The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 57 fan shroud installation questions

I purchased a 55-57 CHevy Truck Fan Shroud for V8 from here:
http://www.classicparts.com/prodinfo.asp?number=78-915

Part 78-915.

I am not sure how to go about installing it.
Do I need to remove the radiator and hoses to test install it and then do I need to trim off the plastic at the bottom and other places where it looks like it would hit the bottom radiator hose and lower pully?

It looks like I have about only 4.25 inches of clearance between the lower pully and the Radiator. The fan shroud is 4.75 inches deep. The bottom pully, which is a double pully on my truck (I guess for PS), but that pully is within 4.25 inches of the radiator. The belt is 5 inches from the radiator.

I have a http://www.classicparts.com/prodinfo.asp?number=78-213 Desert Cooler Radiator Manual trans installed. That may make the space a bit narrower.

The shroud sticks out 4.75" from the radiator. So I think the shoud is 3/4 inch too deep.

So the real question is: Are we suppose to cut/trim the shroud to make it fit?

Seems like I need to cut 3/4 inch off all the way around it to clear the pully, belt and the lower hose will need a dish out.

The shroud does have the slant built in to the stand offs like the radiator does which is good.

Also I was wondering if people typically cut a slit thru the bottom to make install around the fan and fan pully easier. That way maybe you do not have to remove the radiator to get it installed?

Or do people cut the whole thing in halfs horizontally or vertically?


I want to install this as I have an at idle overheating problem with my 283 V8. It runs fine while moving at about 20% of the heat range indicator. But when I stop at the dump and have to wait for 6 or 8 trucks to pay (way longer than a traffic light) it starts overheating and typically will get hot and stall out. Then I have to wait 20 minutes for it to cool and I can start it and things are fine.

I am hoping that the shroud will help pull air thru the radiator when stopped in line. The fan blade is a 6 blade replacement type. It is mounted on a 1 inch extension. It sits about 1.25 inches from the radiator, just far enough away to not have to pull the radiator to put it on.

I guess that is a bit far away from the radiator (and may be my problem) but to get it closer I would need another extension and would have to pull the radiator to put the extension and fan on.


I have heard from one Stovebolt member RATRODKING who cut the bottom in half for easier installation and then trimed as needed to fit.

I would love to hear anyone elses experiences with installing this part as well.

Thanks.

svwilbur, this site gets way more hits than the classicparts.com site. seems to be a little slow the past few days, maybe since it is mothers day weekend.
lots of helpful, cool dudes on this site.
good luck man..

leonard

a V8 in a TF MUST have a shroud, there's too much space with the rad mounted in the 6 cyl position [original V8 trucks had the rad moved back] .... OTOH, if you got the fan 1.25" from the rad, you're maybe using the side mounts, the front mounts will put it further back ... I wouldn't be suprised if the 'generic' fiberglas shrouds need to be trimmed, but splitting them shouldn't be necessary, as all you have to do is take off the fan and undo the top hose - need to get rid of that spacer on the fan too, as you want the fan to be spinning right at the edge of the shroud, not down inside it

here's a pic of the 60's car shroud I put on reds 283 [front mount] - note the spacer on the fan blade and it's still way back

Bill

Thanks for your help.

My 57 3100 was an original V8 so it already has the radiator moved back some compared to a 3100 with a 6 cylinder. But the engine is not original. It would have had either the 265 or the 283. Now it has a 283 but from a 60 era vehicle. Basically the same but the fan was quite a bit back, maybe the pully is different from the original, so I put a 1 inch spacer in to get it to about 1.25 inches from the radiator. I think the manual says it should be 3/4" from the radiator.

I am using the original V8 front mount style motor mounts. Everything should be about the same as original.

Some pictures of my truck and the radiator shroud are here: http://home.comcast.net/~svwilbur/ChevyPU57_work.html

lookin good, very nicely done!! .... the fan pulley looks right, maybe you've got a shorter nosed aftermarket water pump - you should be able to get a 1.5" spacer and get up close - a bit fiddly to install the fan, but that's what they make open end/box wrenches for - with that original shrouding it shouldn't be overheating, you might want to check the rad is 100% and flush the block

that shroud you got is designed for the rad in the 6cyl position, sorry, but you'll never get it to work for ya

Bill

Here's how the po installed one on my truck. Mine was born with a six, that's why there's the 1" bar between the rad and the core support. It was a real challenge to get the thing on and off - in retrospect I think the "easy" way would be to leave the rad on the core support and take the core support off the truck (with the rad still on the core support) to install the shroud (if it fits your v-8).

http://picasaweb.google.com/ChrisAurit/TruckBefore02/photo#5199436709865499186

on reading these posts, it seem that i may have the 6 cylinder shround installed on my truck, which has a v-8 now.
my fan sets about 1 inch from radiator, but the aftermarket fiberglass shround i bought from classic, just like svwilbur's, comes way in to the alternator.
i do have a spacer betweent he fan and water pump, so i may have to remove the spacer to get the fan in toward the motor more.
although it still runs the exact same as it did when i first bought the truck. never overheating.
here is a pic of what i have now.

