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Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
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| | | | Joined: Oct 2023 Posts: 327 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2023 Posts: 327 | Seeing comments different places about the older style 216 fans being dangerous, flying through hoods, etc. What's the story with this?
I have one for my 235 because it fit the earlier style pump after I did the relocation plate. Should I scrap it and use a different fan?
Last edited by RBs36; 04/20/2026 6:50 PM.
| | | | | Joined: May 2015 Posts: 11,055 Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums | | Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums Joined: May 2015 Posts: 11,055 | They aren’t inherently dangerous but should be inspected for cracks. After 70+ years cracks are a potential problem. I have a two blade fan that was on my 216 when I got it. A previous owner converted it from a 3-blade fan. But I found a good 4- blade fan for it.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truckFollow this saga in Project JournalPhotos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2011 Posts: 1,453 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Sep 2011 Posts: 1,453 | Had a blade brake off on my '60 when I was in high school, shook like a dog, put a small ding in the LH frame. Just glad it went down!
BC
1960 Chevy C10 driver 261 T5 4.10 dana 44 power loc
1949 GMC 250 project in waiting
1960 C60 pasture art
Retired GM dealer tech. 1980 - 2022
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2013 Posts: 1,362 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Sep 2013 Posts: 1,362 | All fan blades are potentially dangerous. In a perfect world they'd all have fan shrouds (increasing cooling function and safety) and we'd inspect the rivets and blades for cracks on a regular basis. AND WE'D NEVER STAND OVER OR BESIDE ONE AND REV THE ENGINE. A cousin had a blade break and come off as the leaned over the radiator and worked the throttle on the Holly carb. Died almost instantly when the blade came off at who knows what high rpm and hit his head. Happened 40 years ago, I'll never forget that lesson.
RonR
Last edited by moparguy; 04/21/2026 12:20 AM.
RonR
1951 3600 with Clark flatbed, T5, 4.10 rear
1970 340 Duster
1990 5.0 V8 Miata (1990 Mustang Gt Drivetrain)
1964 CJ5
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2023 Posts: 327 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2023 Posts: 327 | Oh, no, that's horrible. Sorry to hear that. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2022 Posts: 2 Moderated | | Moderated Joined: Sep 2022 Posts: 2 | I think you have a choice between original equipment, which may be dangerously metal-fatigued, and new knock-offs, some of which are dangerously cheap.
My stepdad threw a fan blade on his '54. Before he could get it stopped, he threw another one and presto -- a two-blade fan. A few years after he changed out the fan, he sold me the truck and eventually I had the same experience. Happily, none of those (four!) flying blades went through sheet metal or human meat. Just whanged off the ground and frame.
Daughter and I changed it out again, and she burbled happily off into her early adulthood. Fan was still spinning along with all four blades when the truck was stolen.
I'm not a fan of thieves...
Codeine takes the pain from every muscle but the heart.
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2010 Posts: 601 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Aug 2010 Posts: 601 | One day my Dad's 1979 Cadillac got an odd dent in the hood, it was from the inside out. Didn't take long to figure out that one of the fan bladed had detached. Thankfully while the hood was closed!
1965 C60 school bus | 1967 GMC 6500 school bus
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