DeTomaso Mailing List: March 2001, Message #173

This weekend I did my first full operating temp test on my 4.6L
(http://home.earthlink.net/~rbarkley/Pantera). I finally got the cooling
fans and the radiator to expansion tank return line hooked up. All
systems operational. I'm running Wilkinson's aluminum radiator with twin
SPAL curved blade fans. So yesterday night I fired it up. It took about
20 min at idle before the thermostat opened and the radiator started to
warm. It was another 5 min or so before the first fan came on. Both fans
are controlled by the computer. The second one never came on. The #1 fan
then cycled on/off at about 2.5 in intervals each so was running about
50% of the time. The outside temperature was about 63 deg.

Meanwhile in the back, things stayed pretty cool. The Jet-Hot coating on
my tail pipes and headers really works! Almost no heat comes off them.
Holding your hand above them at engine top height, you'd never guess the
engine was running. And a few minutes after I shut it off, I could put
my hand on the tail pipe!

Today I ran it up to temperature again to see when the second fan would
come on by disconnecting the #1 fan. I chickened out when the temp into
the radiator hit 205. And it wouldn't go above 200 until I put some
cardboard over the top to reduce the convection cooling. Then I read the
manual. The thermostat doesn't open 'till 192-199 and isn't full open
until 219! So it looks like (at least when it's mid 60's out side) I
probably don't really need any fans! My guess is that around the beach
here (it's usually in the 70's in the summer) that the cooling fans will
rarely come on. 

Is this a cool engine or what?

-- 
Sincerely,
Richard Barkley

To Ski or not to Ski, that is the question!

Richard Barkley
(310) 373-6695 (home), 813-2432 (work)
E-mail: richard.barkley@trw.com (work), rbarkley@earthlink.net (home)
Mammoth Condo 2BR+loft/3Bath - Horizons 4 #186 (760) 934-6758
Condo web address: http://home.earthlink.net/~rbarkley