Electric Cooling Fans

[jy211]

I got a griffin aluminum radiator for my 68' camaro. They went out of business before I could get the cooling fan and shroud....who makes a very good cooling fan and shroud that looks good for a big block?

[Rubes]

I dont think they look very good, but the Lincoln Mk8 fans are supposed to be the hot setup (cool set up actually), especially when used with the DC Controls controller. (http://www.dccontrol.com). Its a fan/shroud assembly that seems to fit pretty well over the GM radiators. Just be aware that it draws alot of current! thats where the DC controller really helps. I got one to put on my up-comming turbo project car based on everythig I read on this board. I also have the dual 11" Be Cool set-up on my 455 Pontiac and it does really well even in 95 degree temps (sure you get many more of those in Miami than I get in Chicago). It looks alot better than the Mk8. But I do get a little bit of temperature creep at highway speeds. I'm not ready to blame the fans for that though, more likley the copper/brass radiator even though it is a new 4 core.

Rubes

[engine]

The mark VIII fan housing more closely matches the dimensions of a 1st Gen Camaro, than my 2nd gen. The fan shroud measures 22 x 19, and I believe the 1st gen radiator core is about 24 x 19, so you can pretty much mount the fan right up against the radiator using simlpe brackets, and you are good to go. My 2nd gen radiator however, measures 27 x 17. It was too side for the fan shround...for my tastes, so I made shroud extensions out of stainless steel to get more radiator surface area. It was a tedious installation, but overall the Mark VIII fan and DC controller are well worth it.

The fan runs at about 4.5-5.5 volts input voltage to maintain a 180-185* engine water outlet temperature. (The controller actually senses and varies fan speed based on radiator outlet temperature, but depending on how much heat your engine gives up determines the engine outlet temp). It barely puts a dent in the electrical load. I did, in any case, install a 94 amp alternator, and increased the charging wire size to 8 gage, and installed a high amperage junction block.


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2005/09/235127_2709_r1-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2005/09/235127_2710JPG-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2005/09/235127_2707JPG-1.jpg

[gmachinz]

I would simply like to add that there is not a fan motor that I've found more powerful than that of the Mark VIII-and that is why this fan is so popular...it's pretty much indestructible. More often, OEM electric fans are far more powerful than aftermarket fans and thus I give the OEM's a thumbs up for that. -Jabin

[gchandler]

I got a griffin aluminum radiator for my 68' camaro. They went out of business before I could get the cooling fan and shroud....who makes a very good cooling fan and shroud that looks good for a big block?

I had not heard that Griffen went out of business.

[jy211]

Thanks for the advice...I had been using a fan and shrould out of the Cobra's that cooled the old small block decently.....

Yeah, I got a letter in the mail that they went into bankruptcy court...and this was right after a buy in I did with them....:pat:

[gmachinz]

For quality control reasons, I would stick with OEM style electric fans vs. aftermarket. I favor the Mark VIII but there are a few others. For space, can't you mount a fan to the side to clear the water pump or are you using the stock type radiator with the side brackets bolted to the radiator support? -Jabin