55.2-59 Radiator fan does fit. Help !!

[mrbuck]

Got the rad support mounted up today and just when things were going good BAM ! Fan doesn’t clear water pump pulley. It’s a cold case rad. That comes complete with fan and shroud especially for 55-59 trucks. I looks like I’m about an inch short on clearing the water pump.

[mrbuck]

Pics

[mrbuck]

The last picture shows where rad. Support is mounted as I know locations vary from different models.

Can I just move radiator support forward?

Can I mount radiator in front of support? Is there room between grill fenders etc.

Or should I start looking for a thinner fan?

[01spirit750]

Not really an expert, I do not think you can move the radiator forward.
I have mine mounted in the same position and that is all the way forward.
The fenders mount to it so it must be located there.

How is your engine mounted? It seems the engine is set forward a fair amount?

I am running a short water pump setup so that provided another inch or so of clearance between the water pump and the radiator.

I am in norcal also. Where abouts are you located?

Chris

[mrbuck]

spirit_ im in santa rosa,

when you say move radiator forward are you meaning the entire radiator support assembly?

if so does anyone know how much i can move the assebly and still get hood fenders and grill to still fit?

[mr48chev]

Looks like it would work perfect with the mechanical fan that that shroud was intended to be used with.

[joedoh]

there have been a few complaints of overheating with those shroud/electric fan combos because the air is obstructed as it tries to go through the efan opening. looking at it logically, where does the air that flows through the fins in the corners of the rads have to go?

that type of efan already has a "shroud", really a duct for efficiency. you can take the extra aluminum shroud off and mount the efan directly to your rad with some of the ties for rads that go through the fins, that alone would probably give you the spacing you need.

[MiraclePieCo]

Originally Posted by joedoh

there have been a few complaints of overheating with those shroud/electric fan combos because the air is obstructed as it tries to go through the efan opening. looking at it logically, where does the air that flows through the fins in the corners of the rads have to go?

that type of efan already has a "shroud", really a duct for efficiency. you can take the extra aluminum shroud off and mount the efan directly to your rad with some of the ties for rads that go through the fins, that alone would probably give you the spacing you need.

BINGO! A stock radiator core measures roughly 21"x19" or 420 sq in. A shroud opening for an average 16" fan measures a mere 200 sq in. When you use a shroud you are now trying to force 400"+ through a 200" opening - essentially blocking off half your radiator. That equals RESTRICTION. My cars have all cooled best without a shroud.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by MiraclePieCo

BINGO! A stock radiator core measures roughly 21"x19" or 420 sq in. A shroud opening for an average 16" fan measures a mere 200 sq in. When you use a shroud you are now trying to force 400"+ through a 200" opening - essentially blocking off half your radiator. That equals RESTRICTION. My cars have all cooled best without a shroud.

They can cool better going down the road without a shroud and then FRY at stop lights because only a small portion of the radiator is having air pulled through it. THAT is why a shroud is used, it allows the fan to pull air through ALL of the radiator, and MORE air at that! Without the shroud the air can be pulled from the sides of the rear of the radiator and not pull it THROUGH the radiator allowing it to cool the fluid that is inside the radiator.

A shroud is much better, but it also needs a fan that is good enough to pull all that air through.

Brian

[layinrocker65]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

They can cool better going down the road without a shroud and then FRY at stop lights because only a small portion of the radiator is having air pulled through it. THAT is why a shroud is used, it allows the fan to pull air through ALL of the radiator, and MORE air at that! Without the shroud the air can be pulled from the sides of the rear of the radiator and not pull it THROUGH the radiator allowing it to cool the fluid that is inside the radiator.

A shroud is much better, but it also needs a fan that is good enough to pull all that air through.

Brian

I’ll add to this and point out that many aftermarket and most current factory shrouds have doors or flaps to allow air to blow through when cruising and then stay shut when the fan is on during low speed operation. Best of both worlds.

[mr48chev]

Just out of curiosity, how far do you have that engine sitting away from the firewall?

Usually when the engine is in it's normal TF truck V8 engine spot guys are trying to get the fan close enough to the radiator especially if the truck was a six cylinder truck to begin with.

[mrbuck]

Not sure haven’t mounted the cab yet. Frame was modified with Heidts M2 front end per their instructions and layout of motor mounts. You can see more in my build thread.

[paulspickupparts]

The 55-59 Chevy trucks ran a short shaft water pump . You have switched your system to a long shaft . So you have eaten up several inches of space. I know you would hate to give up your serpentine belt system but that is what caused the problem . The long shaft water pump never came on these trucks . You do not want to move your radiator support . You will open up a mess . V-8 trucks did come with the support in a different location but was even closer to the engine which you do not want. Go to a short water pump or try the other suggestion to see if you can modify the fan set up.