http://s251.photobucket.com/albums/...00/?action=view&current=DSC01422.jpg

and on second thought, i dont think i can remove the spacer, since it would put the fan into the alternator and belt.
i will leave it this way for now.
why dont they make a shroud for a v-8 specifically ?
strange.
but like i said, mine didnt run hot before without the shroud, and still runs the same with it. i really wanted the shroud for looks and to keep my fingers safe while playing under the hood with it running.
any thoughts guys on my set up ?
thanks.
leonard

desert_buick, do you have a spacer between your fan and water pump ?
if not, that is probably why the po installed the spacer between the radiator and the support, to get the radiator closer to the fan.
my truck was originally a 6 cylinder also, and now has a v-8, but dont have a spacer betweent he radiator, like yours. mine has a spacer between the fan and water pump.
leonard

both of you have the fan too far into the shroud - Desert_buick, you could take those spacers out, the V8 rad position was a lot further back than that, the core support was mounted back where those odd holes are in the inner fender, with the triangular brace spot-welded on behind, about 4"

both you guys pics show the same shroud I put on a buddys 56 here, it did require some fiddlin to get it on, but it definitely shouldn't take cutting or installing with the rad off the truck, the extensions putting the fan way into the shroud is the reason for that, as I said above, the fan should be flush with the opening, inside it's creating turbulence that defeats the purpose

I'm suprised King, that you didn't find overheating with long idles in summer traffic before the shroud .... "why dont they make a shroud for a v-8 specifically?" the original factory design works ok for a 283, no shroud, with everything in good shape - the aftermarket shroud is specifically for installing a V8 'conversion', and 350's are the common conversion, even with the fan 3/4" off the rad a 350 can overheat in there

Bill

thanks for the tips red58.
i havent had my truck long, about 3 months, but have driven it in traffic, and at a stop light it didnt over heat and still dont now with the shroud.
now, maybe in a real traffic jam it might, but i have not been stuck in a traffic jam yet.
red58, bill, when you installd your buddies shroud on his 56, how far was the fan from the radiator ? mine is about 1 inch from it,a nd seems that if i were to remove the fan spacer to get the fan back away fromt he radiator, putting it at the very opening of the shroud, it seems that it would hit the alternator and belt, thus needing the spacer installed.
something just dont sound right.
shouldnt there be a thick shroud for a 6 cylinder and a thin one for the v-8's
how could my v-8 350 set closer to the radiator than a 283 v-8 truck ?
thanks again.
leonard

So I have a question....
I bought this item since it specifically said for V8 only.
It did not say for V8 conversions.
But anyways if you look at my truck pics here:
http://home.comcast.net/~svwilbur/ChevyPU57_work.html
you will see it is an orignal V8 truck as in it came with a V8. The engine currently in it is different than the original but it is close. The very last picture on the page shows the new shroud sitting on top of the top of the radiator and the rearmost (leftmost) part of the shroud seems to line up with my belts. I think I could trim some off to get it to fit but it may be too close to the engine.

If I trim more off the hole will get bigger and may/will reduce the effect of having the shroud as air will easily pass around the ends of the blades and the hole opening of the shroud.

So am I just screwed?

I guess I could have a different one fabricated or something.

I can move the fan a bit closer to the radiator and see if that helps.

comments?

Thanks in advance. I just want to get it to stop overheating when I am idling in traffic for 5 or 10 minutes. The rest of the time it is fine.

Looking at the pictures again it looks like I would have to trim the last outermost 2 inches off to get the shroud anywhere close to the fan blades. I could take the spacer out and that would pull the blades back an inch. But the hole opening would then be about 20 inches not the 18 it was and in the corners it would be about 22 inches wide. This is a difference in that the shape is not circular until the very end of the shroud. As it is tapered from a square to a round.

I guess that would be way too much extra space around the ends/tips of the blades to do any good?

It would probably just cycle air from the motor area back into the shroud and back out again?


What about adding a front mounted electric fan. In front of the radiator that I could switch on when I am stopped?

