2002 F Body Running Hot
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,152
Likes: 168
From: Litchfield Park AZ
OP, just checking in to see if you made any progress.
I tentatively think I've got mine straight. Haven't been out at 115, but at 105 a couple of times and it's behaved on my 'gauntlet', the road that pretty much always makes it get hot.
The new fans move a bunch more air, but drug down my alternator, so found a local shop selling high output alternators and that's keeping up w/ the demand.
I tentatively think I've got mine straight. Haven't been out at 115, but at 105 a couple of times and it's behaved on my 'gauntlet', the road that pretty much always makes it get hot.
The new fans move a bunch more air, but drug down my alternator, so found a local shop selling high output alternators and that's keeping up w/ the demand.
At the moment it hasn’t gone over 230 with AC on. Runs between 195-225 depending on situation now but I think it should be running way cooler with the big radiator. Nic suggested I put the stock fans back in but they slipped out on me while trying to put them back in place and a tab broke. They also don’t fit very well on the radiator so they are off for now.
What fans are you running?
I run a mechman 170 amp race alternator, 2 gauge starter and grounds, 4 gauge alternator to battery, 4 gauge battery to distribution block and it’s dropping to 13.6-13.8. When cold it will run at 14.9.
Last edited by gjohnsonws6; Sep 9, 2025 at 11:53 PM.
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 336
Likes: 85
From: Glendale, AZ
Sounds like you may be getting a handle on it. How'd your tune session go? I need to get some done at some point. Took mine out the other day 105-ambient and was 186 moving, would get up to about 210 sitting, or going slow.
Fans are derale
https://derale.com/product-footer/el...s/16826-detail
I looked at Mechman, but couldn't cough up the dough - wanted lifetime warranty. Went here instead, they're south of grand on 35th.
https://www.tucsonalternator.com/pro...ernator/1-ORG/
These guys were pretty awesome. Called down and talked to them. Had wife go pick up as she had the day off. Needed to be reclocked to fit, so took it back (so as not to void the warranty) guy recognized me and got it reclocked and tested on a Sat morning.
Fans are derale
https://derale.com/product-footer/el...s/16826-detail
I looked at Mechman, but couldn't cough up the dough - wanted lifetime warranty. Went here instead, they're south of grand on 35th.
https://www.tucsonalternator.com/pro...ernator/1-ORG/
These guys were pretty awesome. Called down and talked to them. Had wife go pick up as she had the day off. Needed to be reclocked to fit, so took it back (so as not to void the warranty) guy recognized me and got it reclocked and tested on a Sat morning.
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,152
Likes: 168
From: Litchfield Park AZ
Sounds like you may be getting a handle on it. How'd your tune session go? I need to get some done at some point. Took mine out the other day 105-ambient and was 186 moving, would get up to about 210 sitting, or going slow.
Fans are derale
https://derale.com/product-footer/el...s/16826-detail
I looked at Mechman, but couldn't cough up the dough - wanted lifetime warranty. Went here instead, they're south of grand on 35th.
https://www.tucsonalternator.com/pro...ernator/1-ORG/
These guys were pretty awesome. Called down and talked to them. Had wife go pick up as she had the day off. Needed to be reclocked to fit, so took it back (so as not to void the warranty) guy recognized me and got it reclocked and tested on a Sat morning.
Fans are derale
https://derale.com/product-footer/el...s/16826-detail
I looked at Mechman, but couldn't cough up the dough - wanted lifetime warranty. Went here instead, they're south of grand on 35th.
https://www.tucsonalternator.com/pro...ernator/1-ORG/
These guys were pretty awesome. Called down and talked to them. Had wife go pick up as she had the day off. Needed to be reclocked to fit, so took it back (so as not to void the warranty) guy recognized me and got it reclocked and tested on a Sat morning.
2000 CFM on each fan is great, were you able to use the full shroud as shown and how hard was it to mount?
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 336
Likes: 85
From: Glendale, AZ
Sounds like you got some decent numbers, esp w/ that kind of ambient.
Yeah, these fans move some air, as for using the shroud, yes. was it unmodified, no - but that was because I was kinda dumb. Could it have been unmodified - maybe.
