If you do experience clearance problems (as I did with my 56-235 in a 54 chassis) you might need to revert to the earlier style water pump with the correct diameter fixed pulley and an adaptor plate that centers the fan higher on the radiator and gives added clearance. I got my adaptor plate from pre68Dave on this site ($40) and the pump was from NAPA. 3/8 and 5/8 groove pumps were both available. Buying the pricey "short conversion pump" offered by some vendors positioned the pump too low, and there were clearance issues between the fan and the harmonic balancer. Aside from the fact that the short pump I purchased at a dear price didn't do the job, I can now replace the pump as/if needed from a local parts house.

The adaptor plate does require some DIY drilling and tapping on the front of the engine but it correctly positions the pump/fan. Just my $.03.


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