Hello everyone
How do i convert my 68 cougar 302 auto from exturnal voltage regulator to internal .
How many amps ?
Going to a 20inch electric fan .
Also want to get rid of the points distributor and go to electronic . Stand a lone or get a 6a or 6al msd box ?
Thanks everyone
The smaller electric fan is not going to put out the same CFM as the larger water pump driven one. Why would you do that? Why is a real one less effective than an electric one? Why would you want to trade 50% efficiency for 100%?
The fan that’s on it now is a flex fan with a 3 inch spacer
And no shroud .
That should overheat like crazy. The factory clutch fan and shroud will make a huge difference.
You asked why i wanted to put the electric fan .
That’s why.
I drive it runs fine
Get yourself a solid state voltage regulator. Oreilly’s has them. The external voltage regulator can sense voltage loads quicker than an internal one. You’ll never have any problems with it. Find yourself a seven blade fan and a shroud. Should get you down the road
Then why spend money on it that will cause it to overheat?
Do you have a part number for the solid state that your talking about?
I called them . They acted like they didn’t know what i was talking about.
Why would adding a 20 inch electric fan make it over heat ?
I would think it would help not make it worse.
Ask for a voltage regulator for a 78 Granada.
I got a Wells from Oreilly’s. It doesn’t have a number on it. Try Transpo F540XHD. RockAuto has a few also for under $30.
Adding a 20" electric fan will make the electrical system inadequate because the electrical system was not designed for that. You will have endless problems trying to make the car into something it is not.
Im upgrading it to a alternator .
120 amp taking the voltage regulator out.
Also going to go MSD system.
To do that you will have to change the entire wiring harness to keep from melting wires. The system was designed around a 45 AMP alternator. It will also mean installing a relay because the electric fans draw more current than a switch could handle. There is no bolt in wiring harness available - you have to make your own.
Ive seen many videos on going to a internal regulator alternator and doing away with the external regulator.
Also going to a electronic distributor.
What Royce is suggesting is what your trying to accomplish is more then a simple bolt on install/upgrade. Just installing an electric fan is not going to solve any problems on its own and a good chance it will cause your more issues.
To properly run an electric fan there are several things you need to do to achieve good results. First is going to make sure your coolant system is up to speed. If you have an over heating issue with the stock fan, radiator, engine etc you need to address this first. You should not have an overheating issue in the stock configuration and adding an electric fan in hopes it cures your issue is the wrong approach. If that is all good I would recommend an upgrade to a 24" radiator over the 20". this gives you a little more options on fans too.
An electric fan is a good upgrade for several reasons but its not as simple as hanging one on your radiator and calling it good. First you will need an upgraded alternator, which should also get new cables built to and from the battery/alt. I would suggest proper grounding from battery to frame/frame to engine/engine to firewall.
Your fan choice is important and you need one with a shroud. Ideally the fan is large enough or the shroud as accommodations to allow engine air flow during cruise speeds to avoid creating an overheat condition when moving. Too many fans are too small or have shrouds that restrict air flow to only the area of the fan.
You will need a way to control the fan. The easiest is a set of relays with a temp sensor on the radiator or more preferably on the intake for proper temp readings. The issue here is the fans are typically on or off, when on they will be running at 100% and be quite loud. This also does not allow proper control of coolant temp as you can overcool or cause large swings in temperature. I suggest installing a fan controller that is PWM(pulse width modulated). This will allow your fans to run from 0-100% depending on demand. You can adjust settings to dial in your ideal running temperature. They also give you the function of fan speeds with AC if you have it as well. The fans and controller should all have their own circuits, I suggest an Auxiliary fuse/relay setup that pulls its main power from the battery and nothing on your stock wiring
On the subject of alternators look into a 1-wire. Its internally regulated and simple install. I running a powermaster and its been great. Looks close in style to the original l as well so it doesn’t look out of place. You do not need any of the factory external regulator circuit when using a 1wire alternator.
Ive done all this on my car already and I have pictures posted of what parts Im using and how its installed
When i did ours 16yrs ago , someone made a box that resembled the stock voltage regulator to control the red idiot light on the dash. Check with rocketman for relays for fan , lights, and maybe horn and ac…look foreward to electric headlight doors
A few years ago I thought an electric fan would be good for my Cougar. I checked CFM ratings for several fans that would fit, but the numbers seemed inadequate,
My 69 XR 7 has a 351W. I installed a 24-inch factory-style radiator, shroud and a flex fan from a 79 Thunderbird. 180-degree thermostat. It has never overheated.
To make it work properly you have to do the lot - 24" three row radiator, high amp alternator, increased wiring to battery from alternator, correct thermostat and OEM fans and controller used to cool a car of similar capacity. The real limitation is finding fans that will fit in the small space between radiator and water pump pulley. Fan controller is mandator for high output OEM fans.
If you go with an aftermarket fan you need a top quality fan like a SPAL. eBay fans vary significantly in quality. For aftermaket fans there does not appear to be much difference between 2 x 12" and 1 x 16" for cooling capacity. 2 x 12" will draw more current than 1 x 16" in aftermarket fans. OEM fans can pull 70amps on high speed or starting. Configuration of choice of local 351C Falcon huilders tends to be a single 16" fan and 160 thermostat
I’ve run electric fans on windsors and clevelands for over 20 years. Only stupid mistake was to use a wider a/c condenser which slowed the airflow onto the radiator and would cause temperatures to creep up when travelling at 60mph with the a/c on. The narrower Ford condenser allows airflow around the edges and creates a low pressure area behind the condenser to drag more air through
If you have a/c, either install twin fans with one operating on slow speed or a two speed oem fan. That way you and the engine stay cool