Targa Radiator Trouble

[crliwa]

I took the Targa out and only got about a mle or so from home when I saw smoke/steam coming out from under the hood.. Temp guage looked ok .. thought I must have sprung a leak in a hose. The road I was on was a busy state road so I couldn't pull over and check out te problem.. The light ahead was red so no oncoming traffic. I made a Quick u turn and I was home in a minute. Popped the hood and saw the damage. The bottom of the radiator had moved back and was making contact w/ the fan. (When I stopped crying) I pulled the radiator made a few calls and had it in the shop before they closed. It was fixed .. looks like new and only cost $50. I got ready to reinstall it... Looked through 10 boxes of OPEL stuff and found no fan.... there has to be one here someplace but I can't find it.. ANYONE have one to sell (or loan til I find mine among the many boxes of spare parts that are stashed everywhere). While I'm thinking of it .. maybe now is the time to go to an electric fan...
I'm leaving for AZ Friday morning to see my daughter and her family and visit my Opel1900 (and Datsun2000 Roadster) so the Targa repairs will have to wait a week til I get back. At least I learned something. .. made sure the bottom bolt is in the radiator so it stays where it should.
Craig

[saxybiker]

Craig:

We have a spare 5 blade fan we could give you... But we agree, now would be the time to go electric.

Let us know if you want the 5 blade.

Vickie & Allen

[crliwa]

Thx Vickie/Allen.. I just realized that I have at least 2 complete engines in storage so 1 of them should still have a fan on it , I just hsave to get to them..If not I'll let you know. I read Ron's electric fan suggestion in an old post and will most likly follow his suggestions

[Rionart]

Go electric Craig....you'll never look back!!

[wrangler]

When my GT was over-heating I was going to change to the 6 blade fan that I came with my a/c system, but it turned out that the old radiator was so blocked that even an acid bath would not clear it, so I ended up just putting in a larger bore core and it took care of the problem. It cost $258 at a local radiator shop (probably could have got it cheaper, but paid to have it expedited) but figured it was worth it in the long run when compared to an over-heating engine.

[namba209]

Craig, I'm not sure if you will have room for the 14" Perma-Cool fan I've got on Willit? behind the radiator, but it should have enuff efficiency to move sufficient air flow as a pusher in front of the radiator. Remembering from their website, as a pusher you lose 15% efficiency. Also, IIRC, they had the most CFM of any fan I looked at on the net. HTH.

[crliwa]

Ron.. RU saying that it may not fir because I have the 2.4 or is it that the electric fan won't fit as a puller even in a stock GT?.. Just how thick is the electric fan?

[baz]

about this thick [.................................................. ..............]

or 3and 3/4 "

or so it says on there site

Turbo Flex Electric Fans

[namba209]

Craig, I tried to measure the fan depth from the radiator core to the rear button on the motor housing and if you have 4" from the core to your water pump pulley bolt heads it should fit with maybe 1/2"- 1/4" clearance. I measured it once before I installed but can't remember how deep it actualy is. I just eyeballed it installed, with a tape measure. Doesn't make any difference which motor you have as long as it a base block CIH, I believe the blocks are all the same, as are the timing covers and water pump housings. You gotta remember I don't have the Opel engine installed anymore.

[crliwa]

The CFM of the 14" looks good and if it only looses 15% as a pusher I'm guessing that it should cool sufficiently..
What is the CFM of the 5tock set up?

[Mike Preble]

Where in AZ are you going to be? Isn't your car in Chandler? I am in Tucson. Do you need any parts? My number in Az is 520-903-4576.

Mike

[namba209]

Originally Posted by crliwa What is the CFM of the 5tock set up?

I have no idea what the stock fan CFM is. But noting the talk about fans in this thread, I looked at the fan that was on Willit? before I changed the engine and my fan is a 6 blade plastic one that was shaved, not to well, either, on the tips. Probably because I've got AC in it and there was no fan shroud installed when I got it. But I never had an overheating problem with it at all.

[crliwa]

Does anyone have the 14" electric fan installed in a GT? Is it a puller or pusher?
My son is going to take a look at it while I'm in AZ for the next week.
Mike , Yes My 1900/Ascona is at Dick Lowells place in Chandler.. I'm in Northwest Phoenix (29th ave. between Bell and Greenway). I have my Black 73 GT here (the one I took to the National meet in Calif) as well as a 69? Datsun 2000 Roadster. Where in Tucson are you, I have a cousin near INA/Orangegrove west of Oracle? He used to work for Buick and knew Opels fairly well but hasn't worked on them in 30 years?
He has a Mint Stock 32 Ford Sedan(may be a Vicky) as well as a 326 Tempest from the 60's.

Is anyone from the area interested in in going to the Scottsdale Pavilion car Show on Saturday Evening?

[DennisGardiner]

I have a 16" Derale electric pusher fan & it just barely keeps up. I added a 5 blade standard water pump driven fan to compliment the electric fan.

[namba209]

Craig, one of the members put a Honda fan on his as a pusher a couple of years ago. I think it worked O.K. But not sure. With the Perma-Cool 14" fan on Willit? as a puller, I have no problem watching the temp go down on the gage after the computer turns on the fan at over 220F. Once I'm up to above 30 MPH the fan never gets turned on. I've got a 3 row radiator core installed with my original upper and lower tanks. So I'm guessing it would work in a pusher fashion with a 2.4L . Mine cools down my 3.4L V-6 nicely. HTH.

[Mike Preble]

Park and Grant area. I have 2 GTs, 1 Manta, 67 RHD Mini, 73 VW Bettle. We are working Saturday night or it would be fun to come up and visit. We have family living next to the fair grounds in Phoenix. Another time, maybe.

