COMET CENTRAL

The snow has started to fall here in the North so it is time to have a different kind of fun and start preparing for next spring. I am ordering a Ron Francis wire harness and I want to get the cooling taken care of at the same time. I have a 65 Caliente with a 289 that has a small cam of unknown origin, Weiand manifold and a 4 barrel Holley. A previous owner installed a flex fan with a metal shroud. I drove it everyday this summer and it drove great. However when I was in stop and go traffic or a drive through the temp started climbing up to 210. I want to make it so I can drive this thing anyplace without worry. Does anybody have a recommendation on a radiator and/or electric fan?

I have a Champion 3 row aluminum radiator and a Hayden electric fan. I had to go with the electric fan as the stock fan was too close to the radiator, can't' remove or replace the fan belt.
Tim

Thanks. I'm trying to figure out my Christmas list.

I don't have a recommendation for a radiator or fan but I do have a suggestion. A wise man once on this site that is no longer with us once suggested to me a Gano filter. It is a filter that installs inline of your upper radiator hose. You can do a search on here and find a few threads and get some more info. If you buy a new radiator, I would highly recommend it as good insurance on your purchase.

If you go electric, make sure you've got on the order of 2500cfm!! How close is your can to the rad?? More than 3/4" it won't pull enough air through (likely). The 6-blade 17" "Hi-Po" repro is the best OEM-type replacement option. Blades half in/ half out of shroud. x2 on the filter and any decent 2-3 row rad should be fine.

Mine was too tight for an electric fan,as a puller fan,& I didnt want a pusher. The people I've seen with elec fans have dual fans,& a wider rad, so the water pump snout can go between them. Ratical is one guy who did this. I used an aluminum, wider crossflow rad from summit & flexfan .I had to make the opening bigger in the the rad support. it was a universal rad - about 230 bucks. cools great with a flexfan & no shroud.

I was thinking the 3 row champion with a flexalite 16" low profile fan. I had read about the filter and am going to take that advice.

Thanks for the advice.

210 degree's is okay for a hot idle.

thrnelson wrote:I was thinking the 3 row champion with a flexalite 16" low profile fan. I had read about the filter and am going to take that advice.

Thanks for the advice.

Just my opinion, but I would get the rad first, & mounted ,then see how much room you have. these cars are tight. If you are talking about a slim electric fan you should read this before hand. just because it fits doesn't mean it will cool good.
https://www.flex-a-lite.com/blog/when-2 ... -2500-cfm/
your flexfan with no shroud would probably be better than a basket fan (elec) with no shroud.

You might have the wrong thermostat. If you are running a 160, try going to a 180 or 195. Sounds silly, but that cured my 401 AMX. the coolant has to stay in the block until the radiator has a chance to cool what is in it, then the block releases the hotter coolant and pushes the cooled back into the block.
a proper shroud is also helpful.

My 65 V8 has a stock looking 3 row copper/brass radiator made in USA by US Radiator. Stock 5 blade fan and steel shroud with a Gano filter. Runs cool all the time! Even 105 deg days.

Joe