I have the Dewitt's two-core radiator on both Vettes with the OEM fans. Betty Boop is a stock LT1 engine, and it can not pass 205°F on a 110°F fay. The Ghost would reach 230°F on a hot day.

The fans are working fine, but if the day would come that I would need new fans, the Dewitt's fan is the one I will buy.

 

What! How dare you speak the truth!

Buy a cheap Chinese knockoff radiator and then blame your cooling problems on the best available, Made in America, DeWitts higher CFM plug and play fan. Next complain that it doesn't fit because you tried to install it the wrong way.... and then complain some more that it costs more than the cheap piece of crap Chinese radiator you installed & seem to love so much in the first place, which most likely is the source of all your cooling problems to begin with.

Who da thunk it!

Next time go with a DeWitts double row C4 drop in radiator w/the OEM fans and find something else to complain about!!!! Worked for me on my '89.

 

 

There were a couple of good suggestions but it appears more about damage control. A link showed where you can buy the same fan for less. The OP got upset. Owners of this brand's products have turned the thread into a bragfest...and counter-bash.

IOW, this whole thread has become worthless.

I brought several points up that were ignored...not answered. I have sent an email to another vendor for clarification.

I'm not taking sides either way...there's simply not enough thought on the OP's part...or many of the responders. A few managed to make reasonable suggestions before it went downhill.

Do you see any polls to disprove the viability of any product mentioned here? No. Do you see any testing? No Comparitive testing? No. Hogwash....

Another interesting observation...the OP did say he'd learned his lesson about not bashing vendors/products -- then did so again by the end of the same page! No one scores big points from my view.

I say close this thread. Carefully thought out replies have left the building....We've seen what happens to threads like this too many times...

 

I posted twice with what I believe is a valid suggestion and was ignored. FWIW I recently put a champion 3 core in mine and so far is running way cooler then the stock and im making 462rwhp.
At any rate, all the talk about his radiator being the problem, waterpump, timing, etc. really don't hold any water. His problem is not getting enough cool air to the radiator when sitting still. This could be a condenser problem, fan problem, air leakage etc. but its not the Chinese radiator when it does fine at speed.

 

The problem is that he doesn't do fine on the highway. The temps are higher than they should be. I'd back off of him if he'd taken any of the advice given. But the OP turned this into nothing but a bitch session. Reminds me of my kids when they wouldn't stop crying.

 

No, here is a direct quote from post 18 of the op
( My American Eagle radiator is fantastic. Huge advantage over that stock radiator. However idle temps still climbed with the A/C running. Turn the A/C off and below 230 idle 200 driving. )


200 driving in 100-110 temps is great. Again, he has never answered if he has converted to 134a and has considered if it is overcharged.

 

What about this post?

 

well amb. of 105 ac on, and he is running 215-220 degrees. IMO that is acceptable temps. But 240-250 at idle is not.
His real problem is when he comes to idle, with the ac on. If he is overcharged, it will blow cool air inside, but the discharge temp. off of the condenser will be very high. Again, it seems he has ignored this suggestion.

 

You Nailed it Exactly!!!...

The engine temps rise at idle because the fan is trying to remove excess Condenser heat, because the AC is overcharged.

That's why when he shuts off the AC, the temps Drop.

 

That's a debatable point. I'm probably be 15-25 degrees less with a high-compression 383 at that speed. But, (and this is a big but) I can run a lower engine speeds with a ZF trans.

I can't remember if the stat temp was ever mentioned here -- but I'm running a 160 now. I was going to re-install the 180 until I saw that recent link on making more power with lower temps. Figured that was true but so many sites (including this one) have posts eluding to the opposite. With my compression, I'd rather target the 170-190 temp range.

Today with 85-degree temps, it ran at 170 on the hwy. Sometimes I hit 169. Difference is temp sensor location versus stat location.

Vizzards charts show I SHOULD stay in the 180 range with my compression.

I still have my original condenser and am at 68k miles. I've washed it a couple of times (recently) but who knows how well it breathes now.

With regard to C4 Mesa, I saw posts where he was looking for a new condenser and had lots of bent fins. Did he say he found a new one? Even if somewhat clogged, wouldn't air go around the condensor? Maybe even be a bit cooler?

