listed in the auto parts description.It’s just a part # that says stock. That's not enough information so I call the manufacture to find out what I need to know.

A little more info = Closed loop operation is attained when engine coolant temperature reaches 104°F and exhaust gas temperature reaches 600°F

Anyway I've said enough

 

If you ever do a fan swap get the Taurus fan and be done with it. I have had many fans over the years and the Taurus fan WORKS. My car has a seeping head gasket and it still keeps it cool.

 

I thought it might be a bad switch but the main fan is still supposed to run off the ecm right? I brought my car back to the shop today and told them to run it off the ecm and if that doesn't work just make it run continuously until I have time to check it out myself. this is the fan switch I have.

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Ca...111_0275774287

 

In your other post I stated how the single fan is controlled bye the ecm on at 226f. A quick way to test it when you go pick it up bring a paper clip and turn the key on and jumper the aldl a to b the fan will be commanded on.
don't run the fan constantly you will burn up the motor alot faster. It is designed to turn on when commanded airflow above 35mph generally keeps the ecm from commanding it on.

 

I run dual fans one comes on with the car the other on a relay with a remp gauge set at 200. Im missing the baffling but it works good. Also have aluminum radiator.

 

OK I’m back.
If you going to wire it directly don't hook up a kill switch. Make"sure" they use a relay that is ignition on/off controlled. Very simple. That way the fan will only run when the car is running. As mentioned above this is not the way to do it, not only is it hard on the fan it effects the charging system.

If you’re going to have them do that then you might as well have them put in an adjustable thermostat controlled switch using a relay instead of that and be DONE with it. This way you will have "full" control of your fan on temperature.

This is not a Hayden switch and is just as easy to install as the system listed above. =
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...267187_69565_0_

 

If hooking it to the ecm doesn't fix the problem they said they would run a toggle switch but I think I'll just have them ground out the wire that goes to the switch like I did I'm not going to leave it that way I just need to be able to drive it to a few car shows then when I put the car up for the winter I will fix it right

 

I also suggest using the adjustable thermostat switch if you dont want trust the ecm to command the fan on/off temps.Set it to turn on where you need it to be efficient at keeping the motor temps around 200-220* and be done with it as Ronusmc said.It installs within mins you can do yourself..screw all the other suggestions of replacing parts at this point.Just make sure your temp gauge is fairly accurate and take the car for some spirited driving to monitor the how early you want the fan to cycle on/off.

If you feel that with that setup on the single fan cant keep the temps under control,then Id suggest a higher cfm fan or dual fan that is also adjustable..though i doubt you would need to go that for imo.

 

Quote=(Mechanics don't like customers telling them how to do their job.) This is true to a degree. The techniques and procedures are there decision. After all you’re paying them for their expertise/skills in the trade but, you make the final call on what goes in. It’s your car so what ever you decide those mechanics are there to do it. You own the car.

If you decide to do this I have included a copy of the directions of a basic adjustable thermostat controlled kit. My kid brother can do it so it should be a walk in the park for them. It does not get any easier than this. If you want you can hand a copy of this to your mechanic and tell him this is what you want.The kit is about $20.00 max and the relay they will need is around $10.00 max.

Also setting the fan “on” temp is very easy. Decide what temp you want the fan to come on at and idle the car until it reaches that temp.Already having the switch set at its lowest setting slowly turn the adjustment **** until the fan turns on .That’s it. If they don’t know that they will spend a lot of unnecessary time trying to get it right.
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...267187_69565_0

Sorry if it seems like I'm shoving this down your throat but my intentions are honorable and I'm just trying to show you the benefits of having this switch. Being able to adjust your fan to any temp you want will come in very handy if you ever decide to change it. If you decide you dont want it at 220* you move it to 200*or 195*etc. That eliminates having to mess with installing a new switch. Both of my fans are adjustable and are on separate circuits and have performed perfectly.

 

The shop wired my fan to the ecm and now it turns on around 225. My gauge is wrong though. They hooked a scanner up to it to show me the temp because my gauge showed about 250. I plan on replacing the gauges anyway but at least I can drive my car for now. Thanks to everyone for the help.

 

Well praise the Lord, pet the dog & kiss the wife!!!!