This article will detail our fix for a consumer experiencing overheat on idle with 3 row all aluminum radiator and fan already installed.
Consumer came to us with an existing radiator fan setup and claimed a constant overheat to 220 degrees on idle and slow driving.
Picture below detail the existing setup.
With no apparent leaks from the 3 row aluminum radiator and overheat only on idle, we felt the radiator was fine and most likely airflow was the issue.
As you can see from the last and largest picture, the consumer had a Mustang Pony plastic OEM mechanical based fan shroud installed, but with an electric fan in the center. A mechanical fan shroud is plastic and hollow to assist airflow from fan blades that are installed on the vehicles motor. It's use in a modified /cut form is/was useless when paired with an electric fan. Second clue we gained from this picture was from the logo on the top corner of the existing electric fan. With the consumer not able to confirm the quality or airflow of the existing fan, we used that sticker to pinpoint this was a 14 inch generic fan that offered 1400 CFM.
Not only was the fan a low CFM, but the air was not being directed properly through the entire core of the radiator.
Our immediate recommendation was to focus on a proper fan shroud that is meant for an electric fan as well as move to a larger 16 inch can with over 2,0000 CFM for proper airflow.
SKU 221567 for Ford Mustang/Fairlane was suggest to replace the pony plastic shroud.
Our idea was to then pair this with a SPAL high CFM (hurricane) puller fan to provide adequate cooling.
Sound like we have it all covered? Wait, looks like even with the existing fan, our consumer has almost no space from the fan to motor.
The SPAL high CFM fan is 3 3/8 thick and would not fit the space. This is a situation that we'll see people encounter often. You need more cooling, but you can't fit a fan that will do the job. In this case, we got lucky and our consumer got creative.
He began by removing the motor and the 4 bolts holding it in place. He shaved the area around those bolts and re-attached so that the motor sat more streamlined.
LINK HERE TO VIDEO EXPLAINING IN MORE DETAIL
Our result was a streamlined fan shroud combo that was only 2 inch thick.
VIDEO LINK OF THE FAN MOUNTED TO THE SHROUD
Results of this swap - His vehicle idles at 160 degrees. Even in Texas heat on a 2 hour idle, we did not see the needle move past 160 degrees.
VIDEO LINK SHOWING THE VEHICLE RUNNING WITH NEW FAN SETUP