So couple months ago my fan blade ripped a nice hole in my radiator. After a couple months I finally got a radiator because a company kept sending me the wrong one or the dimensions were off. Besides that I finally got my radiator in with a new fan that is 18 inch vs the original 20inch fan. Though I guess the tanks sit higher on new radiator and my fan blade is still close to my radiator and slightly overlaps the tank but still half a inch away but way to close for comfort. The blade from the radiator core is and inch away which seems fine to me. QUESTION: Should I trade in my 18inch fan and get a 16 inch fan blade or do you think it is better to get a electric puller fan so I never run into this same problem again? Coworkers if mine told me that going from 20 inch's to 16 probably isn't a good idea and they recommend me a electric fan but the electric fans they recommend are also 16 inches. Just want some good advice from experienced people. Thank you Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Here are some photos to help visualize the setup. It's a direct fit aluminum radiator but I can't really adjust the radiator unless I drill more holes and make a new thread but I might just do that if it's better to keep a larger fan. I've never had over heating problems also so I don't need a electric fan but I never want to run into that issue with the blade and radiator again. These pictures also, I didn't have the water pump pulley on so blade sit just a little closer than in photos Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Wow, that is close - likely not easy but, I would go to the 16" - Walker, and others, sell universal fan shrouds, worth looking at to see if will fit with 16"
those new chinese radiators for these trucks suck, none of them seem to fit right. Did you fix the motor mount issue, so the engine won't move forward and wipe out the radiator again? If not, you probably would be better with an electric fan, but that will also be a tight squeeze, because of the water pump pulley being in the way
The HAMB is about *traditional* rods & customs. Mechanical fans are traditional. Put a mechanical fan (either 16" or 18", whichever fits better) in your truck. But make sure the motor- & radiator-mounts are in good condition; so they allow for vibrations, but not large movement.
The truck had the transmission replaced with a TH350, the bellhousing mounts are gone...not much holding the whole thing where it belongs.
Electric fans suck a lot of electrical power, if you still have a generator it won't keep up. If it were me, I'd trim the existing fan down enough to gain clearance. Just make sure you remove the exact same amount off each blade. I had to do this recently on my avatar, no issues with the shortened fan.
Like has been said, go with a 16" and see if it heats up. If it does, get a fan shroud. Also from the sound of it you need better motor/transmission mounts to keep the engine from moving soo much.
I believe it's a 200r4 transmission. Yeah still trying to figure out a better way to keep the motor more stable because it only has a mount at tail shaft of tranny and front of motor Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
yeah, 200-4R transmission, sorry. The mount is the same, though. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ped-a-hole-in-radiator.1153101/#post-13117845
I bought a new set of universal motor mounts hoping they will fix it but haven't put them on yet. I was trying to test fit everything but I should put those motor mount bushing on first. First time doing motor mounts here so should I just use my cherry picker and lift the motor a little or can I jack up the bottom of the motor? Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
it's best to use a hoist (cherry picker) to lift the engine, but then of course you need to figure out a good lifting point, which is iffy on the 235. If you use a jack underneath, just make sure to spread the load out on the oil pan so you won't dent or crush it.
So based on everything would you say just go with a 16 inch fan or 16 inch electric fan? The reason my motor jumped so far forward which probably wasn't to much but enough to hit the tank, probably how close it is now but the reason it did that was because my throttle linkage got stuck inbetween headers since I have dual headers. I have made the linkage fit better so it doesn't get stuck anymore. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I really can't tell enough about how it fits, from your pictures. It's not easy to get good pictures of this stuff.
A buddy gave me a 17 inch fan, said it came from Speedway and is for dirt trackers. The fan is heavy duty, not like the alum ones the blades fly off of and it pulls some air. I built a shroud for it and the BBC in my 28 doesn't get over 180 now and it's been hotter than hell here. I'll see if I can find it on their website.
Looks like the smallest diameter is 17 inches, pt # 910-1571-17. It's in their round track section and they have specs on the blades, how much sticks forward etc, and on the same page they have several shroud kits to make your own.
It is unfortunate that you couldn't build a shroud and then use the smaller diameter fan. Is it possible to mount an electrical fan on the front of the rad as a pusher? After many unsatisfactory experiences with engine mounted fans on my 55 avatar with a big block, I went to an electric fan and solved all my problems. BTW, I am using an alternator. I am still using the original rad. I tried clutch fans, and flex fans, both fiberglas and metal, and couldn't get them to cool satisfactorily. With the electric fan, I was able to cruise all day at 70 in the southern US in the middle of summer, with a fully loaded camper, family, cat and dog, with no issues on the highway or in traffic. BTW, premium synthetic oil in the engine helps to run cooler. Bob
I could try that 16 inch fan from speedway and possibly just buy a shroud or build one. I just don't want to risk my truck over heating. I've seen people do two 10 inch fans at angles so water pump doesn't hit but I could also buy a 16 inch fan and check fitment Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I just want to give an update. I ended up installing a 2 inch smaller fan so it gave me 1-inch clearance on any side and I also dropped my new radiator down an inch so I had a total of 2 inches of extra clearance from the bottom of the fan to the bottom radiator tank. I did not go with an electric fan because I felt it was an overkill for my straight-six and I'm also running a generator still and didn't know if it would cause a problem.
The radiator in my Ford is for a '65 Chevy, I had to trim an ear off one of the flanges and drill 2 new holes. But it fits well and is fairly well centered on the fan. I run a 63 amp GM alternator and when the electric fan comes on (on thermostat) it pulls 21 amps, not much room if you have a 37 amp generator.
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