'58 C1 Overheating Solved
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 19
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From: Plano TX
'58 C1 Overheating Solved
My '58 C1 would overheat in warm weather anytime it had to idle in traffic or wait at a light. Replacing the original radiator with a DeWitts Direct Fit aluminum one helped a little but it would still boil over in the Texas summer heat when forced to idle.
Two shops suggested going to a six-bladed fan with a fan clutch. Unfortunately, the addition of the clutch caused clearance problems inside the fan shroud. A former racer then suggested just going with a 6-bladed plastic racing fan. I purchased and installed a 17" Flex-a-Lite 400 series (#417) nylon fan (< $25) and a 1" spacer ($8) to clear the fan belt.
The results were much better than expected. In traffic, I've yet to get the temperature gauge to go above 185 degrees even in 100 plus temperatures. As a bonus, the car is running 20 degrees cooler underway. I had been warned that a racing fan might be loud but have noticed just a slight difference in sound under the hood. I am now looking forward to being able to participate in some parades with the “Old Lady.”
Two shops suggested going to a six-bladed fan with a fan clutch. Unfortunately, the addition of the clutch caused clearance problems inside the fan shroud. A former racer then suggested just going with a 6-bladed plastic racing fan. I purchased and installed a 17" Flex-a-Lite 400 series (#417) nylon fan (< $25) and a 1" spacer ($8) to clear the fan belt.
The results were much better than expected. In traffic, I've yet to get the temperature gauge to go above 185 degrees even in 100 plus temperatures. As a bonus, the car is running 20 degrees cooler underway. I had been warned that a racing fan might be loud but have noticed just a slight difference in sound under the hood. I am now looking forward to being able to participate in some parades with the “Old Lady.”
