68 Dodge Dart with 440 Cooling recommendation

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did someone say to get rid of the flexfan?, if not then I will;
get rid of the flexfan. In my experience, they are horrible excuses for a streetfan even up here in igloo territory

and seal the carb to the hoodscoop so the engine cannot try to be a runaway nuclear reactor.
If the engine is forced to ingest ever-changing temperature underhood air, you cannot control the AFR. So the engine may be lean at low roadspeeds, may be fine at some mid-speeds, and may go rich at higher speeds. Guess what that does to your EGTs...... and the water temps.

Running this way, I was able to underdrive my hi-flo waterpump,so the belt stays on at 7000plus rpm,and
run a Thermostatic fan-clutch,and
continue to run an ancient factory 318-A/C rad. And,
she now runs at 207*F rock-solid, so my advance curves can be right on the edge, and the carb holds it's tune.And I mean 207 rock-solid no matter what the ambient temp,or how hard she's working, or how long she has been idling.
I am reusing the 7-blade factory all-steel, high-attack 1973 318-A/C fan, with a Ford T-clutch, off a late 90s/early 2000s pick-up truck. Trouble free since about 2001. In fact, I don't even have an aftermarket Temp gauge, and there is not much point monitoring the slo-poke factory one....... so I don't. Instead, I run a 7psi cap. The idea being the cap blowing off will be my tell-tale. It never has.
 
Had a cruise night in our town last night. I was bored so I decided to go down for awhile. Have never had the car in town in stop and go before . 8 o'clock at night
temp pushing 90*. On the road into town temp goes to 200* for a couple minutes then Taurus fan kicks in temp drops about 175* and for an hour and a half through stop and go , bobbed from 175 to 180. I was very pleased Not to mention the thumbs up and smiles.
 
You dont have to buy the whole radiator you can buy just the fans and mounting bracket.
Think I`ll stay with my 28x19 crossflow and 17" mech. fan. Drove it yesterday>90* and humid , ran between 190/198 the whole time , front 14" booster fan didn't kick on at all.--------happy !
 
I purchased the Radiator with 4 fan kit from Wizard. Looks cool but made my car run hot. Support from Wizard was that it's not their problem.
 
I purchased the Radiator with 4 fan kit from Wizard. Looks cool but made my car run hot. Support from Wizard was that it's not their problem.
A little over 2800 cfm, aint enough for a hot bigblock stroker --------------
 
A little over 2800 cfm, aint enough for a hot bigblock stroker --------------
I just took off 2-10" fans with shroud rated at 1750cfm each. Wouldn't keep my car cool at all. A 4 mile drive i was up to 230 degrees. I put my mechanical fan back on and in 10 miles it never got over 200 degrees in 90 degree weather.
 
A couple thoughts come to mind. A radiator will cool better with more surface area, as opposed to a thicker radiator. I would get a 26 incher. Also, do you have the seal that goes on the hood? It keeps the hot air from recirculating back through the radiator. This is the fan I used in several cars with great results. It doesn't have to be a 17 incher. Whatever is the largest that fits in the shroud. I know you bought an electric setup, but have you considered what you have to do to upgrade the electrical system?
Derale Heavy-Duty Flex Fans 17017
 
With a big block in an A body, I would put the biggest baddest radiator that will fit money can buy. Up to and including notching the frame rails for a wider core. Also, on the fan. If you don't have "something" that can move in the neighborhood of 4000 (that's FOUR THOUSAND) CFM, you "probably" ain't gonna get the job done. AND look at how new cars are made. Grilles get smaller and smaller as frontal areas decrease for less wind resistance. SO, that means diverting more air THROUGH the radiator instead of around or under it. Look how new cars have all "that area" on the under side between the bumper and the engine cradle closed off with plastic shields. They aren't just there to make things "look neat". They are part of a system to help redirect air into the radiator. The other part to the system is an air dam "of some kind" under and just behind the front bumper. This pushes air forward and up, so that it is then sucked into the grille and through the radiator. All of these things together will cool even the hottest of builds.
 
