[s-cars] fans, was: Theres a lion under my hood

[Frank Amoroso]

Speaking of fans...

I submit, a tale of two cooling systems...

1) My car has an 87 degree t-stat, the viscous fan runs properly (i.e.
if I try to stop it from spinning at idle, with the engine warm, I can't
slow the fan down). I have a numerical euro temp gauge and a new
multi-dys-funtion temp sensor. The water temp needle remains pegged
(right side on the needle sits on the left side on the 90 degree hash
mark first big hash mark for you unwashed masses) at the proper spot in
all but the hottest weather under heavy loads. Even then, it doesn't get
much past the 90 degree mark (wish I could say the same for the oil
cooler & oil temps). I never hear the electric fan come on (especially
the 3 different stages that the SJMtechnic site alludes to), except for
very low speed during after-run sytem operation, and hurricane force
during A/C operation.

2) Local S lister's ride has always run hot (well at least since he had
a Stage II+ installed 3+ years ago). Noon to 1 O'Clock on his general
issue USA water temp gauge. If you apply pressure to his viscous fan
(while at idle on a warmed up motor) you can slow it down a bit, but not
a great deal. He recently had the coolant F&F'd, and installed an 80
degree thermostat. These changes reflect only a slight improvement, his
car still runs hot, noticeably hotter than mine under the same
conditions (ambient and load). Now the car runs Stage III 3.0 Bar RS2
with gutted cats  (note that this did not affect operating temps in any
way) and has been for a few years now. He is replacing the viscous fan
clutch on Thursday, but we aren't expecting much. I have told him to do
the Euro gauge and new temp sender. Assuming neither of these change
anything for him, what's next?

He is wanting to mess with the electric fan (getting it to come on
sooner by virtue of a temp switch with a lower threshold), but I say
that this is treating the sympton and not curing the malady. After all,
my car runs exactly as it is supposed to, with no (noticeable)
engagement of the electric fan, including during the past month of Texas
hot that we have been "enjoying."

So what do y'all think, besdes the fact that our cars are just
different?

Frank at s-cars.org