Cooling your engine down with fans

[bradleyheathhays]

This may sound like a stupid question, as I'm prone to ask sometimes. But...I drive a '96 Cherokee with the inline 4.0 non-interference engine and it doesn't like driving in the heat so much. Since I'm a car down right now I'm driving it a LOT more than I used to. After a lot of driving in this hot weather it starts slower, but still starts and runs ok.

So to help it out I've been raising the hood and putting 2 box fans right on top of the engine to help it cool. I hadn't thought about it but my Mom asked if cooling it down too quickly could be bad for the engine. And since I don't know I thought I'd ask here.

Any harm in using my method to cool an engine down much more quickly than normal?

 

[JPNinPA]

You are ok with box fans. No harm by blowing air on it.

Just don’t hit a hot engine with cold water.

But yes there is a point that cooling too fast causes issues. Bolts will loosen And really hot metal rapidly cooling will warp and crack the metal.

Gotta ask why you want you cool it quickly?
How hot is hot where you are? Many car parts are tested between -55C and 175C.

Might check your battery health. In hot weather it will not charge as much to protect the battery.


Sent from my iPhone using Jeepz.com mobile app

 

[Jeepergeo]

I doubt fans blowing on the engine will hurt it. It does seem like an unnecessary practice.

To prevent thermal shock, a common practice with some engines is to run them at idle for a few minutes before shutting them down after running at load. For example, this is a recommended practice for Ford F150s with the EcoBoost engines....mainly to cool the turbos after running at load. It's also a common practice in aviation.

 

[aggreX]

I drive a '96 Cherokee with the inline 4.0 non-interference engine and it doesn't like driving in the heat so much. Since I'm a car down right now I'm driving it a LOT more than I used to. After a lot of driving in this hot weather it starts slower, but still starts and runs ok

Is the Jeep currently overheating? What kind of temps or warning are you getting? Its 23yr old so perhaps some cooling system maintenance?