Re: IML: thermostats

["Klebert L. Hall" <crocuta@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Subject: RE: IML: Thermostats
> From: Ken Lang <imperialken@xxxxxxxxx>
>
> My suspicion for this scenario (below) is that the fan clutch is not
 > working
> and/or the fan shroud is missing.  I'm thinking that lots of air over
> the
> radiator at highway speeds will keep everything cool.  Once you slow
> down
> and get into traffic the fan clutch should take over and engage the
> fan to
> keep plenty of air going through the radiator.  If it's not working I
> think
> what Kle has described would be the end result.  Eventually the slow
 > moving
> fan will pull enough air through the radiator to finally overtake the
> temperature increase.  I would suspect that running the AC while in
> traffic
> causes temperature increases as well.  A sure sign of a failed fan
> clutch.


   Yes, or of a car w/o a fan clutch - like every Imperial before, 
what, 1965?

   The other issue is, and I know this is a sin to say here, bad 
design. Not bad design for the period, but bad design by modern 
standards. New cars never overheat unless they're broken - this was not 
the case in the '60s. My '69 has never has overheating problems, but 
then the A/C never worked, either. Irrespective of how well designed and 
tested our cars were, I guarantee I can overheat *any* stock pre-fan 
clutch Imperial if I work at it. None of them really have big enough 
radiators to prevent this. You can probably do it just by turning the 
car off and on enough times in rapid succession once the engine's at 
about 220.

    I'm not suggesting this - I'm just saying that the designers set up 
the cooling system based upon certain assumptions of use, and certain 
cost goals - it is possible to exceed these assumptions, even for a car 
as superior as an Imperial.

   The car I had the most need of a lower thermostat in was my '77 LTD 
Police Interceptor. This was a perfect case of bad design, because they 
took a stock vehicle, and suped-up parts of it, likely w/o doing through 
testing of the new package.

   Ever notice how many police cars have their hoods open when they're 
parked for summer details with their flashers (and engines) on? 
Increased cooling. Auto engineers can make mistakes, and they can also 
decide to cut coats, based on projected use. Corners were cut, even on a 
flagship car like an Imperial - they could have easily cost a *lot* more.

    -Kle
    '69 Crown 4DHT (not laid up because of cooling issues)

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