[Squidward]

Put stuff back together. Changed burnt up passenger side header gasket, fixed massive leak.

Ambient temp was low 90's. Idled car with AC running. Temp climbed up to the 190 ON setting, fan gently spun up. There is a very noticeable increase in air flow above what the mechanical fan puts out. Temp started slowly coming down to the OFF point, 182, where it shut off the electric fan. I let it cycle again as temps increased at idle. Shutting off the AC allowed the electric fan to cool things down noticeably quicker, which is just basic physics. Giving the pedal a little rev to 2000 rpm also helped drop temps quicker by a few degrees.

I still need to make a better out of the way mount for the trans cooler. I moved it lower so it wouldn't impact air flow in front of the condenser. I still am not running a tstat.

I would love it if a mechanical fan took care of all my cooling needs, but it didn't. But I am pleased right now that I have control over the cooling system while it is still warm here. It's dropping into the 90's this week, with some more 100+ by next week.

[Squidward]

The bird is back.

After work this morning I got a firm install of the trans cooler down near the opening of the parking lights on the lower valence. Should be pretty good airflow for the trans cooler without blocking the condenser/radiator opening. I reinstalled the radiator support filler plates to keep air from bypassing the radiator. I still have the usual gap between the radiator and the core support, tho.

I drove a handful of miles with the ac on, windows up. Ambient was 80-something. Temp while driving was around 171. After stopping for gas, temp was 195-200 on restart, typical heat soak on shut down. Drove for another couple of miles, temp came down to 180.

Went home parked it, and let it idle with ac on. Temp was 203, and very slowly came down with the electric fan running. I rev'd it up to 2k rpm for 10 seconds, and temps came down quicker until they were at 188 and I needed to go to bed.

I was hoping for awesome, but this is good. It gets me on the road again.

In the future I might take off the nylon flex fan and see what performance I get from just the electric. I have other stuff I want to attack, like install my other FiTech unit and distributor so I can use timing control. I also have a pair of supposedly quieter mufflers to install. Car show and cruise nights are just around the corner.

[Gator67]

Your results seem pretty good for a first gen bird with A/C on in Arizona during the summer.

[Squidward]

Thanks, I hope so. We are still having the 100+ daytime temps (you know this), so my struggle ends up being the solar greenhouse effect cooking the cabin, and engine heat encroaching into the people tank, while the AC tries to counteract it. And that ac heat load in front of the radiator is a killer. Yesterday I saw very noticeable heat load differences while the AC was on. I definitely need to do more work with insulating the interior to limit the heat input side of the equation.

I am learning to adjust my thoughts, and where my pain threshold should be. I am not letting 200 degrees bother me, as long as I have the systems in place to wrangle the temps from becoming a runaway monster. And my puller fan seems capable of that.

What I notice is that my electrical system gets very hungry. Running efi, plus electric fuel pump, plus AC on high, plus electric fan, I think I am reaching the limit of my alternator.

This 16" Proform brushless runs around 20-22 amps steady state. But the soft ramp is a beautiful thing, no spike.

I normally see system volts on the gauge, with little load, at 13.4v, verified at the system tie-in point with DVM. I usually see 13.81 at the alternator output of the cs130. When I had everything running yesterday, I saw 12.0v on the gauge. First thing I plan on doing is putting a beefier charging wire with bulletproof terminal connections. Then I might explore a higher capacity alternator.

[Squidward]

Update: I've been loving the weather here lately. Have been going on midnight drives for a good 20-25 miles. I had a fuel leak a couple weeks back, but got that fixed quick.

Last week it was kinda chilly, low 50's. During the 20-25 mile drive, hottest it got was a momentary 151 after shutoff (no tstat), but spent most of the time at a max of 143. I determined it is now time for a tstat, so I drilled 6 holes in a 160 tstat body and installed that. Results still pending.

I also selected "heat" for the first time in a year or two, and got no heat. I suspected the servo controlled heater valve, and found that was defective. Went to test it, and the outlet nipple was partially corroded away. I replaced the valve, but the actuator is bad too. The valve is a very basic part used on old Fords, etc. but the actuator is a somewhat very specific part. I am still working on a replacement for that. It would've been nice if Classic Auto Air had used a cheap OEM HVAC servo on this valve, but they didn't. In the meantime while I figure something out, I am manually positioning the 1/4 turn ball valve that is in the return line from the heater core to the timing cover inlet. I will put it at either full open, or full off for winter/summer.

Here is the valve, inlet and outlet are 5/8 hose nipples.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DNQRL6VX...sin_title&th=1

If someone is bypassing their heater core, or if you are having excess heating issues with your ac, then this valve might be helpful There is a tiny trickle flow when "off", so it won't be a complete shutoff.

[Red Box Rebel]

'68 GTO 400 Muncie wide Ratio 4 speed with A/C and Edelbrock ProFlo IV EFI and using a 180F Thermostat.
Eddy Motorsports Serpentine System that requires an electric fan.
Switched to an Aluminum Radiator with dual electric fans.
Fans are currently set to turn on at 190F and usually turn off at 182 or 183.
I live in Central Texas where we had day after day all Summer of 100F+ days.
Very good flow with the Eddy Motor Sports reverse flow water pump (on par with the Flow Kooler Pumps).
The system is very clean and the Aluminum Radiator with the Dual Fans keep the temp below 200F at idle on a hot summer day.
The serpentine system with the compact A/C Compressor and no heavy de-clutching fan reduces weight and is much more efficient.
So, far, this set up has soved prior hot running problems.

[Squidward]

RBR, do you have a pic of your setup? Sounds pretty cool. I didn't know there was a reverse flow pump out there.

[Squidward]

Oops, double posting...

[Squidward]

Update: with a 160 tstat and six holes drilled in it, cruising at 2500 rpm with 55 degree ambient, temperature doesn't really want to get up very quickly, but it eventually gets up to run at tstat temperature.

It still crept up to 173 at idle.

Debating on whether I will put a servo actuator on the heater control valve. I opened it for heat, shut it for cold. Weather here in AZ is mostly hot, fairly binary, so for now it gives me what I want.

[73ta]

7 blade factory 19" clutch fan, severe duty fan clutch, AC pulleys, 180 HF tstat, flow Kooler water pump, clearanced pump back plate, Becool aluminum radiator, factory shroud. Works very well cooling 570 HP.