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Cooling your engine down with fans

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?
 

dustybumpers

don't play well w others
Not going to hurt it, but cranking slower when heated is a timing problem, not a overheat problem.
 

Fellro

Moderator
Staff member
Won't hurt it a bit, actually is done at the races quite often. Slow cranking when hot can also indicate a bad starter. They can get heast soaked or just simply be worn. My 88 250 used to play that game, start great cold, act like battery was dead when hot. Changed starter, no problems. Battieries also don't like heat, so is also possible but less likely. Be worth getting tested. Starters can be tested for free without removing them too at places like Autozone, Oreillys, Advance.
 

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