If the brake hoses appear to be original, or just old in general, I would prioritize replacing ALL of the rubber brakes hoses on your car, including the hose which runs from the chassis to the rear axle. That's an element of risk that I wouldn't gamble with.
Regarding the fan clutch, I don't have any genuinely insightful ideas (hopefully others here do), but one thing I check for is that it has some resistance and doesn't just freewheel when you spin it by hand. Also, when the engine is heat soaked from idling, you should be able to hear the fan moving a TON of air if the clutch has engaged. It sounds like you're driving a vacuum cleaner. But I'd encourage you to consider installing an auxiliary water temp gauge so you can actually monitor the temp. Others here have mentioned that the idiot light doesn't actually turn on until something crazy like 240f, which is nearly melting down.
Another thing to keep in mind is that although overheating while idling can be caused by a bad fan clutch, that condition can also be cause by a number of other things, like the wrong fan, clogged/corroded radiator, improperly clearanced water pump divider plate, and so on. There are a few things to consider in addition to the fan clutch. Or as I mentioned previously, it could just be as simple as needing to replace the radiator cap.
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1966 Pontiac GTO ( restoration thread)
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Last edited by ZeGermanHam; 07-31-2020 at 11:21 PM.
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