1957 Fairlane 292 Y-block Fan Shroud or Electric Fans?

[chapingo17]

Hi, I just need some advise on this over heating issue I'm having. I drive my 57 Fairlane original gauge reads 1/4- 1/2 on normal driving conditions. I though I did not have an over heating problem, but in the late summer while driving I ran into bumper to bumper traffic for about 45 min to an 1 hour. I notice the temperature needle was at 3/4 hot. Car did not leak any antifreeze but it go really warm. After a passed traffic temperature was about the same until I parked the car. When this happend I thought about installing a fan sharoud or going to electric fans not sure. I need some guidance on whether to go with a fan shroud or electric fans. I can take the car thru the freeway or drive around town with no issues, the only problem is when I drive thru bumper to bumper traffic. I'm running an after market 3 row aluminum radiator, 6 fan blade and 160 degree thermostat, 292 Y-block .30 over, year old restoration.  I live in the southewest ABQ.

[rmk57]

My vote would be to install a fan shroud. Easier to install and get up and running to see if it solves your problem. I've never been a big fan of electric fans. I would also verify with a temperature gun to see how hot your engine is really getting. If your gauge is at 3/4 and your at 200 degrees your still fine temperature wise.

[chapingo17]

Does any one know of any aftermarket fan shrouds that might work for this Y-block?

[suede57ford]

Seems like Concours parts offered one at one time.  It was ABS plastic, but worked ok.

I'd stay with the engine driven fan.  It always works.

You can always get a fan with more blades if more air flow is needed.  A fan clutch works pretty well too, and the aftermarket has a large selection of multi-blade fans for clutches.

If you must have an electric fan, I'd just use it as back-up in front of the radiator or condensor, for the times you need a little more while sitting in heavy traffic.

[John Palmer]

I also agree that a mechanical driven engine fan is the best to a street application.  Fan clutches, and seven blade fans are a plus.

A fan shroud is very important if your chasing a "slow driving speed" heating problem. 

If you end up buying an after market fan shroud make sure you do this test first.  Place your hand in front of a window fan and feel for where the air flow actually is.  No air comes from the middle of the fan, so your not going to gain much cooling there.  Then, feel for the air flow at the outer ends of the fan blades.  This is where all the air is being pulled from, around the outer edge of the fan.  The only way the shroud is going to help your problem is if it's sealed to the outer square/rectangle part of the radiator core.  You need to have the shroud pull moving air across the cores four "dead air corners".  Basically the shroud needs to tightly fit the radiator core, AND the hole for the fan blade needs to be correctly (as in tightly) centered in the aftermarket shroud for the engine and fan size diameter you will be using.  My '57 has a aluminum "custom made" shroud and a 351W motor, and has no cooling issues in slow crawling traffic.

As previously stated, buy a digital infrared temperature gun.  If your chasing a heating problem you need to be able to measure it, and not guess the cooling system temperature's by looking at a stock gauge.   

[djfordmanjack]

I would not get carried away with your non-overheating problem. Did spend a lot of time on that issue on my own 57 wagon this summer ( block was internally clogged with scale, rust and debris).
It has been said here before and I made the same experience: THAT 57 temperature gauge !
while it is working properly, the Y is supposed to run at 160 to 170 degrees ( 160 thermostat) and 160 is just shy left of the gauge center!
170 is slightly to the right of center. when the gauge hits 3/4 ( which is where the wide black line stops) is only 200 degrees! I did compare with a second temp gauge installed. that is nothing and not even overheating.
I did put an additional large and manually operated electric push fan in front of the radiator. It doesn't help anything in traffic jam, because the problem isn't the heat dissipating capacity of a (well serviced) radiator core, but the low rpm waterpump, that doesn't get enough cool  water around the hot block and rearmost cyl head passages. The Y block is one huge junk of solid iron ....and it holds a lot of heat, once it's hot.
that said, a fan shroud with the stock fan might not be a bad idea.
talking from my experience ( after having thoroughly cleaned all the water passages and radiator), an electric fan doesn't improve idle cooling anything more than maybe 5%. I am going to remove it from my car today.

[Ford Blue blood]

If it ain't loosing water it ain't hot!  200 is fine.  220 is fine.  Do we get nervous, yup, but, if it ain't loosing water it ain't hot. 

Think I told this story once before here.  66 Falcon Ranchero, installed an EFI 302/5speed and the gauge showed very top of normal range.  Went through the "normal" over heating panic.  Water pump, thermostat, lower hose, radiator check, electric fan, and a complete system flush.  After a couple of weeks of messing around I bought an infrared temperate gun.  Let the stupid thing idle in the shop, shot the radiator, hoses and heads with the gun.  Dead on the 190/200 degree mark. 

Turns out the little gun was some of the best "tool" money I had spent in several years.  Make sure you actually have an "over heating" problem before going through the "course".

[petew]

Factory gauges do not always tell the real story. Put an aftermarket gauge in there temporarily and see what your real numbers are.
After finishing up my Country Sedan Wagon I was alarmed to see it run at 3/4 on the temp gauge on a cool day. A good gauge and an IR gun put actual temps at 170 , right around thermostat opening.
My solution was to remove the gauge and gently "calibrate" the needle by bending it back a little to the cold side . The gauge now indicates at the center during normal operation.

[chapingo17]

Does any one happens to have a radiator fan shroud?

[Ray Summitt]

Southwest Thunderbird list a new shroud for $169 says it fits 57/58/59 v8 ford cars without any modifications.  They also offer a 6 blade fan they say will increase airflow by 33 percent.    Ray

[chapingo17]

Thank you. Are the radiators the same?

[rmk57]

It looks like to me that the Southwest Thunderbird shroud is for a stock application. It uses the the stock 4 bolt setup like original. So unless your aftermarket  bolts in like an original 57 Ford I don't think it would work, unless you care to modify it some.