My enhanced Apple //e came with a System Saver cooling fan / surge protector... but I’m wondering if it’s necessary. The ][ was designed to keep cool, and I only have a Disk ][ card and SSC installed in the slots. Is it safe to remove the fan, or do I risk over-heating?
Not sure everyone would agree that "the ][ was designed to keep cool," but with just those two boards you should be fine without the fan.
No risk to over-heat with these two cards. A fan is good for a full populated Apple II or IIe and especially with cards which consume "a lot" of power, i.e. RAM cards or co-processors.
Regards
Ralf