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Radiator Fan Question

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 6:00 pm
by bgator
While going through my recently purchased 81 Pickup; fixing every PO bandaid, I noticed something that struck me as odd. My radiator fan comes on for a short period whenever I start my engine. It makes me wonder if the fan is somehow being fed by the glow plug relay. Is this normal? It just doesn't make sense to have the fan running on a cool engine.
This is gonna be a great little truck when i git er done. The head comes off next week. Everything I do seems to make it better....I think she likes me!

Re: Radiator Fan Question

Posted: Fri May 24, 2013 1:42 pm
by bgator
Update........ I found out that a PO had wired the fan to the AC Compressor switch on the dashboard..argh..... I purchased a new radiator switch and redid the wiring back to original. Everything is cool now and working as it should.

Never guess what else that #&*% PO did....... When I replaced the head, I found that a head gasket was installed upside down! No wonder the engine was acting weird with a warped head.

Here's a pic of Miss Gertrude
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Here's another pic of my cold air ram made from some 2" shopvac parts I had laying around
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I hope I posted the pics correctly.

48.8 MPG on the 1st thousand miles since the new head. Gotta love it. Yup she likes me!

Re: Radiator Fan Question

Posted: Fri May 24, 2013 5:17 pm
by bscutt
Nice truck. Watch out for high water with that air intake so low. My son witnessed someone hydrolocking their turbo VW in a heavy thunderstorm (deep puddle), breaking a connecting rod.

Re: Radiator Fan Question

Posted: Sat May 25, 2013 9:02 am
by bgator
Yup, you're right bout the ground clearance....actually it's higher than it looks, the angle of that pic makes it look lower than it is. More concerned about weeds etc. when I drive around my pond. I didn't want to put any holes in the body but it's an experimental work in progress.