ok I'm confused.. I searched through the old posts for cooling methods.. I'm having my 350 tbi built with edelbrock performer heads, cam, intake.. headers.. it's suppose to (according to their dyno chart) produce around 270hp.. should I use an edelbrock water pump? also should I stick with my stock clutch fan or go to flex fan? or electric? from what I read electric don't cool as well and is unreliable. flex-fans apparently come appart..

any advice would be appreaciated..
thanks.


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'88 C1500 350 TBI
Belltech 2/4 Drop,
Nitro Drop Shocks,
3.73 Rear gear ratio,
Edelbrock performer TBI intake, performer cam, timing chain,
Hiflow cat with Rhino dual 2 1/2" out the rear. American Racing Neptune 16x8 wheels with Kumho 712's, 255-50 series

 

I would go with the electric fan myself. It will not rob you of any HP what-so-ever. The flex fans are fine (I've never seen one come apart) but they, as well as the clutch fans, rob you of some HP.

On a flex fan, the blades will flatten-out as the engine RPMs increase; creating less resistance (HP) to turn the fan itself.

The clutch fan, the blades will spin as a constant to the pully until a sharp raise in RPMs comes. The pully (fan belt) will spin faster than the fan blades (which is attached to the clutch). However, the fan blades will eventually match the speed of the pully. Temp., RPM level, sustained RPM level all contribute to the length of time it takes the blades to match the speed of the pully. Plus, the clutch fans are the heaviest out of the three.

Another thing to consider is the type of driving you do. If it's mainly highway (above 40 mph), a fan is really not needed (most of the time). An electric fan can take advantage of that (only on when the engine temp is at or above a certain degree).

Mike...

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89 T-Top Firebird 305 TBI Project Car (with approval from my wife!)

 

No, don't use the Edelbrock water pump. They're barely better than a stock replacement, and for the price, not worth it. I hear good things about Stewarts and that's probably what I'll go with when my Edelbrick bites the mortar.

 

do you already have the Edelbrock Performer camshaft? If not, I would plan on buying a different one. It's a flat tappet cam, so you lose all the advantages of your roller cam.

That is assuming you have a roller block...

 

I'd stick with the stock clutch fan. Hot Rod or CHP did a dyno test of several different fans and the flex fan consumed more power than the clutch fan.

If you towing I don't think an electric will move enough air to keep things cool. I'd bet the factory would use electric fans on the trucks if they could.

 

I will rarely be towing.. this is pretty much a summer vehicle and I'm looking for performance more than anything.. as for the cam I already have the edelbrock cam & intake.. all I need is the heads.. to have the total power package. my stock clutch fan didn't appear to have any problems .. I just thought I might be better with something else.. as for the water pump the stock one was working fine but I figured I should use something with a higher flow for the rebuilt engine.. anyone else have suggestions on the water pump? brands/model numbers? The other thing I'm confused with is whether it's considered a short water pump or long?



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'88 C1500 350 TBI
Belltech 2/4 Drop,
Nitro Drop Shocks,
3.73 Rear gear ratio,
Edelbrock performer TBI intake, performer cam, timing chain,
Hiflow cat with Rhino dual 2 1/2" out the rear. American Racing Neptune 16x8 wheels with Kumho 712's, 255-50 series

 

Electric fans are great for any application. My freinds 69 camaro had a fixed fan with fixed blades and he had to run a spacer to get it close to the radiator . He went to an electric fan and nothing has changed. I bet the all flow about the same anyways so why not get an electric. About the pumps..definatly Stewarts. www.stewartcomponents.com They have the best pumps for sure. I have the stage 2 pump and with my stock radiator and fan I haven't had any problems overheating...except with AC on and a broken thermo...but that was my fault, not the pump. The stewart pumps are by far the best prices. Their stage 2 is $170 and has better tolerances than the edelbrocks and better parts (billet blade etc). You could go with a state 1 pump. It uses the same prop, hub etc, but in a stock case. I think the price is like $90!! I probably should have gone with the stage 1 pump but i figured the pump will outlast the rest of my engine so I might as well get a good one that'll last some rebuilds .

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, Jon (350 TBI!)
91 Red My website

 

The only flex fans I've heard odf coming apart are the fiberglas ones.Electric fan(s) should be fine for that much HP.Stewart Components water pumps are the best in my opinion.Run them on all three chevies at my house.
http://www.stewartcomponents.com/water_pump.htm
-Rich-