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Cooling issue after e-fan swap

2K views 35 replies 13 participants last post by  StoneTower 
#1 ·
81 CJ7 4.2 I6- I did the Ford Contour fan swap, I seem to be getting spikes when it gets a little hot. Going down the freeway it got hot, pulled over, released the pressure on the cap, it started to go down a little. The fan was brand new, seems to work good, I have a 3 core radiator so I would think it would cool well. I have the sender for the aftermarket gauge hooked up toward the front drivers side of the intake manifold, next to the hose that comes off the thermostat housing, is this a good place? see pic. (mot my engine, just for reference), do i have air trapped in the system some how?
 

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#4 ·
Describe 'HOT'. Why did you decide to add the Contour fan; was this a solution in search of a problem? Did you have cooling problems before the fan installation?

CJs are very simple machines. The standard I6 engine came with a two row radiator, four blade fan and a 195° thermostat. They do like to run "warm". With the above mentioned set up and a shroud, mine can run around Arizona with our constant 100°+ temperatures all summer.

Earlier I6s had the temperature sender back at the firewall. Most guys use a later model water outlet for the fan sensor.

If a Harbor Freight store is close by, they have a reliable infrared thermometer for not much money. Sometimes the answer is a not very accurate temperature gauge.
 
#5 ·
Hi, ??? if the picture is NOT of your motor how are we suppose to help ??
check your coolant level after the motor cools down ....
1) the radiator should be full to the top or with in 1" of the top.
2) the recover tank should be at the cool mark..
if you are losing coolant I would suggest a bad pressure cap because it can cause overheating by letting to much coolant out as you drive and you well never see the loss or where it is coming from , the pressure is missed in a lot of overheating issues, cheap fix.
good luck
tim
 
#6 ·
@WindKnot- Hot to me is above 210. I have a 195 thermostat, it was 83* this morning, rather cool, should have never got that high. The WHY i did it, I recently replaced my diffs because the rear blew out, I bought a set of wide trac axles for a great price, turns out they had 4.10 gears in it, which make me run higher rpm on the highway, the fan that was on there was a flex fan bolted straight to the water pump without a clutch, it was noisy and I didn't like it, I had one of those come apart before, not fun.. I have 3 rows in my radiator, not 2 and no shroud, cooling never really was an issue, ran WARM on a hot day, normal.

@ Pedal2themetai - the picture was to show where my temp sender was attached, my motor or a random pic from the interwebs wouldn't be any different, I'm not loosing coolant until i release the pressure. I installed a new thermostat when i did the swap, i suppose its possible I got a bad one, stranger things have happened.

The reason i asked about the air getting trapped in the system is because when i use to work on Land Rover and Range Rovers, they would often hold an air bubble in the system that would give false readings on the temp gauge. This is the first jeep I have owned, wanted to see if they had a similar issue. I know some people are for e fans and some are against it and everyone has heir own reason, just trying to find a solution to a problem.
 
#8 ·
@WindKnot-

and no shroud,

.
This is what you really need to address. Shrouds are a very important part in the cooling because they "channel" the air thru the rad. If no shroud then the air takes the path of least resistance which is normally around the rad and not thru it so it does not pull the heat out properly.
 
#7 ·
Hi again check it when the motor is cool. Usually an air lock well work its self out. just check and refill the coolant when the motor is cold and it should work itself out. If the temp is spiking and then cooling down and then spiking is a good sign the motor is LOW on coolant.
good luck
tim
 
#11 ·
It may not be your problem but make sure the fan is wired correctly and blowing air toward the motor. My friend was a mechanic at a VW/Audi dealer in Canada in the late 1980's and they had a new water cooled VW come back into the dealership about a week after it was sold new. It would run fine around town but would overheat on the highway. It turns out that the factory had wired the fan in reverse and the fan was fighting the airflow at highway speeds. It would be something to check. If a factory can make a mistake like that, a backyard mechanic could make the same mistake.

