Radiator and Fan Questions

[89merk]

I tried to do a radiator flush yesterday and the weirdest thing happened...i pulled the drain plug and absolutely nothing came out...the radiator was full and the cap was off...i stuck my finger in the drain plug and there was nothing but brown sludge there.
could that be causing a clog on the drain plug or should i get a new radiator?

Also, is it possible to change the fan to run on electric power as opposed to the pulley and belt setup that runs to the water pump?
if so do i need to change the belt configuration?

[packman]

Somebody could have used a lot of that Barnone coolant system sealant. Those little cylinder-shaped mud cakes are good for a quick fix, but wreak havoc when you go to flush your system out as you have found out.



Packman

[87_crown_vic]

i flush mine by putting a garden hose in the radiator and letting car run for 30 minutes with hose running. than shut hose off to let engine warm up and then reinsert the hose into the radiator... when finished i drop the lower hose to drain it. i pretty much do the same with the heater core except i reverse flush it so that it runs thru backwards by leaving hoses attached to the heater core and forcing water into the lines by front of engine and have passenger side one drain off the side and reattach when cleared out.

the electric fan setup can be and has been done. just need to search a lil more for the info on it. you need the belt to stay same configuration since it operates the water pump. buy shorter bolts that hold the pulley on and remove fan after installing the electric setup. also you will need a 3g alternator upgrade to handle the electric fan.

[351m]

You can use the bolts that are holding the fan on, they won't hit anything. I have to ask though, why go electric? You really don't gain anything unless you are at the dragstrip, and only then because you can be sure it won't come on while you are racing. There aren't many E-fans that can pull as much air as the clutch fan either.

[89merk]

packman, do you suggest changing the radiator? Im just worried since the drain is clogged who knows what other gunk is in there.

87_crown, thats exactly how i ended up doing my flush..thanks again guys

[89merk]

You can use the bolts that are holding the fan on, they won't hit anything. I have to ask though, why go electric? You really don't gain anything unless you are at the dragstrip, and only then because you can be sure it won't come on while you are racing. There aren't many E-fans that can pull as much air as the clutch fan either.

i was told it would create less stress on the motor, if that makes any sense...just wondering

[Southern_Pride]

Unless yours wobbles like mine does, I'd leave it. There are fans that will pull more than a stock one but its not nessicary. Couple that with the fact I drove my car for 3 weeks with a bad water pump gasket and a gallon low on antifreeze without over heating, if it has water in the radiator the fan doesn't run much anyway.

[DuceAnAHalf]

You can use the bolts that are holding the fan on, they won't hit anything. I have to ask though, why go electric? You really don't gain anything unless you are at the dragstrip, and only then because you can be sure it won't come on while you are racing. There aren't many E-fans that can pull as much air as the clutch fan either.

thats why you go to the junkyard and get the big ass 20" electric fan off a 95+panther. 98+ use that fan alone, 95-97 use that and a clutched fan. im using just the electric on both my 97 and my 85. Pulls less than 25 amps.

[gadget73]

Poke something in the drain to clear it and flush the bullshit out of the radiator. If you don't have overheating problems or leakage issues, run with it. If the motor gets hot in the summer and/or with the AC on, replace the radiator.

[351m]

I know there are fans that will work(Viper 2 speed fans, Taurus fans, etc.) but it it won't gain anything is my point, the load the clutch fan creates is just transferred to the alternator to power the E-fan. The clutch went on mine, I am running a fan from my '87 2.8L Chev Celebrity untill I can afford a new clutch or park the car.

[89merk]

Poke something in the drain to clear it and flush the bullshit out of the radiator. If you don't have overheating problems or leakage issues, run with it. If the motor gets hot in the summer and/or with the AC on, replace the radiator.

im getting a small leak, but only when the car is off, seems to be coming from the water pump gasket. The pump itself is about a year old, but i plan on swapping the radiator and water pump gasket soon...Miami summers are not too forgiving. I think i might as well put a new pump if Im going to be taking that apart?

[86VickyLX]

im getting a small leak, but only when the car is off, seems to be coming from the water pump gasket. The pump itself is about a year old, but i plan on swapping the radiator and water pump gasket soon...Miami summers are not too forgiving. I think i might as well put a new pump if Im going to be taking that apart?

Yeah while you have it off, throw a new pump on. Be careful not to break the bolts off in the timing cover, and be sure to keep the bolts in some kind of order because size and studs matter.

[89merk]

the funny thing is that the water pump in the car now is already the 2nd one Ive put in since i bought the car 3 years ago..is that normal?
This seems to be a re curring issue, maybe shitty gaskets?

[87_crown_vic]

gadget and a few others have had waterpumps leak after replacing more than once. make sure that the timing chain cover gaskets didnt go bad and causing it to leak out from there. many times after a water pump replacement, the timing chain cover develops leaks since the waterpump is attached over it and has channels thru the cover.

[gadget73]

I've installed 4 water pumps on my car in 4 years and 55k miles. No its not normal but thats the lifespan I've gotten out of the shit quality pumps.

And yeah, if you have it off just replace it for the 20 bucks they cost. If you have a lot of miles and have not replaced the timing chain, I'd do that at the same time. Its only a handful more bolts to get the timing cover off once the pump is off. Put a new balancer on too, you already have to remove the old one to do the timing set.


yes, as you can probably guess I tend to replace lots of parts in "while you're in the area" fashion. I hate taking things apart twice.