Question about sensors, intake, MSD for tach, electric fan etc

Sorry I tried to look through past post but after pages and pages from post over 10 years old I felt its going to be easier to create new one.

1. I have the MSD PM6425, It says I can hook up a tachometer to it. Is this ideal, any benefits etc? I do not have a tach yet but I am waiting to hear back from the fellow that can turn your clock to a tach but i thing he is pretty backed up so for now im just going to get a stand alone unit. I have my first road race at Hallet Motor Speedway Fun Race is what they call it at the two day Hallet even for the Mid American Shelby and Mustang 4 day event in the Tulsa Oklahoma area.

2. None of my gauges work as the previous owner put his heavily modified 351C in place while he rebuilt the original motor, I was able to get the original motor shipped to me which will stay packaged up. But the intake is the Edelbrock RPM Air Gap intake, Does the oil pressure sensor go in the back of the block or back the intake on the 71 351C ?

3. If I am going to be doing some road racing on weekends. naturally I need my Tach, oil pressure, temp gauge. Any other gauge/info that I should add to it?

4. I have the basic Fan driven belt setup, my dad and my brother love their electric fan on their 70's era vettes. I was wondering for my road racing should I go ahead and get a nice electric fan, where I can control what temp it turns on etc. (I took my Air conditioner off as I do not need it) but it could free a small amount of horse power and possible give it better cooling ability. The problem is there are so many too choose from. I learned from a post on here 12 years ago that you have to be careful and not get one built in China, I was hoping to hear how anyone that has one likes their, the brand, their thoughts etc. Money is not an object in my situation in this fan and gauge project ???

1 - The aftermarket tach and the tach conversion from rocketman are easier than the stock 71-73 mustang tachs. The one you're looking at just needs 12v+, ground, and ther directly hook up a wire to your coil or ignition box. As close to plug and play as you'll get.

2 - Oil pressure sender is in the top of the block behind the intake.

3 and 4 are kind of open ended and come down to personal preference. There are a million different gauges out there and at some point, somebody thought they were worth having. I like an AFR gauge. Vacuum/boost is nice to have. And most cars with optional gauges have some sort of amp/volt meter to monitor your charging.

With your goal of road racing, you could go with a stupid simple switch to turn on your fan. Turn it on, race, turn it off. You dont really care for it going on and off during the race. I use dual fans and an adjustable thermostat probe, with a switch to override it. It seems to work well.

giantpune said:

1 - The aftermarket tach and the tach conversion from rocketman are easier than the stock 71-73 mustang tachs. The one you're looking at just needs 12v+, ground, and ther directly hook up a wire to your coil or ignition box. As close to plug and play as you'll get.

2 - Oil pressure sender is in the top of the block behind the intake.

3 and 4 are kind of open ended and come down to personal preference. There are a million different gauges out there and at some point, somebody thought they were worth having. I like an AFR gauge. Vacuum/boost is nice to have. And most cars with optional gauges have some sort of amp/volt meter to monitor your charging.

With your goal of road racing, you could go with a stupid simple switch to turn on your fan. Turn it on, race, turn it off. You dont really care for it going on and off during the race. I use dual fans and an adjustable thermostat probe, with a switch to override it. It seems to work well.

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Thank you for 1 and 2 question, amp/volt is a great idea, do you mind if I get the information that is if you have for what fan system you went with it, and explain the adjustable thermostat probe to me just a little. Thank you so much you have been very helpful!

Milalynne said:

Thank you for 1 and 2 question, amp/volt is a great idea, do you mind if I get the information that is if you have for what fan system you went with it, and explain the adjustable thermostat probe to me just a little. Thank you so much you have been very helpful!

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The parts I used are
relays - https://www.northernradiator.com/Product/Z41032
fans/shroud - https://www.northernradiator.com/Product/Z40002
adjustable thermostat - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/HDA-3653

They offer different sizes of shrouds. You'd measure your radiator and buy one that fits it. The relay set is so you can hook up fans that draw high power to a switch of some sort, without the full electrical load having to go through the switch. The thermostat acts like a switch. You stick the temp probe through the fins on the radiator and it will open or close the switch. You can buy dumb thermostats that work at preset temperatures. This one I linked to has a knob. There's not really any numbers anywhere. If you feel like the thing turns on too frequently or stays on always, then you turn the knob one way. If it feels like the fans do not come on often enough, you turn the knob back the other way. Your other other adjustment is where in the radiator to put the probe. By the inlet, by the outlet, or anywhere in between. I go with smack dab in the middle.

