The Texas Cooler: How good is it?

[Legal Bill]

If you have the Texas cooler, I would appreciate hearing from you if you think it is a worthwhile modification and exactly how it helped the car stay cool. I find that so many cooling modifications are accompanied by general comments about how it "seems" to run cooler. I'd like to hear some specifics to see if this fan would actually help my car and my particular situation.

Thanks for your time and trouble.

 

[Keoke]

Well Bill, I have always used one because:
The fan will improve airflow through the radiator and over the engine which will provide additional cooling for your car. However, totally solving overheat problems may require more than just adding the fan . An upgraded radiator and a shroud may also be required.--Fwiw--Keoke

 

[TimK]

If your car heats up at freeway speeds, it is likely a blocked radiator core. If it overhears in traffic only, it is likely a fan problem.

 

[bighealeysource]

Hey Bill,
My BN6 would jump beyond 190 degrees in a matter of a couple of minutes when I got stuck at a traffic light or just in very slow traffic. Once I put on a Texas cooler it will now hang around 190 even at a traffic light. Runs 190 or below at speed and of course cooler. But down here in SC right now, cooler is not a word in our vocabulary ! I also put on a pusher fan that is controlled with an on/off switch and it does help as well but think the TC fan by by itself did just as good a job. The pusher fan blocks part of the radiator so the efficiency of it is compromised in my opinion. Think the TC is well worth it.
Regards,
Mike

 

[Frankenhealey]

Shroud plus big puller fan cools mine when nothing else did!

 

[Legal Bill]

Thanks guys. I notice my car gets very hot in traffic, not so much a speed. Also, when it gets real hot, the idle drops and the oil pressure does too.

 

[RAC68]

Bill,

I’ve used a Texas Cooler for the last 15+ years and find it an asset in traffic. However, I also find the noise and at-speed drag substantial. I plan to try my original Healey 4-blade, in concert with my other cooling modifications, to see if it can handle the heat. Should the original fan test be successful, I would expect to experience a significantly reduced in at-speed drag and noise.

As with many others, my cooling modifications include a radiator core replacement, original thermostat, non-pressurized coolant recovery, and simple vertical panel fan shroud. To reduce air-flow blocking engine compartment pressurization at speed, I also blocked air from entering between the bottom of the radiator and cross frame and installed a panel to the bottom of the engine compartment frame between the cross member to 6” or so from the crank case.

All the best,
Ray (64BJ8P1)

 

[Frank C.]

I've had one for about 7 years and have virtually no heating problems. Sure, in the dead of summer, climbing a mountain the gauge will push 200 but it is very rare. I haven't found the noise to be an issue at all.

Hope this helps.

 

[AUSMHLY]

My research here on the BCF years back was that there are two fans that do a great job. The Texas Kooler and the 6 blade stainless steel flexible from British Car Specialists. At that time, the Texas Kooler was no longer being made, so my decision about which to get was easy. Now they are both available.

The Texas is made of some stiff sort of plastic like material and is yellow. Yellow being the correct color for the BJ8. The shade of yellow may be off, but at least it's yellow. The BCS stainless fan I power coated the correct shade of yellow. The Texas Kooler maybe paintable too.

As far as how loud both are, I can not speak for the Kooler, being it's not in my car. The BCS is no louder than the stock tropical six blade fan that I replaced.

Our Healeys will heat up in stop and go traffic, no matter what fan you put in, but these two may help a little over the stock fans. As others have mentioned, you need to look at the system as a whole. Thermostat, is the fan belt slipping, right amount of coolant in the system, do you have a stock radiator or have you replaced the core or radiator with a more effective one, etc.

I've hear really good things about the Texas Kooler. Plus with cooperation from the North Texas Austin Healey Club, Moss is now reproducing these fans.

There was a post here a while back about the Texas Kooler vs flex fan. Here's the link:
https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcforum/ubbthreads.php/topics/711027/1

What helped lower my heating issue when in stop and go traffic was to replace the radiator core with a modern dimpled one and install the BCS six blade fan.

Here's a photo of the Texas Kooler and a photo of the BCS stainless fan in my car.
Cheers,
Roger

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Many years ago (20?) I bought a SS flex fan and shroud from BCS. The SS flex fan they sold at the time was different; i.e. the blades were rectangular and they had a large, smooth curve instead of the bend as in the above photo. It was made by Hayden. That fan moved a ridiculous amount of air; it would blow dust and leaves out from under the car at idle and sounded like a Cessna 172's prop. As you revved the engine you could see the blades flatten out significantly.

Problem was, it was very noisy at idle--I suspect this is why BCS quit selling it--at speed you didn't notice it. I eventually replaced it with a TC, which works OK but is not nearly as effective as that honkin' flex fan.

 

[John Turney]

I painted my Texas Cooler a more correct yellow.

I can't say whether the TC works any bettert than the regular fan since I made several changes at the same time, but my BN4 doesn't overheat even when I do.

 

[Legal Bill]

Thanks for all this input. As my radiator was redone as part of the restoration, and the temp is fine at speed, I'm thinking the radiator is not the problem. The car does not overheat (yet) but does get hot in traffic (over 200 degrees). It sounds like the TC is a good, low cost solution to my specific problem.