Looking for any info on rad/fan combo that someone has put in a 48-53 3100 truck using an LS engine? Another question is the frt of the engine pulley system used. I plan on Vintage air system so room is most likely an issue with routing of belts. Several sources offering different arrangements of pulleys to accommodate but I hoped someone might have been down this road and could offer suggestions. Any help/suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Tell the folks at Vintage Air exactly what you are working on or doing and they can supply you with all the brackets and pulleys to be included in your “Kit”.
Martin '62 Chevy C-10 Stepside Shortbed (Restomod in progress) '47 Chevy 3100 5 Window (long term project) ‘65 Chevy Biscayne (Emily) ‘39 Dodge Business Coupe (Clarence) “I fought the law and the law won" now I are a retired one! Support those brave men/women who stand the "Thin Blue Line"! Hug a cop! USAF 1965-1969 Weather Observation Tech (I got paid to look at the clouds)
We use Vintage on most of the rides we build but prefer the Old Air Products for AD's. Fits up under the dash better, retains full size glove box, and can get with cable controls rather than vacuum or electric servos. Both have the same performance and price. Your LS should have a serpentine pulleys and belts which shortens the length of the engine and gives plenty of radiator room. Has been done thousands of times so a search should provide detailed pictures and answers.
We use Vintage on most of the rides we build but prefer the Old Air Products for AD's. Fits up under the dash better, retains full size glove box, and can get with cable controls rather than vacuum or electric servos. Both have the same performance and price. Your LS should have a serpentine pulleys and belts which shortens the length of the engine and gives plenty of radiator room. Has been done thousands of times so a search should provide detailed pictures and answers.
I much prefer Old Air Products as well because their customer service is a lot better. On my last project I was trying to set up a slightly unusual system and when I called vintage air they rudely told me that all the info was online (what I was looking for was not) and any idiot can install it. In contrast, when I called Old Air products, they put me in touch with one of their technicians who was knowledgeable enough to understand my question and was willing to send me some documentation on their system that let me be confident that I could modify it to do what I wanted.
When I got the Old Air kit, it matched the documentation and everything went smoothly.
So yeah, Old Air Products has a pretty much permanent customer here. Not so much for Vintage Air.
Hey, any suggestions on the pulley system to use for the front of the engine?? It looks like it might be a tight fit and the outlets for the heater hoses will need to have some help. Straight out fittings look to close to the skirt to make the turn and not pinch off the flow. There are several suppliers but hope to get a suggestion on which one?? My eng is out of 2005 Tahoe and the crank pulley stick out pretty far it seems. Ls1 5.3 Gen 3 Thanks for any help!!
Are you wanting to use a factory system of some kind? Or are you looking at aftermarket ones?
The F-body front drive is the shallowest factory one that I know of. They are pretty popular with swap people, but enough were made that you can get them reasonably cheaply.
I put one of these adjustable thermoset outlets on my vette because I needed a weird angle for it: https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-Chevy-LS-Swivel-Water-Neck,370760.html
I had the same issue with the heater hoses dumping directly into the control arm mount. My solution for that was to pull the nipples out (they are just pressed in) and tapped the holes for pipe plugs, then drilled/tapped the body of the water pump for NPT fittings farther up the body. It was a bit of work, but it was super cheap.
Stock LS truck accessories will clear any stock fitting rad no problem. Check out my build page. LS in a 49 GMC. Very easy. Use a straight thermostat housing to make life easy. Only real “mod” to fit anything on mine was I had to notch the inner fender to get heater hose clearance…… but my engine is also offset to pass side for steering box clearance. I also run AC. Love the whole setup.
Stock LS truck accessories will clear any stock fitting rad no problem. Check out my build page. LS in a 49 GMC.
But the GMC's radiator sits about an inch and a half further forward than a same year Chevy. Makes for more room at the front of the engine,
'57 GMC 102, Original 347 V8, HydraMatic, 3.08 rear gear, added A/C, disk front brakes, HEI, AFB carb, '98 Honda Black Currant paint. T-boned and totaled 10/12 '52 GMC 152 Stake Bed, Original 228, SM420, added A/C, HEI, disk front brakes, '67 Chev 3.55 rear gear. Gets used as a real truck.
Hmmm ya got me. I actually have a chevy rad in mine because its the only cheapo aluminum one ebay had a available when I built mine. Now they have gmc ones of course. All i did was notch my top support for the chevy cap to clear because the gmc uses a 90deg neck. I have a aluminum fan shroud and a spal fan on it and i still have at least 3” of space between tip of threads on waterpump pulley to spal fan.