Personally, I was going to pick a 16" curved-blade SPAL model (as installed by OldAlaskaMan) until I saw the 9mph observation posted in this thread. It's another make/manufacturer but the current draw has me doubting it's 3600cfm claim. Because it's actually 1-2 amps lower than the SPAL rating. Their claim is more efficient electric motors. Who believes it?

I'd like to -- but I also keep hoping Tesla's stock is going to keep going up! Call me a dreamer!


BTW...I hope C4Mesa has the good sense to run synthetic oil in that kind of heat!!!!!!!!!

 

I think I'm going to side with you on this one.

 

And the secondary comes on at 239*

The 1988 has many unusual characteristics. It may be operating normally.

 

My fan comes on at 190. The only time my engine runs hot is when its over 105 outside and the road surface temps are in excess of 150-160. I had my A/C checked GreggPenn all is good. Nothing out of place. If I run my A/C when its under 105 or at night its never over 215-220 at a light. I'm not sure what advice you think I'm not following ?

 

I am just waiting for these intense temps to back off.

 

Straight from SPAL's website, that fan shows 2036cfm. I called them too...to ask if the fan ratings were downgraded OR if some manufacturing change would cause the difference. The stellar phone-jockey could only say SPAL constantly makes changes in design and ratings. (I don't think that answer's anything...nor do we know if that fan has lowered in output.) He did say 2036 was the correct rating.

https://webstore.spalusa.com/content..._2177_SPEC.pdf

Link above comes from this page...
https://webstore.spalusa.com/en-us/p...-16-s-12v.aspx


Note: It also seems possible that the 2360 is a transposition error since the factory PDF contains the same numbers -- just in a different numerical sequence. (2036)


To be honest, I'm getting very skeptical/distrusting of fan ratings in general. I can find the same fans listed in different places/sites -- and they claim different ratings. (This comment is -- in no way -- directed toward DeWitt's)

 

I have to go with '93 ragtop here. And I agree because the OP said,"Ambient temp 105. Freeway cruising speed 75mph. Oil temp 245-250. Coolant temp 215 driving.

With oil temps that high, and ambient temps that high as well, I don't feel that one should expect it to run cooler. I feel that 215 coolant temps in 105* heat....with ~250* oil temps is pretty darn good. I also agree that the temps going up to 250 when stopped is no good, and needs to be managed.

 

I had my A/C checked and everything is perfect order. Recently we had ambient temps of 90's and my freeway temps read 178-180. Off the freeway temps read 200-220 at red lights. With A/C running. Oil temps read 215-220 freeway running 75-110mph off the freeway temps read 200-210. When I'm driving hard RPM's 3000+ my oil temps read 240+ but off the freeway they cool right down. When the ambient temps are over 105 my oil temps read 230+

 

I wonder if C4Mesa mentioned his oil weight? Does heavier oil tend to run hotter?

I've been meaning to ask C4Mesa if he mounted that Champion using the technique posted in my 2-yr-old thread? If the radiator-to-condenser gap has been reduced enough, there will less ambient “mixing” air that can feed between the two. (I'm talking about air being able to bypass the condenser before passing thru the radiator.)

Also, as you (Tom) have likely noticed, the Taurus fan option includes a non-vented shroud. IOW, the shroud is solid – without pressure vents. And, like Cuisinartvette’s custom install (picture posted in this thread), all the air must travel through the fan itself. No air is bypassing the fan. More importantly, when the fan is running “lateral” air can’t bypass the radiator and travel into the fan. So, I’m wondering if C4Mesa should try blocking the triangular-shaped vents at the outer-bottom corners of the L98 shroud? It would be easy enough to try.

Getting back to my comment about mounting, if there’s ANY end-gap between his Champion/condenser config, some vent holes on the front ends of the shroud might also help the situation. Of course, dual fans and a bigger alternator would help the most.

(FWIW, My interest in this topic goes back to my post about how I mounted the Champion. If there's a better way, I'd like to go back and correct what I posted in that thread.)

 

The radiator is in the same rubber pieces except they were cut out as your thread showed to allow both to fit. All in all my concern about the temps is over. The 2 row Champion radiator made such a huge difference. November is around the corner and so are 70-80 degree high temps. The oil I use is 20W-50 Castrol change every 2500. The guy who rebuilt my engine suggested it.