Its setup to use some angle brackets on ea side - and they almost line up w/ the hooks on the back of the rad. The brackets can be trimmed/cut to work perfect. That being said, there is a couple of spots that may cause some issue. The fans are 'flipped' upper vs lower from the factory and that causes some interference w/ the upper rad hose.
I ended up trimming down the shroud a bit, and mounting the fans about halfway outside of the shroud - (it's designed to be inside the shroud) and w/ the fan being high on the passenger side it caused me to need to lengthen the upper rad hose. So I cut that and inserted and aluminum tube I picked up from Speedway down on McDowell.
So it all works and fits, but I wouldn't call it bolt-on, but it's not terrible. And these fans draw about 60amps for the pair on full speed. I wired up a relay box to replicate the hi/low speed setup of the factory - and pulled the signal wires to run it all as I didn't trust the factory to carry the load.
Yeah, these fans move some air, as for using the shroud, yes. was it unmodified, no - but that was because I was kinda dumb. Could it have been unmodified - maybe.
Its setup to use some angle brackets on ea side - and they almost line up w/ the hooks on the back of the rad. The brackets can be trimmed/cut to work perfect. That being said, there is a couple of spots that may cause some issue. The fans are 'flipped' upper vs lower from the factory and that causes some interference w/ the upper rad hose.
I ended up trimming down the shroud a bit, and mounting the fans about halfway outside of the shroud - (it's designed to be inside the shroud) and w/ the fan being high on the passenger side it caused me to need to lengthen the upper rad hose. So I cut that and inserted and aluminum tube I picked up from Speedway down on McDowell.
So it all works and fits, but I wouldn't call it bolt-on, but it's not terrible. And these fans draw about 60amps for the pair on full speed. I wired up a relay box to replicate the hi/low speed setup of the factory - and pulled the signal wires to run it all as I didn't trust the factory to carry the load.
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,152
Likes: 168
From: Litchfield Park AZ
Sounds like you got some decent numbers, esp w/ that kind of ambient.
Yeah, these fans move some air, as for using the shroud, yes. was it unmodified, no - but that was because I was kinda dumb. Could it have been unmodified - maybe.
Its setup to use some angle brackets on ea side - and they almost line up w/ the hooks on the back of the rad. The brackets can be trimmed/cut to work perfect. That being said, there is a couple of spots that may cause some issue. The fans are 'flipped' upper vs lower from the factory and that causes some interference w/ the upper rad hose.
I ended up trimming down the shroud a bit, and mounting the fans about halfway outside of the shroud - (it's designed to be inside the shroud) and w/ the fan being high on the passenger side it caused me to need to lengthen the upper rad hose. So I cut that and inserted and aluminum tube I picked up from Speedway down on McDowell.
So it all works and fits, but I wouldn't call it bolt-on, but it's not terrible. And these fans draw about 60amps for the pair on full speed. I wired up a relay box to replicate the hi/low speed setup of the factory - and pulled the signal wires to run it all as I didn't trust the factory to carry the load.
Yeah, these fans move some air, as for using the shroud, yes. was it unmodified, no - but that was because I was kinda dumb. Could it have been unmodified - maybe.
Its setup to use some angle brackets on ea side - and they almost line up w/ the hooks on the back of the rad. The brackets can be trimmed/cut to work perfect. That being said, there is a couple of spots that may cause some issue. The fans are 'flipped' upper vs lower from the factory and that causes some interference w/ the upper rad hose.
I ended up trimming down the shroud a bit, and mounting the fans about halfway outside of the shroud - (it's designed to be inside the shroud) and w/ the fan being high on the passenger side it caused me to need to lengthen the upper rad hose. So I cut that and inserted and aluminum tube I picked up from Speedway down on McDowell.
So it all works and fits, but I wouldn't call it bolt-on, but it's not terrible. And these fans draw about 60amps for the pair on full speed. I wired up a relay box to replicate the hi/low speed setup of the factory - and pulled the signal wires to run it all as I didn't trust the factory to carry the load.
I actually wish this could have been fully resolved during the higher outside temps. Might have to wait until next year. My goal was to build a car that was drive able everywhere, hopefully I can make that happen.
Last edited by gjohnsonws6; Sep 11, 2025 at 11:34 PM.
