Question for those with a Flex-a-lite electric Fan

I purchased a flex-a-lite electric fan for my 86' GT and I'm unsure where to put the radiator probe for the fan's thermostat switch. There is a spot on the fan control box that it fits in I had been running it there. But today I replaced my non working stock water temp. gauge with a new autometer gauge and discovered that the fan doesn't come on until the car gets really hot. In all honesty I saw the temperature gauge hit 230 and the fan hadn't come on so I flipped my manual fan switch and it cooled down to 210. I wasn't willing to let the temp get any higher. I guess I'm not 100% sure that the gauge is reading correctly but it is new, and I put the sending unit in the stock location so I would assume it is correct. How would I know?

So as for the radiator probe, do I need to put it somewhere else to get a more accurate reading? It seems like the best reading might come from the bottom drivers side of the radiator close to where the water from the block enters the radiator. Where did you guys put your radiator probe? And do you just push the probe into the rad between the cooling fins?

By the way, the fan thermostatic switch is adjustable and and before using the manual switch I tried turning the thermostatic control full clockwise and counterclockwise, but the fan didn't come one either way.

Thanks, I'll try that and see how it works.

By the way I see you have TF Heads on your 86' did you have to cut valve reliefs in the pistons?

Nevermind, I see that your heads are awaiting installation.

Okay, so I fooled around with it more today and I think I have a hypothesis about the cause of the problem. First here's what I did. I removed the radiator cap and placed a kitchen meat thermometer in the radiator and started the car. I let it heat up while monitoring both the water temp and thermometer in the rad. Eventually the water temp hit 230 while the thermometer in the rad only read 160 ,at which point the electric fan came on. I turned the fan temp control and the fan went off. So the fan thermomstatic switch is working, I have another problem.

It could be one of three things:
1) the thermostat is stuck closed.
2) the water pump is going out or gone.
3) the new water temp gauge is reading incorrectly (although being new, I doubt it)

I am going to change the thermostat asap and hope that fixes it.

AZNEAL311 said:

Mine is also on the passenger top side as well. I would try and figure out why you cant adjust it. A friend has the same fan in his Ranger w/302. He pulled the instructions off of there web site for me.

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Yeah, I got instructions off of the web, but I didn't see anything mentioned in them about the probe.