With the temperatures rising pretty rapidly here in Ohio, I decided it was time to up the cooling capacity with a few minor upgrades.

I added a new Derale 19 inch stainless steel flex fan to help cool better. It is slightly smaller than the stock 20 inch steel fan that came with the engine, but has 6 blades instead of the stock 4 blades. The blade angles are much steeper as well, so it pulls a bit more air, even with a smaller diameter. It works just fine.

I also added some Summit Racing coolant additive to help drop the temperature. Neither of these things have made a significant change in temperature, but it is noticeable.

I also picked up a new coolant temperature sending unit. Planning to install this when I wake up. I'm fairly certain the orignal is just fine, but it seems to be at least 30 years old. Can't risk overheating this engine.

I picked up 4 new rubber radiator pads as the originals are worn out and one is missing. The plate that holds the radiator down also got bent up, so the radiator moves around a lot. Hopefully bending the plate back and putting new bumpers will solve that little annoyance.

The final step in the cooling system overhaul is to mount the two electric fans to the outside of the radiator, pushing air into the engine bay. They each have their own adjustable controller as well. This will allow for much greater cooling at lower speeds and long term idling, so I can leave my truck idle like any other vehicle would. The temperature likes to creep up at red lights and threaten to cause fuel feed problems.