Technical Aluminum radiator / electric fan

I will be dealing with an electric fan mounted behind an aluminum radiator. I have searched here and found numerous pieces of information but the one that concerns me most is that someone cautioned that the normal mounting process will result in damaging the cores due to vibrations at the plugs through the radiator used to mount the fan. Thoughts?

 

Fabricate or purchase a shroud that bolts to radiator flange and fan bolts to shroud.

 

Fabricate a shroud to hold the fan that is not supported by the radiator frame . Will help with cooling as well . Do not use those zip tie through core mounts IMO .

 

I've seen more than on destroyed radiator that had the fan held to it with those plastic push though the fins things. Usually the work loose just enough to rub against a tube.
A shroud fitted correctly for the radiator that holds the fan is best. Second best is a pair or more of brackets that bolt to the core support that the fan attaches to. The last one I did that way I used 1/8 x 3/4 or 1 flat bar to hold the fan The hard part was bending the flat bar and drilling the holes in the right spots to mount it on my 51 Merc when I was an idiot and thought I needed and electric fan because the cool guys in the magazines had them.

 

do a online search for electric fan shroud kit - mechanical fan use look for aluminum fan shroud kit - sites like summitracing.com

 

I’ve seen radiator and fan combos that come together, might be able to find one to fit and then just deal with mounting the radiator.

 

As said above, use a shroud.

Look at your daily for ideas on how to fab one. You will notice the shroud funnels the air to the fan/opening. This insures all the air being pulled by the fan passes through the radiator.

 

Doesn't even have to be a shroud, just some simple brackets that space the fan off the rad worked perfectly for me (in my particular application).

 

I got a fan with shroud at the local pull a part and used it. Works well.

 

Those plastic straps are made for people with no skills to do anything.

 

4 straps usually with 2 90* angles with hole drilled in each end should do it. Bend the straps in a vice. I’ve used carriage bolts from the reverse side of the straps for no sharp edges.
If you can and have room for a shroud the Circle Track ones at Summit and others are blank so you cut the hole for the fan, electrical or mechanical, where you want for clearance. With one the radiator works at a higher efficiency. I’ve used 2 on different cars styles and they were better than what I could make.

 

Also ground the radiator. With a ground wire to chassis. Electric on aluminum can cause the radiator to get all black inside.
Can make for stoppage and leaks.

 

There's a lot of good info in these answers. I have not used many electric fans. But when I did , I used the plastic straps. Never too old to learn something new! Thank you!

 

Well Darned! I just discovered I can't build anything, again.
I'm going to have to go see if there is enough space to move the fan off the radiator and add brackets to the radiator support, cause you guys say what I did won't work.... I'm sure there is an extra 1/2" of space there now that wasn't there before.

 

There was a thread a few years back with some really creative ideas for eliminating or reducing the "new" look of electric fans. Worth a search.

 

If boneyard, look at the outback setup, very narrow and not to ugly.

 

Here was one topic, I think there's others;

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/electric-fans-are-ugly-tech.162030/

 

There are a lot of companies that offer fan/shroud combos with different dimensions. Frostbite, Be Cool, Derale, etc.

 

On the shroud thing, Electric or mechanical without a shroud the only area on the radiator that the fan pulls air though is going to be the diameter of the fan directly in front of the fan. I'd say that there are far more of us who are guilty of having a rig that tends to overheat when going slow but does fine over 35 mph who don't have a shroud to help pull air though the whole core than not.

 

The electric fan I have is a 15" diameter, and the radiator is a cross flow with a 16" total height. It also covers 3/4 of the radiator's width. I think it will be OK.
You also want to be sure the fan blade is directing the air in the proper position for its placement on the radiator. A fan blade direction for a fan mounted in front of the radiator (pushes the air) is opposite of the fan blade direction for a fan mounted behind the radiator (pulls the air).

 

I suppose it's pointless to mention this, but neither aluminum radiators nor electric fans are "traditional".

 

But unfortunately, overheating and vapor lock are traditional. Old cars are more fun ON the street than parked while they cool down.

 

Not to mention both availability & affordability .

 

More then half the cars on this board would be parked if you had to use TRADITIONAL PARTS ONLY.

I know of '65 GTO with a aluminum radiator and dual fan assembly that runs hotter now then it did with the original plugged up radiator did. The "shroud " has twin 8" fans, 1/2" from the core with solid aluminum sheet blocking all but the two 8" diameter cuts outs. Leave room for air to get out and around the core!