[NeoJuice]

Put the fan on the front of the rad not the engine compartment side.

Instead of it being a pull fan, it will now be a push fan. I have my fan mounted on the front of my rad and it pushes through the rad just fine. IMO just like MiraclePieCo said I would also remove the shroud because of the air restriction but that's my two bits.

[mrbuck]

Originally Posted by NeoJuice

Put the fan on the front of the rad not the engine compartment side.

Instead of it being a pull fan, it will now be a push fan. I have my fan mounted on the front of my rad and it pushes through the rad just fine. IMO just like MiraclePieCo said I would also remove the shroud because of the air restriction but that's my two bits.

Is this really a viable option? It seams to be the easiest solution. Are there any conflicts with grill/ hood latch etc.

[_Ogre]

i believe that your motor is too far forward, 58TRUK has a sbc with long pump and has no clearance issues
you really need to have the cab on your frame to properly place the motor and trans
included are a couple pics showing clearances around my ramjet 350
truk is an original V8 truck, i believe the motor is in the stock location
truk runs a shrouded electric fan and has no cooling issues in 100°+ temps with the ac on

[daveshilling]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

i believe that your motor is too far forward, 58TRUK has a sbc with long pump and has no clearance issues
you really need to have the cab on your frame to properly place the motor and trans
included are a couple pics showing clearances around my ramjet 350
truk is an original V8 truck, i believe the motor is in the stock location
truk runs a shrouded electric fan and has no cooling issues in 100°+ temps with the ac on

+1 for inspecting the engine mounting location... You might be able to simply add adjustable mount plates and scoot the engine back, although if you've already made a driveshaft that may be undesireable.

Any time you can put more engine weight behind the front axle I think you are improving your truck.

[mrbuck]

PaulsPP- yes it’s a 6 cylinder truck, and the radiator does seem big it over 7” including the fan.

Thanks for all the help guys.

[mrbuck]

Good idea Dave, the only ones I saw online are dirty dingo and they’re 130 bucks. Might be cheaper than trying to return and replace the radiator and fan parts.

Today I finished the body work on the floor of the cab, I wanted to get that done before mounting it to frame. I need to under coat the cab then I’ll test fit it and see if there is room to move the motor back, and if so how much.

Only thing is I leaving in the morning for Nashville, for a week so it’ll be a bit til,the cab goes on.

[mrbuck]

Do these pull clips actually work? Them don’t seem like they would secure the fan very well. Anyone ever use these or similar ones?

Four Seasons 53014 - Four Seasons Fan Mount Pull Tie Kits
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/fss-53014

[57tailgater]

To put an electric fan in front of the radiator you’ll need to 1) make sure it’s a pusher and 2) work around the “X” bracing. Looks like the radiator mount is already in the 6 cylinder position which is the furthest ahead of the stock 2 positions. ‘58/59’s have a radiator mount that is further forward but then you’ll get into other front end pieces that won’t bolt together.

[mrbuck]

Originally Posted by 57tailgater

To put an electric fan in front of the radiator you’ll need to 1) make sure it’s a pusher and 2) work around the “X” bracing. Looks like the radiator mount is already in the 6 cylinder position which is the furthest ahead of the stock 2 positions. ‘58/59’s have a radiator mount that is further forward but then you’ll get into other front end pieces that won’t bolt together.

Any suggestions on one that will fit around the x braces?

[57tailgater]

Originally Posted by mrbuck

Any suggestions on one that will fit around the x braces?

The X brace crosses right in the middle so not sure how to work around it. I thought I had seen a build somewhere where someone made a rectangular shape open in the middle with struts extending from the corners to the original mounting locations to locate an oil cooler. Maybe one could do the same. You will also need to see if you have enough room between the brace / radiator and grill for the fan.

You could also check this build out as it looks like he removed the cross brace at some point. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=770123 I assume removing this tho may put additional stress on the radiator as things move around.

[Tempest67]

Yes, those pull clips work fine. Have you ever tried to undo a zip tie?

I used them to mount my electric fan on an aluminum rad on my 51 and all is good.

position the fan on the rad with the supplied pads/cushions, push the tabs through the fins of the rad, and tighten til snug. (don't crush the fins by over tightening)

here is the best pic I could find

[mrbuck]

Thanks tempest. I think I’m just gonna switch to mechanical fan with no shroud. Making sure I’ve got plenty of room.