pusher vs puller fan

[sd88supra]

ok, i installed a hayden 14" electric fan in my 87 NA after my fan clutch crapped out. thing is, even the damn fan clutch throws more air and cooled my car much better even without the fan shroud than this shrouded electric fan. i installed it as a puller, since space is scarce in front of the radiator. and yes, i remembered to flip the blade over and reverse the polarity (since they come pusher-ready). as far as spacing, the blades are about 1 inch from the radiator, best i could do withough leaving it all dangly. i dont think it should be closer to the engine, or should it?

my car right now almost seems bipolar. when running continuously, it runs at ideal temp. when idling or in heavy traffic the temp gauge sky rockets. as soon as i step on it it practically falls back down. after driving it around for a while, after turning off the engine you can hear the hot coolant boiling inside, something that never happened before my fan clutch crapped out. but, i dunno if this has anything to do with a bad water pump.

someone please tell me i need a better fan (if the fan is the problem). this is tempting me to go back to the damn fan clutch.