electric fan problem, '87 Spider

["Dean W. Cains" <dwc@xxxxxx>]

Hi Group:

I've got two Spider's, '74 & '87, and in an effort to treat them both 
fairly, I've just installed a 12" Perma-Cool electric fan on the '87.  The 
fan is installed as a pusher, with a thermostatic switch in the bottom 
radiator tank (on at 185F, off at 170F).  The '74 has an identical setup, 
which has worked fine for 2+ years, but the two cars have different 
radiators.  The '74 has a 2-row recore, while the '87 has an almost-new OEM 
radiator.  The problem is that the '87 runs hot, just over 200F, while the 
'74 is always at 185.  Before the electric fan conversion, i.e. 2 weeks 
ago, the '87 always ran at 180F.

It seems that the core of the '87 OEM radiator is so much more dense, with 
fins and tubes, that the airflow of the fan can't blow through it easily 
enough.  I can feel the airflow on the engine side of the radiator, but 
it's much stronger on the grille side, as if the air is just reflecting 
back off the core.  This is not happening on the '74, I guess because the 
core material is so much less dense.  Yes, the fan blade is properly 
oriented, the fan is spinning in the correct direction, etc., and the fan 
comes on at the proper temperature.  In fact, with the fan in place, but 
with the radiator removed, the airflow was so strong it blew off the towels 
I had protecting the tops of the front fenders.

Any ideas about a solution?  There is barely 2.5" between the radiator and 
the water pump pulley, so I can't imagine how one would install a fan in 
puller configuration on a Spider.  Not that it would kill me, but is my 
only option re-installing the belt-driven fan and shroud?  I was going to 
install an electric fan, anyway, but 10 days ago the original fan exploded, 
prompting me to put the rush on installing the electric fan.  Anyone have 
an electric pusher fan working with an OEM radiator?

Regards,

Dean
Lutz, FL
'74 & '87 Spider Veloce's
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