The reason I know the story is I had a brand new Black Magic fan and that I put on a street rod in the early 1990's. Flex a lite had manufactured the fan incorrectly and had the leads crossed and it ran backwards. My friend knew immediately what my overheating problem was casued by.
 
#13 ·
Didn't log in for a while and there's a lot to answer, so..
@WindKnot - Not sure about the fan speed, I fairly sure my controller took a crap. I had an Intelitronix N4001, I called the company and they will repair it or replace it under warranty. When it comes to my mechanical skills, I have worked for GM, Land Rover, VW / Audi, mostly on heavy line, some a/c electrical. I don't turn wrenches any more for a living but always prefer to build rather than buy..
@StoneTower - I have verified the flow of air, I believe this to be a controller issue.
@LumpyGrits - I was thinking that exact same thing, the radiator cosmetically looks fairly new, but the PO could have just put a rattle can job on it. Might put that on the things to have done list, better be safe than sorry on that one. The Temp gauge is a Sunpro temp gauge, not the best on the market but they've done me well in the past, I have another in a box, different brand I could use to double check, I did pull the front of the jeep on an incline and it did have some air trapped in the system, don't think it was the ultimate issue but Im sure it didn't help any. I will re-post once I get the controller back and see what happens.
 
#15 ·
I was thinking about that last night, is there any difference in the width of a solid blade fan with a clutch compared to a flex fan with a spacer. The flex fan was MAYBE an inch from the radiator, and isn't there two different water pump lengths for the 258? In the meantime, had to change a broken cam and sector gear in the steering column last night... always fun...
 
#16 ·
Not sure about the lengths but there is a normal rotation and reverse rotation pump. The reverse rotation pump was on the serp belt 258s which I believe were also CAL smog vehices.
 
#20 ·
I have a hacked to bits CJ5 w/ a SBC in it. I was having problems at "hwy" speeds (35-45 max) and was fast/quick enough one time to pull over and crawl under the jeep and see my lower radiator hose sucked up tight. I put a coil reinforced lower hose on it and whammo, problem gone. I hate my flex fan, it scares animals away, but id does cool nicely.

WSS

Hey WindKnot, I was in your territory last week................

 
#21 ·
Why don't you do a Contour fan swap? I just did one on my CJ-7 and am very happy with the results. It cools really well and I do not get the roar of the clutch fan that was stock on the Mustang 5.0 engine that I have. The lower 25%-33% of the fan was below the radiator before and their was no shroud. The noise savings alone made the swap worth it for me.
 
#24 ·
Oh yes, I have read through a few of those threads. Did not realize they were "contour fans".

Whats the advantage of this fan over another electric fan? Of course I mean any type that will fit and fill the need of a specific radiator.

I do have the same radiator but will probably be changing it soon to an "aftermarket" type. Right now it is fine in the rocks and low speed offroad but on long asphalt roads it tends to rise to 200 (from 180). The main problem is the SM420 and 4:11 gears, it is screaming at 55.

Sorry OP, no hi-jack intended!!:grin2:
 
#30 ·
I saw this welded aluminum radiator on Amazon the other day. The price is definitely right. Should be a drop in replacement for a V8. The only reason I hesitate to purchase for me is because I'd have to modify the mounting brackets to get more clearance for my I6.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R3J7770/
 
#35 ·
Shroud (as we see it) would be for a puller, if you push, it's best to have a large fan with as much coverage as possible and no funnel or cone. It's best sealed for flow but entrance and exit should be close to same size. An override/cutout switch is helpful too if you do deep water crossings. :surprise:

WSS
 
#36 ·
If you are going to a custom cross flow (side tanks) radiator and you are going to make your own metal shroud, I would look into the Volvo single fan that is a popular sway. They unbolt from their factory shroud and would bolt up to a custom shroud nicely. The only problem with one fan is that if the electric motor quits, you are done. With the Contour dual fan, you might be able to limp home.
 
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