Fan Too Close ???

[khryslerkid]

Trying to make up my mind on this distance. Worked out at 3/4" at the bottom, 1-1/2" at the top. Leave it or shorten the fan extension?

 

[5.7 hemi]

I'd leave it.

 

[GetX'd]

Mine is about the same - no problems.

 

[Mike67]

Shroud or no shroud???

 

[khryslerkid]

Shroud or no shroud???

I'm trying "no shroud" first. (useing E free fuel) I've been looking for one though. Trying to find one that fits without much modifying or I'll just fab my own if the temps run too high. I should have stocked up on all the ones that were being sold for $25 a few years ago. Now the prices on the OE ones are ridiculous!

 

[Mike67]

Ya Ive been seeing them for sale here and there and going for crazy money....
I like electrics myself...dont really know why though....one thing Ive learned which i guess is true with anything, is you get what you pay for with them.
Back to your install though, I would think the closer the better if your not going to run a shroud, as you need ( especially at idle or slow speeds) the negative pressure side of the fan pulling through the radiator and not from around it. Using a shroud allows the distance to be increased because there is no other place for the air to come through except the radiator.

 

[snakeoil24]

---I would get a shroud for safety. If that flex fan lets go i'ts going thru the hood. I wish you would dump the flex fan and install a clutch fan.

 

[Martin460]

Engine Masters test about different fans:

Personally my steel fan destroyed plastic shroud-s upper side after installing new engine pads.

 

[moparedtn]

The guys at HAMB had a thread about this a while back and I remember the radiator shop fellas saying something about "if you aren't leaving flesh on the radiator fins when installing the fan, you're not close enough".
The consensus seemed to be no closer than 3/4" without shroud (enough room to get the fan belt over it when it throws one out in BFE). With shroud, the fan should be positioned 1/3 outside and 2/3 inside the shroud.
Finally, I had a flex fan shatter and take out a radiator many, many moons ago in my daily driver in the early 80's. It was brand name, too, not a cheapy.
I've shied away from them ever since.

 

[not so famous bob]

The guys at HAMB had a thread about this a while back and I remember the radiator shop fellas saying something about "if you aren't leaving flesh on the radiator fins when installing the fan, you're not close enough".
The consensus seemed to be no closer than 3/4" without shroud (enough room to get the fan belt over it when it throws one out in BFE). With shroud, the fan should be positioned 1/3 outside and 2/3 inside the shroud.
Finally, I had a flex fan shatter and take out a radiator many, many moons ago in my daily driver in the early 80's. It was brand name, too, not a cheapy.
I've shied away from them ever since.

Anyone ever seen a fan blade stuck in a stock steel hood , when a blade let go ?

 

[MW 413]

Your fan clearance is exactly where I put mine. Works fine. I'm running a stock 7 blade steel fan though. I have seen those flex fans come apart at high RPM. I was able to use an original steel fan shroud after a little adapting to my 22"alumnum radiator and it cools fine. Got a nice glass beeded original shroud off EB for $45.00.

 

[Thunderlugs]

I dropped my 22 off at Glen Ray, and Bob strongly suggested a shroud,and an after market cooler. He also suggested not using the cooler in the radiator, which would be somewhat non effective. I'm also running a higher stall converter, and will be generating a little more heat. Just the fyi info I got.

 

[khryslerkid]

Thanks people for all the replies.

I'm returning the Flex-a-lite. I was considering the light weight and added cooling that you get with them but really didn't add in the risk of the blades breaking. I remember hearing about that years ago too. With any fan, they need to be inspected periodically. I even remember replacing a couple factory ones back in the day.

Read this thread when you get the chance. It happened with a old blade that should have been replaced years ago but still an eye opener!

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar...r-be-very-careful-working-on-old-cars.347235/

Now I'm back to doing more research, damn I hate researching sometimes. So time consuming but it has to be done.

I only have 2-1/4" from the pump flange to the outside edge of a fan to work with, so I don't believe a clutch setup will work.

I was looking at this fan, I've bought two used ones so far, from swap meets, and both need work. I like new when possible.
https://m.summitracing.com/parts/der-17317

Also it's hard to get good measurements on the available fan shrouds out there but I have some.

I don't want electric fans.

Your fan clearance is exactly where I put mine. Works fine. I'm running a stock 7 blade steel fan though. I have seen those flex fans come apart at high RPM. I was able to use an original steel fan shroud after a little adapting to my 22"alumnum radiator and it cools fine. Got a nice glass beeded original shroud off EB for $45.00. View attachment 427212 View attachment 427213

You got a great deal on your shroud MW. Must have been a few years ago. Have you seen what the two piece ones are going for today? And they are reproducing them also. I like your setup

 

[5.7 hemi]

Get a stock 7 blade fixed fan and a shroud. That will work perfectly.

Or you can buy a cheap aluminum radiator, cut the brackets off, move them forward and gain 1/2-3/4 inch more clearance and run the Hayden super short heavy duty fan clutch and fan. I did this on my 69' Dart with a 383 as there wasn't much room for the clutch fan....worked great and I have 1/2-5/8 clearance from the clutch to the core.

 

[cdr]

2947 short hd clutch Hayden, 5718 Flex a lite fan blade, should fit.

 

[Bb70charger500]

I would like to see a picture of a fan sticking threw the hood!

 

[moparedtn]

Thanks people for all the replies.

I'm returning the Flex-a-lite. I was considering the light weight and added cooling that you get with them but really didn't add in the risk of the blades breaking. I remember hearing about that years ago too. With any fan, they need to be inspected periodically. I even remember replacing a couple factory ones back in the day.

Read this thread when you get the chance. It happened with a old blade that should have been replaced years ago but still an eye opener!

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar...r-be-very-careful-working-on-old-cars.347235/

Good Lord, the stories on that thread!
In my case, it was the Flex-a-lite on a '73 Cutlass I had at the time. Sucker took out the fan belt, then shish-ke-bobbed my radiator while I was going down the road one day. I was lucky in comparison to some of those folks in the stories in that thread.

 

[MW 413]

A few more fan photos.

 

[khryslerkid]

2947 short hd clutch Hayden, 5718 Flex a lite fan blade, should fit.

Thanks for the info, I'll check out the numbers.

 

[Mike67]

Hey kid, theres a guy over on C Bodies that has several shrouds for $50, they might work on your application..
www.forcbodiesonly.com/mopar-forum/threads/fan-shrouds.30582/