Just FYI: when you say you removed the AC, do you mean you removed the compressor? If you’re looking to add airflow, you should also remove the condenser, the radiator looking thing in front of the actual radiator. Good luck.

giantpune said:

The parts I used are
relays - https://www.northernradiator.com/Product/Z41032
fans/shroud - https://www.northernradiator.com/Product/Z40002
adjustable thermostat - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/HDA-3653

They offer different sizes of shrouds. You'd measure your radiator and buy one that fits it. The relay set is so you can hook up fans that draw high power to a switch of some sort, without the full electrical load having to go through the switch. The thermostat acts like a switch. You stick the temp probe through the fins on the radiator and it will open or close the switch. You can buy dumb thermostats that work at preset temperatures. This one I linked to has a knob. There's not really any numbers anywhere. If you feel like the thing turns on too frequently or stays on always, then you turn the knob one way. If it feels like the fans do not come on often enough, you turn the knob back the other way. Your other other adjustment is where in the radiator to put the probe. By the inlet, by the outlet, or anywhere in between. I go with smack dab in the middle.


View attachment 95472

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I had to request an account for Northernradiator, hopefully they accept me as I want to buy and install everything that you have. I like the way you have done it and I think it will be better than my belt driven fan when im road racing at the speedway. Thank you

I like the idea of electric fans for your application. When you are moving at speed you many not even need a fan or perhaps just one. Our cars have tons of frontal area to pick up air into the radiator. I have never had issues with temperatures at high speed. Now, you still have to consider that you will have to wait on the grid for a while before a start or on track/grid in case of a black flag so having 2 fans thermostatically operated seems to me like a better idea. The one other gauge that I consider very important is oil temperature.

Steve McMahan said:

Just FYI: when you say you removed the AC, do you mean you removed the compressor? If you’re looking to add airflow, you should also remove the condenser, the radiator looking thing in front of the actual radiator. Good luck.

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The AC was removed before I bought it and the parts given to me. The condenser is still on it. Your right I should, I only just decided not to install the AC back on a few weeks ago. I thought about the Condenser and If I should take off and I decided that I can always put it back on later if it I want to,

tony-muscle said:

I like the idea of electric fans for your application. When you are moving at speed you many not even need a fan or perhaps just one. Our cars have tons of frontal area to pick up air into the radiator. I have never had issues with temperatures at high speed. Now, you still have to consider that you will have to wait on the grid for a while before a start or on track/grid in case of a black flag so having 2 fans thermostatically operated seems to me like a better idea. The one other gauge that I consider very important is oil temperature.

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Excellent advice, Ive only drag raced up until recently I decided road racing is where I want to be. Thanks for the insight.

giantpune said:

The parts I used are
relays - https://www.northernradiator.com/Product/Z41032
fans/shroud - https://www.northernradiator.com/Product/Z40002
adjustable thermostat - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/HDA-3653

They offer different sizes of shrouds. You'd measure your radiator and buy one that fits it. The relay set is so you can hook up fans that draw high power to a switch of some sort, without the full electrical load having to go through the switch. The thermostat acts like a switch. You stick the temp probe through the fins on the radiator and it will open or close the switch. You can buy dumb thermostats that work at preset temperatures. This one I linked to has a knob. There's not really any numbers anywhere. If you feel like the thing turns on too frequently or stays on always, then you turn the knob one way. If it feels like the fans do not come on often enough, you turn the knob back the other way. Your other other adjustment is where in the radiator to put the probe. By the inlet, by the outlet, or anywhere in between. I go with smack dab in the middle.


View attachment 95472

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That company will not sell to me, they said you have to own and business as they sell whole sale I guess. I can find similar fans and parts.

Milalynne said:

That company will not sell to me, they said you have to own and business as they sell whole sale I guess. I can find similar fans and parts.

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My receipts say I got mine from cnc-motorsports.com. I dont know who all is a distrubitor for them. This is just one. There may be cheaper places to buy their products.
https://cnc-motorsports.com/brand/northern

giantpune said:

My receipts say I got mine from cnc-motorsports.com. I dont know who all is a distrubitor for them. This is just one. There may be cheaper places to buy their products.
https://cnc-motorsports.com/brand/northern

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This store has actually some really good prices and lots of products. Let me ask you, how do I need to measure my radiator, like a Television set diagonally or height and length. Here is the one you bought; it matches the number. My radiator may or may not be stock size because it was purchased and installed a year before I bought it off the last owner. Also does this come iwth the fan too because it just says 11" electric fan shroud?

Milalynne said:

This store has actually some really good prices and lots of products. Let me ask you, how do I need to measure my radiator, like a Television set diagonally or height and length. Here is the one you bought; it matches the number. My radiator may or may not be stock size because it was purchased and installed a year before I bought it off the last owner. Also does this come iwth the fan too because it just says 11" electric fan shroud? View attachment 95552

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They have the measurements there in your screenshot. 18 1/8" x 22 3/8" x 2 5/8". The first link back to the northern radiator site has a picture for how all the measurements are, plus the flanges.

It includes the fans. That is how they are able to provide you a CFM rating. Thats the combined rating of the included fans.

For a fan controller I have installed several of these from Davies Craig
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/DCW-DC-0444
Works very well, never a problem and easy to adjust and read digital display,