Over Heating

Yes, the fan rubbing on the shroud is not correct. It is indicative of either a bad fan/clutch, water pump, or worn motor mounts. If it is a HO 5.0 motor and has not been messed with, then you have a reverse rotation water pump. Only way to know is to remove it and the back cover and see the direction of the fins on the back of the impellor shaft.

Your fan is most likely cracked from hitting the shroud. Look for signs of black goop on the bladed or leaking from the center of the fan clutch. To test the fan clutch, when the engine is warm and off the fan should not spin freely- it should bave a noticeable drag on it. If it freewheels then the clutch is bad.

Personally, if you are replacing the fan and clutch, that is an opportune time to replace the mechanical fan with an electric fan setup. I personall like a 1990's V6 Taurus/Contour fan coupled with a flec a lite 33054 variable speed controller. You will also need a new 4g power wire kit, a 4 g ground cable, and a 130amp 3g alternator. You can find the Taurus fan and alternator in most JY . The power wire kit is sold on Ebay or on the Corral. The controller you can get from Summit or LMRS.

As far as overheating, if it is doing it at highway speed then you have an airflow problem such as a clogged radiator. At low rpm or stop and go driving, if it overheats that is usually a water pump or fan. Other culprits could be a defective radiator cap or thermostat. You can rent a pressure tester which will test your cap and for any leaks in the system- radiator, hoses, water pump.

To test the water pump, grab the front of the shaft and see if it wobbles. Also there is a weep hole on the front of the pump and when the bearings go bad water will come out of that hole.

I would strongly recommend you check for sagging or broken motor mounts before doing anything, as the fan hitting the shroud is a tell tale sign. That may fix your problem.