I've never been a huge fan of the fans with thin flexible blades. Yes, they do move a ton of air, but they are really noisy... The other issue has been commented on... you can install one and think you've got adequate clearance only to find when it slices through a hose or hits the rack that you don't.
Something that hasn't been discussed is fitting a spring inside the lower hose... This was a recognized problem (hose collapse) when the car was new. NPD sells one for the Mustang and I install them in every car that comes in. Cheap insurance. That and a 160 thermostat... this is what is specified in the factory lit. I cannot fathom why anyone would fit a 180 or 195 thermostat. A higher temp thermostat prevents the car from being able to recover and cool from an overheating position.
A lot of the cars are missing the little heat shields that fit between the motor mounts and the block.. I make these out of 16Ga. aluminum, but NPD sells them made in stainless, though they are thinner. You can add a thicker spacer, but attention has to be paid to hood clearance. It is dependent on what intake manifold is installed and if there are spacers between the carb and intake, as well as air cleaner choice. I have an F4B with a 1/2" phenolic spacer between the carb and intake. I have a factory air cleaner, but I removed the stud from the carb and instead use a 1/4-20TPI flat head Philips screw to retain the air cleaner. This makes the retainer flush with the top of the air cleaner providing hood clearance. An easy way to determine hood clearance is to put a ball of tin foil on top of the air cleaner.. Close the hood and you will know exactly how much room you have between the air cleaner and the hood.
Electric fans are a waste of money... at anything over 15 MPH the airflow through the radiator exceeds the ability of the fan to cool, ANY fan. Don't believe me... The Shelby Cobras (260 and 289) were equipped with a mechanical fan on the water pump and it was advised by Shelby to remove the fan completely after the engine was broken in.... Yes the 427/428 cars had electric fans.... I know!
Alloy radiators are similarly a huge waste of money. They cannot be cleaned or repaired and as such are disposable. A brass radiator core does a better job of transferring heat, can be cleaned, repaired or re-cored... The best option is to have a dimpled tube core fit. This slows down the water and allows it to cool in the radiator as it's supposed to.
It's been triple digits here for 6 weeks... my temp gauge hangs at 160F, or about 1/8" to the left of center. This regardless of traffic or load. I have verified the operating temp with both a laser temp gauge and a candy thermometer. My car will not overheat however long I let it idle in the driveway.... In fact, it rarely ever gets to the center of the gauge (85C).
As has been pointed out for YEARS. The Tiger cooling problem isn't a matter of getting air through the radiator. The problem is getting the hot air out of the engine compartment. Rootes ran the comps cars with the hood on the safety catch to let the hot air out. The LAT hood was developed to let hot air out. Fit a hood with only an air intake scoop for the carbie and it will do nothing to help with overheating. I know this for a fact, because I did it. As soon as I fit the exhaust vents the engine temp dropped nearly 30 degrees C.
The forum has an exhaustive study on overheating cures... I agree with nearly all of them.
Things to consider are mixtures and ignition timing. It's better to be slightly rich than lean and timing over 12 BTDC will contribute to higher operating temps. Always fit a 160 thermostat. I fit Robert's water pump pully and I have the Canadian fan with the 1" arbor. I have a dimpled tube core and I have fitted the horn hole plates. As I have a MK2, I have the oil cooler so that helps... I have fit the spring in the bottom radiator hose. The biggest difference came from the LAT type hood... I made mine from steel, so the scoop is different dimensionally, but the exhaust vents are identical to the fibreglass hood.
Something else to note... Headers generate an enormous amount of heat, as do stainless steel exhausts... don't believe me... Look up the "engine masters" episode on header temps and solutions on Motortrend TV...
I'm running a mildly built 302 (about 300HP) with factory cast exhaust manifolds and a custom built mild steel 2" i.d. exhaust.
I'm 63 years old... I don't need to prove anything on the street with my Tiger and I'd rather drive something that doesn't rattle my ears on a long drive... I'd like reliability, good fuel economy and the car be quiet enough that I can listen to my Ipod through the stereo... in short, I'm not 16 anymore... and I like to drive my car without being broiled, or basted....
