Keeping your cool...
How come I have to walk through the Minefield??
Fact: The power pulley relieves the burden of the crank driven ancillaries by reducing the drive speed.
My Theory: The smaller pulley causes every belt driven accessories to slow down. This causes the coolant to stay in the block longer at near idle speeds, and reduces cooling system effectiveness (ESPECIALLY if you have a mechanical fan). Using a substandard CFM electric fan, increases the problem as it’s limited airflow and lack of a conventional shroud (directing large area to a smaller diameter).
Solution: While I would never give up a power pulley (except to add a supercharger), I do recommend the following fixes:
A. Spend the $$ and get a real fan.
B. Continue to use your inexpensive fan, but built a real shroud for it that covers the entire surface of the radiator (or at least 3/4) and narrows to allow the "blade gaurd" they call a shroud to be pop riveted in.
C. Replace your radiator with a 2 row for added coolant and surface area.
D. Make (or have made) a smaller diameter water pump pulley to turn the water pump (and mechanical fan if attached) at no more than 80% of the crankshaft speed (according to Smokey Yunick). 80% is for engines turning 7,000 RPMs or more.
Our stock ratio is: xx%, with the "Power Pulley" it is xx%.
Cooling Overkill:
I’m working on new cooling system capable of towing our 3,000lb trailer up a mountain with the A/C blowin’.
The Radiator is a lifetime warranty GoDan "Ready-Rad +®" Ford 2217 (4.0L Ranger/Explorer) and it’s a 2 row (stock is single)
radiator. The remainder of the system is Flex-a-Lite Black Magic® Fan
using handmade mounts (fashioned after the Flex-a-Lite II Ranger mounts); Evans© NPG+ Coolant, 7 PSI Cap, 195° Thermostat
and all new hoses/hardware.Here is the radiator thickness:
Here is the lower mount installed:
And finally, the whole thing:
Here is the T-stat:
The system installed, wiring view (sans wire loom):
Side view:
More cooling notes:
If your AC is broken and you have no intentions of using it for a long time, remove the condenser coils and plug the AC lines. I removed mine for a test run and the temperature dropped from "r" to below "N". And it stayed there even at idle using the mechanical fan with NO shroud! With the new condenser, the temp came up to "o" (again, no shroud).I pulled a lump of bugs and trash out from between the radiator and condenser (that has been building up since 1994). The pile was 3" tall, 18" wide and 2" thick. This came out to 16% blockage of airflow. Something to look into if you have and older Ranger with cooling quirks.
If your lower radiator hose has a tap in it that uses 5/8" hose to route up to the heater core input line (tapped off the lower intake), it isn’t a "Must Have" item. I was told by our local "cooling guru" that it is a "fast warm" loop that recirculates hot water from before the T-Stat, back to the cool side. This allows the engine to warm up quicker. Since it is always working, it is detrimental on electric fan equipped Rangers in hot climates. Because no air is flowing on a cold engine, the engine warms up much faster than a mechanical fan set up. This appears to help the temperature spikes at idle, as I haven't seen them since I removed mine. This eliminates 3ft of hose, 6 clamps and 2 steel pieces that cause the majority of rust scale in the system. (If anyone has any other theories on this, I'd be interested in hearing them!)
The Pump to Heater (return) hose is special as it is flared from 5/8" to 1" to connect to the water pump. You will have to pay $11-$16 for it. The other hose is 5/8" water hose. Do not pay $9 for the "direct fit", it’s not worth it.
There are 2 sizes for the Ranger Radiators, 18x18.5 and a 20x23.5. The later is built as a 2 row width and narrowed to a single row. Any radiator shop can upgrade you to a 2 row. The 18" one is a different story, there is no 2 row upgrade. You have to swap the entire radiator for a 4.0L Ranger/Explorer (Modine or Ready-Rad #2217, same one the V-8 conversion guys use). The upper and lower hose connections are angled slightly, but it is a direct fit.
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