With a big block in an A body, I would put the biggest baddest radiator that will fit money can buy. Up to and including notching the frame rails for a wider core. Also, on the fan. If you don't have "something" that can move in the neighborhood of 4000 (that's FOUR THOUSAND) CFM, you "probably" ain't gonna get the job done. AND look at how new cars are made. Grilles get smaller and smaller as frontal areas decrease for less wind resistance. SO, that means diverting more air THROUGH the radiator instead of around or under it. Look how new cars have all "that area" on the under side between the bumper and the engine cradle closed off with plastic shields. They aren't just there to make things "look neat". They are part of a system to help redirect air into the radiator. The other part to the system is an air dam "of some kind" under and just behind the front bumper. This pushes air forward and up, so that it is then sucked into the grille and through the radiator. All of these things together will cool even the hottest of builds.
AGREE, WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A FRONT SPOILER "BY RANDY" , BUT CAN BARELY GET A FLOOR JACK UNDER THE FRONT END NOW.
 
A couple thoughts come to mind. A radiator will cool better with more surface area, as opposed to a thicker radiator. I would get a 26 incher. Also, do you have the seal that goes on the hood? It keeps the hot air from recirculating back through the radiator. This is the fan I used in several cars with great results. It doesn't have to be a 17 incher. Whatever is the largest that fits in the shroud. I know you bought an electric setup, but have you considered what you have to do to upgrade the electrical system?
Derale Heavy-Duty Flex Fans 17017

I have one of those, along with 4-5 more of various kinds and sizes , most with less than an hour on them.
 
I just took off 2-10" fans with shroud rated at 1750cfm each. Wouldn't keep my car cool at all. A 4 mile drive i was up to 230 degrees. I put my mechanical fan back on and in 10 miles it never got over 200 degrees in 90 degree weather.
I had two 14" fans on mine for about an hour , wasn`t enough !
I have one in front , spaced as far away as I can get it , for a booster, set to come on at 200. Has not come on lately , think I got it !
 
Just an FYI. I run this for my 383. Temp gets up to 195, fan comes on and it cools down to 185 and turns off. This isn't instant and takes a few minutes but it keeps the heat in check, even in traffic and higher than 30 degree Celsius temps here. It typically runs about 185 on the highway.

Northern Radiator - Northern Radiator | Muscle Car Radiators (Downflow) - 22 x 20 7/8 x 3 1/8
I run this fan shroud but bought a different fan because this one didn't fit. Northern Radiator | Single 16" Electric Fan & Shroud - 16 5/16 x 21 3/4 x 4 3/8
This is the fan I run. Spal fans are really the best and underrated. This one pulls 1600 CFM according to them and is only 2.5 inches thick.
VA18-AP51/C-41A * 16"S/12V | SPAL Automotive USA Webstore
I also run a Mezier electric water Pump. It gives 3/4" (If I remember right) more clearance then the belt driven pump...
Electric Pump Mopar, insert style

I also have the hood to cowl seal and have everything sealed up quite well so that all the air flows through the radiator when heading down the road or when the fan comes on.

I did try the Jag clutch fan setup with a 17" fan but the clutch would just touch the radiator, this setup worked OK. I tried Spal's thinner fan, it's only 2" thick with my stock water pump, but it just wasn't enough. I tried a flex fan too but that was the WORST!

Works for me YMMV.

Garth
 
71 duster, 426 low deck, 383 with 440 crank. 525 hp. Solid cam 32 total timing in by 3000 rpm. 22" smiths aluminum rad, 3" tanks with small shroud. Aluminum heads and intake and water pump 18" nylon 90 degree mechanical fan. Flo-kooler high flow pump, 180 high flow T stat, 1 bottle water wetter. Car runs 185 in traffic, i can watch the stat open and close on the gauge. drops to 175, goes to 185 opens etc.
 
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