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My overheating journey never ends

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mduenas

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I side benefit to that would be for those with high-output alternators.
With the overdrive, you can use a larger diameter alternator pulley for more belt engagement (and hopefully less squealing) without hurting your low rpm output.

Paul

I absolutely have room to fit the larger pulley. It wouldn’t even come close to my water pump pulley. I’ll start with the larger pulley and get the rigid fan on, hopefully will have the clearance from my radiator. My water pump pulley seems pretty small already. I’ll measure the diameter.
 
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mduenas

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I ran the BC "big" crank pulley with a small March water pump pulley. BC has an even smaller wp pulley.
Their combo will really speed up water pump and fan rpm at idle. Great combo.
But this is where I suggest the Explorer Serp swap again or at least start compiling the parts like I have, in the mean time....the big BC crank and tiny wp pulley are the hot v-belt "ticket".

If this doesn’t work, then I’ll slowly piece together the explorer
Setup, but right trying to cool on a budget
 

Master Chief

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If you decide to change pulleys, you may want to check out CVF Racing. Their pulleys are 1/4 the cost of March components.

They are a small company with killer customer support. I found them online and bought their v-belt set-up.

https://www.cvfracing.com/ford/ford-289-302-351w-small-block/

This is not the best pic but you should get the idea.
 

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bronconut73

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If this doesn’t work, then I’ll slowly piece together the explorer
Setup, but right trying to cool on a budget

I was in the same boat brother.

BC's crank pulley is low profile (2 groove) and big(!) diameter.
 

blubuckaroo

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This sort of thing happens a lot when you start throwing parts at a heating issue.
Smaller pulleys, expensive water pump, and high dollar radiators shouldn't be necessary on your car.
More likely, you have a real problem like a backward head gasket or a backward thermostat.
 
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mduenas

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This sort of thing happens a lot when you start throwing parts at a heating issue.
Smaller pulleys, expensive water pump, and high dollar radiators shouldn't be necessary on your car.
More likely, you have a real problem like a backward head gasket or a backward thermostat.

I put the thermostat in, and it is absolutely not backwards. I told the builder of the motor about it overheating and they said it was fine when they had it, and washed there hands, they won't even look at it without charging me an arm and a leg. I unfortunately do not have the time yet to pull my motor apart to check with the head gasket. It only happens when in traffic, thats why I didnt think it would be the head gasket.
 

bronconut73

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Many of us have had your issue. I can't recall any of us ultimately discovering our head gaskets were backward.
But and a big but here....the head gasket thing is an issue with sbf's.
Don't run down that rabbit hole yet.

I feel your issue is still not enough airflow
That is likely because you do not have enough fan yet.
I have heard of some who had decent fan power but had a radiator core they couldn't pull enough air through, some 4 core rads had this issue.
 

jw0747

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We're waiting patiently for the solid blade fan to be installed and spinning w/o hitting anything. Were the belts ever removed and the fan turned by hand to determine what was hitting what? As was said earlier a solid blade fan is the cure.
 
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mduenas

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We're waiting patiently for the solid blade fan to be installed and spinning w/o hitting anything. Were the belts ever removed and the fan turned by hand to determine what was hitting what? As was said earlier a solid blade fan is the cure.

I’m waiting for a 2 groove pulley to show up, I figured try that before I cut mine. Yes I removed the belts and spun the fan, and it didn’t connect with anything, until I revved the engine. I’m holding I gain enough clearance from radiator, hoses and pulleys. Fingers crossed. The pulley will be here Friday I believe.
 
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mduenas

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Put the rigid fan on, and the temp still rose, but after 15 min in traffic with ac on. I made a cardboard airdam for now. Temp got to 214 before I got to where I was going. I have a 195 thermostat and it is hot out. So that didn’t seem too bad?

Edit:

Photos added. I need to be deeper into the shroud don’t i? I don’t feel the fan is pulling as much air in as when I first put it, when it hit the pulley.
 

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mduenas

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You need to quit wasting money on stuff. Stock parts work great.
Your engine has a rear problem.
Do you have your head gasket reversed, or the wrong timing cover?

Wouldn’t a backwards head gasket cause Constant overheating, not only when idling for a bit? Anyway to tell if it’s backwards before tearing the engine apart?
 

blubuckaroo

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After looking at your last photos, it looks like the fan is too small for the shroud. There appears to be almost 2 inches clearance between the fan and shroud.
Also, there is an area at both ends of the radiator where the shroud doesn't reach.
The whole idea of the shroud is to make the radiator as efficient as possible, by forcing the air to move through it.
Is this shroud made for a Bronco, or is it from another application?
 

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mduenas

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After looking at your last photos, it looks like the fan is too small for the shroud. There appears to be almost 2 inches clearance between the fan and shroud.
Also, there is an area at both ends of the radiator where the shroud doesn't reach.
The whole idea of the shroud is to make the radiator as efficient as possible, by forcing the air to move through it.
Is this shroud made for a Bronco, or is it from another application?

This is the steel shroud from wild horses. There is about 3/4 from blade of shroud to the side of the shroud and it is an 18inch fan.
 

bmc69

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Put the rigid fan on, and the temp still rose, but after 15 min in traffic with ac on. I made a cardboard airdam for now. Temp got to 214 before I got to where I was going. I have a 195 thermostat and it is hot out. So that didn’t seem too bad?

No..that does not seem too bad at all.
 

Justafordguy

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I agree with Blubuckaroo, That shroud doesn't fit that radiator very well. There should be no part of the core that isn't inside the shroud. It also looks like it doesn't fit the fan tight enough.
 
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mduenas

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I agree with Blubuckaroo, That shroud doesn't fit that radiator very well. There should be no part of the core that isn't inside the shroud. It also looks like it doesn't fit the fan tight enough.

It’s the same shroud as stock, I have the Ron Davis radiator and the full circle shroud they make doesn’t fit. I have a 18inch right fan.

I’m Not even sure what my options are then. I tried the Ron Davis full circle, besides not fitting with my pulleys, it didn’t cover the radiator in its entirety either.

Edit: I called Ron Davis and apparently wild horses doesn’t sell the same Ron Davis full circle. They have a full circle that covers the entire core, and has a 19inch opening. The lip is too deep and my fan would be fully enclosed, so I would have to take the lip down. The cost is $250 for it, that seems like an awful lot, would placing sheet metal over the remaining core, and sealing to the side of the radiator work for spreading my shroud? And then making it a full circle shroud as well?
 
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ransil

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shroud does not fit the radiator, should cover the whole thing to draw air thru all of it not just the "middle" .
shroud also look more like a finger guard than a shroud to provide air flow.
 
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mduenas

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Justafordguy

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I used a stock shroud I modified following the tech article here http://classicbroncos.com/tech/explorer-5-0-serpentine-accessory-drive-belt-conversion. Just scroll down a bit and you will see it.

I am using this 18" 7 blade fan https://www.summitracing.com/parts/flx-1818

I live in Florida and We are already seeing temps with heat index over 105. I also have A/C but still have no issue over heating. I run a 180 degree thermostat and my temps never go over 180 unless sitting with the A/C going for over 10 minutes, then it barely gets to 190.
 
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