Technical I need some ideas on Flathead fan location

So I am building a 34 Ford pickup and will be running a flathead. No fenders, no hood. I want to mount the engine a bit higher then stock and in doing so need to locate the fan in front of the timing cover, so that it will center on the radiator. So far my only idea to accomplish this is to weld and machine a mounting surface to a steel timing cover. I was wondering if anyone had any other ideas?

 

Assuming late (49-53) flat v8 as the earlier ones have the distributor there......
Even so, the timing covers are cast iron or aluminum and not something I'd hang a fan off of.
Hate em', but electric fan may be your only option.

 

Sorry, I should have specified late style engine (french flathead) with distributor off to the side. Electric fan solves a lot of issues but can't bring myself to use one for this truck. I was also thinking of building a bracket that would hang off the generator mount on the intake but it looks like it would be long and possibly end up looking ugly.

 

the early flattie will mount the belts over an inch closer to the block than the 8ba style...
the 8ba belt mounts further away as it needed clearance for the distributer shaft between the block and pullies...
will changing to the distributor and pullies from the 8ba to the 59ab style buy you enough room for the fan ? my $0.02.

 

I'm a flathead fan and I'm in S.E. Michigan.





C'mon, somebody had to do it so...

 

I am moving the cab back 4" on the chassis so plenty of room front to back. Its locating the fan so that its vertical positioning is correct on the radiator.

 

Friends helping friends, you know.

I'm having a hard time visualizing this and what I am visualizing in my head does not look to good.
It's so early in the build and a '34 actually came with a flathead......one day you may want to put the fenders back on.
Maybe you need to rethink this.

 

Any thoughts about adapting or fabricating something similar to a "Zips" style single pump for the front of your motor? 2 benefits : better cooling & a place to mount the fan. Someone(Hot-Heads?) does something similar for the Hemi using a single 348/409 pump.

 

I don't suppose something like this would work for you?

 

Sidevalve8ba that looks like a possibility. I'd need to fabricate a longer bracket.

 

This truck has the fan centered on the timing cover but no way to tell how it was done.

 

You might want to consider making your own steel fan carrier bracket that would
allow you to raise the fan higher and also permit the fan carrier hub to swivel left and right so you could bolt it
into desired position. Something like you will see in this thread.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=245809&highlight=Re:+Barrel+Manifold
You can also make a fan carrier adapter which will swivel left to right and be moved up and down using the OEM fan carrier bracket shown.
I made the new fan hub shown but,it's cheaper and easier to use the set up Bob Drake makes sells.
https://www.bobdrake.com/FordItem.aspx?Item=21A-8600-K

 

I used all factory pieces on mine. It's 8RT 1/2 ton pick-up truck pieces.

 

Yep, do a search for pics of F-1 pickup pumps, belts, and fans. That sounds like what you need. Always nice to use Fomoco parts rather than hand fabbing the same thing.

 

You won't know for sure what you need until you first set your engine in the car at the height you desire.
Then install the generator mount and the fan hub pulley bracket that bolts to it. Then install your fan pulley hub with fan so that you can figure out height limitations both up and down so that you don't cut into your radiators hoses. At that point, if the stock parts mentioned earlier don't work,you can make your own fan carrier bracket that has longer slots for vertical adjustment.

 

Personally, I'd have all the parts before making my motor mounts. You can wiggle the engine up or down to fit the radiator and hoses, and maybe even back and forth. The pulleys and fan aren't that expensive if you can find them at swap meets or from friends. And buy the new pumps to match once you determine this system will work for you.

 

Thank you for all the great ideas.

 

I used a 46-48 set up on 8 BA , works just fine.
33 truck grill


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i have a french flatty in a 28 roadster w original firewall.
here is how i did it.side dizzy from bubba, truck pumps and a small modern gen with homemade bracket and pulley (made that thing 3x ). And i used a cut down thirtysomething fan.
Tight fit but possible

 

Seems like the f1 set up is your answer but in case your still curious

That’s jimmy shines 34 pickup. Googling that alone should get you about a bazillion magazine articles, cut away drawings and videos. If that fails I’d just contact the shop and ask.

 

Well, I’ve always liked the Flathead, it powered the very first vehicle I ever drove in 1959! So I’ve collected several, but had never heard of a “French” Flathead! So..... instead of sounding dumb on the HAMB...... I looked it up! Ugh..... it’s a Flathead made in France! Go figure!
BUT, I read on further and found out there were also German flatheads and most interesting of all Simca continued to build the Flathead up until 1990! Simply amazing fact! To me anyway.




Bones

 

I saw this one in the pits at the Billetproof Eruption drags last weekend. I'm not sure what combination of block and pieces it has but it appears to be pretty close to what you are looking for. I just bought a 5 blade fan and hub for my 8 BA that I have for my 31

 

My messy 8BA (at least the heads are) a couple of minutes after we pulled it out of the Jeep wagon "huntin rig" that it had powered for years.

The fan sits up pretty good on it.

 

I used all 8RT parts. Pumps, fan, crank pulley and generator pulley on my 8BA.
That way you get the old timey fat belts.
And the fan sits about in the middle of the radiator.


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