Hello all i have a 68 chevelle ss with 355 i installed a vintage air a/c decided to go with the windstar fans to keep it cool.just driving without the a/c and the big fan comes on at 180 and stays on temp stays around 195 i have a 165 t-stat and a record 3 core radiadtor when i turn on the a/c it turns on the small fan the temp for the most part stays about 185 to 190 i've been thinking that this has been running too hot still. well today it would not go below 195 if in traffic it went to 200. so i took it home to park it turned it off got out to open door went to start car wouldn't turn over first time it's done that. I have relays and it's all wired right but it is not cooling like everone here seems to be any ideas thanks

Is your electrical system able to provide enough current for the fans? With it not turning over, it sounds like you may not be charging.

It seems that you have an electrical problem. I would check the easy things first.

- Make sure you provide enough voltage to the fans.
- Make sure your alternator can handle the load.
- Make sure you have the correct gauge wires for the fans.
- Get a high flow thermostat (I believe Mr. Gasket, or something) and drill the small holes that some sites mention. I have a 180 thermostat and when I am cruising the car runs at 165-170 with the fans always off.

Theo.

thanks for the replies guys i haven't hooked up a amp gauge yet so i guess i will try that first to see if it is dischargeing i bought relay kits for the fans and went with the heavy gage wire for the power to the fans. so what you are saying is that there is not enough current to turn the fans fast enough to cool the engine? i still have a newer replacment 85amp alt int reg. it's just strange that it's been ok for about 3wks then yesterday the car wouldn't start and it was running hotter but i can see what you are saying i will check for a discharge and thermostat thanks

Some additional ideas. First, 200 is not a big deal and the weather is getting warmer and has an affect!

Making sure you have a charging condition obviously is important, so that first. But, your 85 amp alternator is NOT enough, if that is what you have. The reason is that it probably only produces about 40 amps max at idle...if that. So, if you are idling around or low speed cruising....you have a deficiency in current available to adequately charge the battery and run all the accessories.

Go for a at least a 100 amp (or more) alternator that will produce 80 ish amps at idle. TuffStuff makes a line of products called "cool charger" series that work great at this and look great. Powermaster is a good product too.

In-so-far as the engine not starting when hot, this could be a battery issue if you don't have adequate battery cables, good grounds etc..... but it could be you have too much timing in as well. This wouldn't be a problem with the timing until the engine reaches a higher temperature. As your engine temp goes up, the flame front of the fuel charge travels faster across the piston and therefore is like adding timing to the engine. This could "buck" the starter esp if you have over 14 degrees of static timing in and probably NOT using vacuum advance. A good way to tell if you are "bucking" the timing is to disconnect the coil wire when trying to crank when you have this problem and if it turns over .......then you know.

Good luck!

Here is a site to check out http://www.streetrodstuff.com/Articles/Cooling/Cooling_Suggestions/

thanks for the reply steve as stated before it has always started just tap the key it fires hot or cold till yesterday was the first time i too am leaning towards the alt.I checked all the cables last nite.What about the alt conversion on this site is this a good route to go seems like the newer cars have alot more draw than the chevelle and they always run.would like to go with somthing that i can get at any parts store if somthing goes wrong on the road thanks Ed

has anyone done the conversion from here with the alt from autozone? dlg1346-5-11 is it a 100 amp alt? am looking to go this route any help appreciated thanks

If you spend a lot of time in stop & go traffic, look at how many amps the alternator is making at idle. Then you have to figure out how many amps you are drawing at idle with the fans, stereo, A/C and whatever else ON. With that you can decide on the alternator & the pulley size. If you do not have a very high rpm engine, you can use a smaller pulley for the altenator so that it makes more amps at idle.

I personally like the "Tuff Stuff" alternators. They stand behind their products. I have the March Performance serpentine kit which uses their 105 amp alternator. The Tuff Stuff people helped me determining the pulley ratio and later they upgraded the alt to 140 amp, which makes more amps at idle. Very knowledgeable people & great customer service.

Theo.

Ever here the term, "ya get what you pay for"? Well, the cheap stuff at Autozone etal is just that.......even tho they like to give you all kinds of warranties to go with.

The TuffStuff and Powermaster lines are as good as it gets with guaranteed performance. They contain more copper in the field windings to generate more current at lower rpms,hence giving excellent cruising amps. Call Bud Riser (I love that name) at TuffStuff Performance and ask for help....tell him I sent you. Or Summit or Jegs. They too have pretty good warranties.

I would also say your application will never exceed 70 amps peak at any juncture. Therefore, a 105 amp Tuffstuff coolcharger will sustain any peak load you have for example.