How close is your fan to your radiator

[pvienneau]

The fan on my 49 chevy 216 is a sheet of paper away from the radiator. Is this how the fans were in these old trucks? How close is your fan? And how close should it be?

Pat

[Denee007]

Wow! a sheet of paper close? That's close! logically in my little but significant brain~ seems like close would be good as long at it's not ever touching and a fan shroud could be incorporated?
This on my '59 Apache, I had my plastic replica engine in place trying to visualize the same thing your talking about. Here my HEI distributor is .5" away from the firewall, but haven't figured out the tilt of the engine yet~ eh, a ways off yet.

a good question!
dne'

[Coupeguy2001]

used to be 1 1/2" stock, but now since I installed the serpentine belt, installed the subframe, it is 8 inches away, time for a spacer and a shroud.

[Wheelie]

If your running a shroud it needs to be about halfway into the shroud. Otherwise I would keep it about half inch away to reduce buffeting and striking against the radiator. A sheet of paper is too close. The only thing I use a sheet of paper for testing for flow by checking to see if it can hold up the paper by sticking it on the front of the radiator. If the paper holds its good flow!

[mknittle]

That,s way too close!! 1/2 inch would be close for a street car

[Maximus]

Mine was about as close as yours, I used it on another project and opted for an electric fan.

[pvienneau]

OK, it looks like a couple fan blades have been bent out of original shape. 2 look correct and 2 look close to the radiator. Is it OK to just bend the others away from the radiator to 1/2 inch back?

Pat

[entourageguy]

I would not be bending fan blades. Abit of stress on that metal and things could break and start flying.

[mknittle]

I have seen hoods that fan blades have gone through! I wouldn't want to be in the way of that!

[Dan Bowles]

Fans are cheaper than hoods and radiators.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Dan Bowles

Fans are cheaper than hoods and radiators.

...and (human) body parts!

[pvienneau]

OK, no benmding the fan. Just came back from a garage that works on old trucks and the mechanic says everything looks fine but if I wanted I could move the radiator forward a quarter to half inch by installing on the front side of the bracket with minimal mod.

Pat

[Nordic]

Mine is about 3 inches from the radiator and will be about half way inside the shroud . Right now the shroud is deep it hits the alternator it is next to be cut down.

[GuyO]

Hi, a sheet of paper width away from your raditor is way too close IMO and the slightest mechanical malfunction could be extremely costly! If I am not mistaken it appears in your picture you have a "long" water pump which is about 1 1/2" longer than a "short" pump. If you have a choice the short pump would get you better clearance and still cool but also allow the engine to move and flex under different loads. Generally the fan should extend well into the shroud, some say "half way in" and be "approximately 1 1/2" away" from the radiator. I have seen them as far as 7" away so watch your gauge and see! G.

[B_Hix]

Mine is about 1.5". I'm using a thick Mustang II 4-row radiator with no spacer.

No room for a electric puller fan, but I'm thinking I may add a pusher fan. The truck is fine except in traffic on hot days - it's got up to 205 degrees on the worst day I have had.