Mike

[crliwa]

Ok Mike we'll shoot for next time.. by the way aalso have a 67 Factory sunroof beetle w/over 100 hp and a few other mods.
It may make sense to put a 5 blade back in and addd the electic as a pusher
later. thx

[Wolfman3002]

Craig,
I installed the 14" Permacool fan last June in my '73 GT using Jimsky's article from the ClassicOpels site on the Yahoo Clubs.
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/...20Information/
It's installed as a pusher fan, and I haven't had any problems w/ it yet, except on my first test run, when I realized the fan was installed as a puller instead of a pusher (which doesn't work too well in front of the radiator). I also ran a bottle of radiator flush through the engine and radiator, followed by the addition of some Redline Water Wetter to the radiator fluid. The system is installed w/ the adjustable thermostat control and the screw-in temp sensor (currently installed in the heater hose, but soon to be brazed into the radiator itself).
Randy

[crliwa]

Thanks, lots of good info, I'd like to duplicate a lot of what you did.

I'm not sure what thermostat is in the car but I like the 180 as my feeling is that the water gets a chance to cool for longer in the radiator as opposed to to 160.. I guess I could carry this to the extreme and try a 195 if they are available.
Ronart/ Rob.. what electric set up do you have in the Mantas? I guess I should put the electric in the 1900 that is being built for use in AZ. The engine is very high performance and I really don't need overheating problems.
Ron/Namba.. Why does you electric fan go on at 220.. aren't you going to boil the water out of you coolant mix when it goes above 212?

Lastly.. I forget/misplaced the name and phone of the Opel friend I made that lives here in Phoenix and drove his Black GT to Calif. for the Anniversary meet. Also is Greg? still in the Phoenix/ Avondale/ Goodyear area.

[namba209]

Originally Posted by crliwa Ron/Namba.. Why does you electric fan go on at 220.. aren't you going to boil the water out of you coolant mix when it goes above 212?

Craig, that's the way the factory set it up, they want the engine to run fairly hot for emissions, so I was told. That and the engine is supposed to be actually more efficient at the high temps. The radiator water will not boil when under pressure. Well, actually it will, but the higher cooling system pressure, the higher the boiling point goes, and conversly the lower the pressure the lower the boiling point. Which is why water boils at around 190 at high altitudes. I will say I've got a 180 thermostat in the system, again factory recommended, and my fan only comes on when I'm below 25-30 MPH.

[crliwa]

There is no end to what I learn on this site .. I didn't know that the boiling point changes in the pressurized cooling system,.. Now that you've refreshed my memory I do remember that the boiling point is lower at altitude and there is usually some high altitude driving when I leave Phx and head north. I used to race bicycles and attended the Olympic training camp in 1980 in Colorado Springs.. The altitude had a real affect on the athletes.. when I came back to races on the east coast at sea level it was like I was turbocharged.. I do notice a difference in the way my cars ran at different altitudes when I first started my cross country trips in the late 70"s. There was also a positive difference when we drag raced on a cool Saturday nites as opposed to a 100 degree Sunday afternoon.
I just had the Black GT ..I still am using the aftermarket lights as headlights since I haven't rewired the system yet.. Just too busy when I get here to Phx and I get to play w/my 2 y/o grandson and 1 y/o granddaughter. There sleeping now so I'll go get gas in the GT and try to start the Datsun 2000
then clean it up.
ps:I found Jeff's info here in Phx but not Greggs

[crliwa]

Hi all I had the Targa at a Friday nite show and it was photograhed for a "small"/NON-feature space in a local Hot Rod magazine.. I'll get more info when I actually see it..

Now some little problems.. I usually open the hood at car shows and also leave the battery tender on at home so the hood gets opened and closed a lot.. I pulled the handle to open the hood last Sunday at a show and felt it give way.. either broke or just got disconnected... SO What is the EASIEST way to open the hood to get to see where the problem is.... Maybe just another pair of hands to pull up while I try to push back the "hooks"?
2nd) blinkers work when they want too .. which is less than 1/2 the time.. I still have the Euro fuse box and have cleaned the fuses....still erratic.
3rd) tip of speedo cable going into getrag broke.. Do others that have a getrag 5 speed use a secial cable or is it the standard one?.

Since I sold my other 2 GT's I have nothing to compare anything to .. seems that just having an extra GT around isn't a bad thing

[pvcar]

well i had that happen once to my gt when i was in high school came out to my gt in the parking lot went to start and the battery was dead i had left the lights on, well i figured pop the hood and have my buddy jump start it for me, well went to pull the hood release and the cable came all the way out, after a few words and a ciggrate i called aaa since i new the local tow truck company they would dispatch to my location the guy showed up and i told him i needed a jump start and his floor jack, i jacked up the drivers side of the gt reached my hand up there pulled back on the latch as the on looking tow truck driver was looking at me like i was on drugs, well opened the hood had him jump it then i had found the nut on the end of the hood release cable had come off scrounged around in the back of my gt found a nut that would work and was on my way. the $hit that happens sometimes but i love my gt.
Specialist Juneau out

[namba209]

Craig, try this link to get your hood latch to release the hood.

http://www.opelgt.com/forums/2a-body...ght=hood+latch

[BQS4]

Craig;
Somewhere on the site here is a little picture description made by Otto, that shows how to make a hook from a coat hanger(?) and grab the part where the hood cable goes.
As for your electrical gremlin, first and foremost, check all your grounds that they are clean and making good contact with the body.
As for the speedo cable, that's just a stock Opel GT.