Homemade fiberglass fan shroud

[MXmaniac]

Over on the H.A.M.B. a guy made a tech post showing how to make a custom fan shroud out of fiberglass, so I decided to give it a shot. Here's what I did:

The first step, of course, is to make all your measurements. You need to know the diameter of your fan, the dimensions of your radiator, and where the fan is in relation to the radiator. I had to design mine to work around the lower radiator hose also.

I used a piece of 3/4" plywood that I had lying around to make the framework. I cut out the bottom piece(shape of the radiator), and then a circle that is 1" larger in diameter than the fan(to allow 1/2" clearance all the way around). Then I used some spacers to account for the upward angle of the motor and fan.

Next I used some stretchy T-shirt material and stretched it over the frame, and used a staple gun to attach it, making sure to pull out any wrinkles.

Now, I hate to say it, the fun part is over. The rest of the process is a sticky, itchy, smelly, dusty mess until your finished.

Before applying any resin I cut out the fiberglass mat to fit the shroud. Then I mixed up the resin and coated the T-shirt material, then set the fiberglass mat on it, coated it well, then gave it all another heavy coat and made any patches that were needed.

Once that cured for a few days I used an angle grinder with a 60-grit flap disk to cut it out. I basically sanded through all the corners, then *GENTLY* pried the shroud off the frame with a putty knife.

Then I cut the shroud into two pieces so it can be installed/removed without unbolting the fan. I haven't made the brackets yet, but they will be some pieces of aluminum strap either pop-riveted or bolted to the shroud then to the radiator supports. I'm also going to smooth the shroud out with a coat of body filler then paint it black.


So if your truck's running hot, or you just want to keep all your fingers attached to your hands, this is a simple way to make a nice shroud. The next time I make one I'll use more fiberglass reinforcement so it is stiffer, but this one will do what it needs to do.









I'll add the rest of the pictures later tonight. I thought I could get this finished before leaving for work, but I couldn't quite do it!