I was wanting to install a 16" electric fan with auto on and off function. the kit i want comes in on at 185 and off at 170 or on at 200 and off at 185. where does the 283 like to run?
Your earlier engines (pre 87) like to run around 180 degrees. and the later ones ( 87 and newer) like to run around 190-195 degrees.
E-Fans Just remember to use a relay to switch the fan's operating current and wire it LIVE so it'll cool down your rig and prevent heat soak whilst you're inside slurping cold beer .
Well I will take that as a direct order... It was out of 64 so I will go with the 185 deg. thanks for the help
E-Fans FWIW ; I run a 187° F thermostat in my '49s 235 and an E-Fan that doesn't go on until 195° F , it doesn't overheat , not even in Death Valley.. Engines run best and last longest , more efficient and best power & fuel economy when they're operated as close to boiling point as is feasable ~ therin lies the rub ~ keeping it from boiling over when you're running it @ 200° or so . Experiment and if it begins to peg the temperature gauge , turn the heater on full blast and open the windows ~
Nate, you are so right about engines needing heat. There are ones that will argue to their last breath that an engine loses power as it gets hotter---not true. Once it gets so hot the clearances disappear then it does it does start to sieze and lose power rapidly but up to that point the hotter the better. I've had ones watch the dyno readings on one of the tractor engines and still argue cooler was better after seeing with their own eyes what happens. Needless to say we whip their a$$es at the tractor pulls. These alcohol burning engines are all billet aluminum with no water jackets so a direct comparison to a liquid cooled cast iron engine can't be made but they reach peak horsepower after eleven minutes of running under load and remember that's with zero coolant. From the peak horsepower point to rapid power loss is a matter of seconds so we try to hook to the sled at about 7-8 minutes of running time. Of course on street engines one needs to run them near the recommended temp range because wear factors and lubricant breakdown comes into play. As far as electric fans go all the better ones can be bought with a variable range setting so you dial in what temp range you want to run in.
Wow Evan Very Impressive tractor! I always wondered how you drive all those engines through 1 rearend, how do you hook them all up? they must be all synced like carberators so they all pull the same.
Zat thang got a hemi??? My 350 seems to like to run around 200-210. Well, like may not be the word to use, but thats where she stays. Being bored .80 over may have a lot to do with that.
Evan ~ WOW When I were a laddie , tractor pulls meant yanking some City Slicker out of a ditch with our 1937 John Deere Model 'B' . That thing is HUGE ! I wish I could see & hear it run . ' There are none so blind as those who will not see ' .
Nate, have your next wish be that you never have to be near it when it's running under load. The floor vibrates so that it feels like your getting a high voltage shock into each foot and you realize it's impossible to have both feet off the floor for more than an instance. You have to wear the shooters muffs for ear protection but you can feel all your bones and skull vibrate. Inside the shop there is an tether of ship anchor chain in four feet of reinforced concrete that it is fastened to so the multi (6) disc clutch can be adjusted to slip up to a desired rpm so it doesn't blow away the rear tires from the get-go. Depending on the track the blowers can have drives from 25% underdriven to 75% overdriven which translates to 9200 to 10400 hp. Once outside the building it's still ungodly loud upclose but bearable.
Elect Fan So,,,,If im to get an elect fan from a wreckin yard vehicle,,,is there the thermostat i should also pilfer along with it to wire it in correctly. So i could have the fan come on at a certain point{degree/temp) and kick off accordingly? Thanks folks............... Jesse
If you like this "tractor"... You should see his WEED EATER!!!! I love the way it looks like you made the frame of your tractor out of an erector set! Too cool!
What works better pushing air or pulling? My thought is that it wouldn't really matter just how it looks in the enging compartment.
Pullers work better because they aren't blocking any of the radiator. Either will be better than nothing.
Testify I can back you up with the fine line between peak h/p and loss, my friend and fellow truck owner ran his alcohol s/b chevy powered nova just a little bit too long and left most of the internals down the 1/4 mile, not even the inlet manifold was salvagable, 7-8 mins of running before you run! you must have deep pockets Evan, or do you run it up on pump gas then switch over? if you do it on alcohol dont you have problems with throttles icing up after such a long time?
Urban Technical Myth This is utter B.S. , a rumor that doesn't pass basic physics but still refuses to die .
Refute I must protest Nate, obviously the air flow is blocked by a fan in front of the rad rather than being behind the rad and getting in the way there
Discussing of the use of a fan, the larger the fan knives, the greater the power it needs, then the more power it uses. Power intake of a fan is in immediate rate to rate of its knives.