When I set my water pump on and put my fingers like you did, I have that room, but my cooling fan isn't on my radiator with it there is no room. My engine is as far back as it can go short of changing the firewall to a recessed firewall. That's why I think I need to find a set of pulleys and pump setup that has more clearance to work with. I tried to download pics but the format on my phone will not work on the forum. From the end of my throttle body to the surface of the radiator with no cooling fan is only 6 and 3/4 inches. I'm just stuck for answers at this point....
Talked to Vintage Air very helpful on moving the a/c condenser in closer to the frt of the radiator and notching the support but nothing on space from radiator to frt of eng. Has anyone had any luck putting the fan in frt of the radiator with the a/c condenser in place? Would it cool the system OK or does the fan need to be on the engine side pulling air and not pushing from the frt? Just trying to find out what someone may have tried before. Thanks for any advice!
There are pushers that go in front of the rad and pullers that go behind. Either can work, but make sure you buy the one that matches your installation.
Power up the fan on your workbench and see what direction the air flows. Then envision how it is going to be mounted in the vehicle and make sure the air is flowing the correct direction (front to back).
Here’s my 51, 3100 with a 5.3 LS while it was under construction. Like you I didn’t have room for a fan on the engine side of the radiator. I called Vintage Air’s tech line and they recommended the correct CFM fan for mounting to the condenser in front of the radiator. I don’t remember the exact CFM rating they suggested but give them a call as they are very helpful.
The fan is wired so that either the engine coolant temperature sensor or the AC Trinary Switch can activate the fan. Like Mark, I installed the biggest CFM fan I could find.
The truck is finished now and I have 170 miles on it so far. I’ve experienced no overheating issues and I have driven the truck in 100 degree weather, although not in stop and go traffic. Hope this helps.
Dan
35 CC Case 38 Chevy Pickup 51 3100 AD 58 3100 Apache Fleetside
I’m using an aluminum replacement radiator, aluminum shroud and 16” fan in mine with no clearance issues. Word of advice with the vintage air, you’ll need the sanden mini compressor and brackets for it. The standard compressor and brackets they send will require you to notch your inner fender.
I called Vintage and they recommended part # 021553 it's a way to move the radiator forward about 1 3/8 inches forward and adapted brackets for the condenser. It was designed for a 6-cylinder application, but I need the forward room. I moved the radiator, and it looks good. I haven't got the accessory brackets and pulleys for the frt of the engine so I don't know how much closer I am, but it will help but I need the parts for the frt of the engine to see. Thinking of using the Holley set up...
Here are some pics of the front of the engine to radiator clearance.
The threaded part of the water pump pulley is 5/8” from the radiator. I’ve been told that an LS3 water pump and accessory drive will bolt up to the 5.3 and that it keeps everything closer to the engine. Don’t know if that’s really true, maybe someone with more knowledge on the LS engine will chime in.
One of the pics shows how far back the engine sits on the RH side in relation to the firewall.
Dan
35 CC Case 38 Chevy Pickup 51 3100 AD 58 3100 Apache Fleetside
My engine appears to be back like yours. The only difference is the radiator position. The part number I listed that they gave me lets my radiator set forward about 1& 3/8 inch forward from original. That would give me a little room more than you have but fan has to be on the condenser side which I assume yours is. It is tight in there for sure....lol. What pulley accessory set up is on yours. My original trk mount would not work for mine. .Like I said the Holley looks like it would go fine. Vintage has a good looking one but little more than some. Thank you for the pictures hope mine looks as neat as yours.
My accessory drive is stock except for the AC compressor. I used a Vintage Air, LS Mount Bracket 7176 to mount the AC compressor, which worked great.
My fan is mounted on the condenser in front of the radiator. It’s a Flex-A-Lite, 239/119 Pusher Fan that puts out 3000 CFM. The engine coolant temperature sensor or the AC Trianary Switch will activate the fan.
I’m not familiar with the Holley setup.
How far from completing your truck are you?
Dan
35 CC Case 38 Chevy Pickup 51 3100 AD 58 3100 Apache Fleetside
Got the frame pretty well set up...engine tranny setting in drive shaft made...fuel tank set up....cab close except two part windshield needs fine tune for fit. Had to replace roof skin and cowl panel upper and firewall. All the square checks for inner skirts bolted in and radiator in place looks good. Doors fit good...just fine tunning things...windshield glass seems to be biggest hold up for finishing cab.