Are there any good reday to go kits for that?

the 6 cyl is much longer than a V8, so the fan was close to the rad, didn't need or have a shroud, not to mention that you could prolly take the fan off a 235 and still not have it overheat, they're real cold blooded

the reason that shroud is advertised as "for V8 only" is the vast majority of trucks were originally 235's [rad forward, no shroud] and most folks want to install a V8, but a shroud was NOT originally installed for a V8, moving the rad for the same close space was what made it work - so the shroud is specifically for a V8 (installed in a 6 cyl truck), but if the fan is 3/4" with a good rad, good water pump, correct fan, and clean block, a good running 283 won't overheat

RAT - I don't remember the details, but there wasn't a spacer long enough to get the fan within an inch ... the mounting is the difference, the 283 had mounts from the front of the block to the front crossmember, if your 350 has side mounts, it was put 'where ever', compared to that, and looks slightly forward of where the factory V8 was, Andy's is back closer to the firewall ... don't have any pics after the shroud, but when I started detailing it looked like this, note space firewall to valve cover compared to yours, and compared to the 283 in the stock position

I see how you cut the shroud for the alternator, I didn't have to do that - I think you might be OK without the shroud except at extended idle in 100 degree weather

wilbur - I'm not sure if the aftermarket fan might make a difference in airflow, but you can definitely get a longer spacer to move it closer, and no matter what, I doubt you'll even get a shroud in there, let alone do any good with it, you'd have to cut it back to about where the white patch is in that pic - I'd be inclined to refund it before you cut on it, and figure out why the truck isn't cooling well enough .... turning it off as soon as you stop in those lineups can work too ... yes, most of the vendors offer pusher electric fans, but that'd have to be 'the' fan, otherwise it'd interfere with air flow for the engine fan

Bill

bill, you seem to be right, in the comparison of mine and your pics, my engine does seem to be more forward. strange, since mine has the factory type motor mounts.
i really think mine is ok without the shroud, and really just wanted it to keep my fingers from getting caught in the fan, but never got caught in a real traffic jam. this weekend it was 96 degrees saturday, and my truck didnt over heat, although i was at normal red lights, waithin only like 4 minutes tops.
thnaks bill for you very detailed info and help.
i love this site.
leonard

bill, here is a pic of the rear of my engine and the clearance between the valve covers and firewall

http://s251.photobucket.com/albums/...00/?action=view&current=DSC01235.jpg

and here is a pic of my motor mounts.

http://s251.photobucket.com/albums/...00/?action=view&current=DSC01221.jpg

your thoughts ?

leonard

yes, that's way forward of original or what folks usually do - the original mounts have the valve cover just an inch or 2 from the firewall, so tight that an HEI distributor won't fit without indenting the firewall, and the lower pully [in front of balancer] is just about flush with the back of that front crossmember, yours is at the front of it

you have the 'factory' car or after-1960 truck mounts, but the 55-59 mounts are this [note pulley], off the front of the block where you'll see bosses and holes in your block, usually used for accessories on 350's

looks like a good install, but there must be a longer driveshaft, or a longer trans ... sometimes folks wind up eliminating the e-brake cross shaft there because the side mounts would be right at the same point to use the original trans and driveshaft

Bill

Ratrodking,

If you look at mine : http://home.comcast.net/~svwilbur/ChevyPU57/images/HPIM0587.JPG
http://home.comcast.net/~svwilbur/ChevyPU57/images/mmount.JPG

You can see the front drivers side mount just under the oil filler cap. And just under the generator. It is that big washer and rubbers and bolt deal.

And the rear of the valve cover is 1.25 inches vertically below the firewall and actually the flare goes under the firewall.

See here: http://home.comcast.net/~svwilbur/ChevyPU57/images/up-tight.JPG and here http://home.comcast.net/~svwilbur/ChevyPU57/images/tuckunder.JPG

And the distributer is up inside the indent: http://home.comcast.net/~svwilbur/ChevyPU57/images/dist_in_indent.JPG

Yeah, there was a spacer, huge, in fact. he probably couldn't get one long enough so he had to "improvise". all of it's been scrapped in favor of an alum rad and flex-a-lite.

http://picasaweb.google.com/ChrisAurit/MidBuildUpdate/photo#5194642908218212370

bill and stacey, thanks much for your input.
i never seen those type of motor mounts. i am kind of glad mine is the way it is, since they seem a little stonger than those factory type mounts, and i love having all the room i have around the distributor and valve covers.
and desert_buick, your ride is coming along evry nicely.
leonard

The stock mounts are weak and do not provide much torque resistance. Side ones are better. That is why they are done that way now. I just wanted you to see what they use to look like when made back in 57.

Thanks for everyones help on this stuff.

I don't know about weak Stacey, if they're in good condition the ol 283 can smoke the tires without any problems the bellhouse mounts should absorb the torque - I think the reason they changed to side mount was because of increased front mounted accessory options and more common use of automatics, which put the rear support point much farther back under the trans .... the cars used the side mounts from the beginning

I would like the extra room at the firewall tho of having the engine forward rather than the rad back

Bill

hey stacey, something popped in my head today while at work.
back in the day, i had a 1985 chevy s10 with a 2.8 v-6.
it was about 7 years old, with 70k miles, but would start to run hot in traffic with a/c on. i always wanted an electric push fan, so i installed one on it.
it didnt help at all.
so i cahnged the radiator, and that cured the problem.
you might be needing a radiator.
leonard

I put a new radiator in it 16 years ago. Yes that's a long time ago but it was only about 5 thousand miles ago if that. I do not use it much. At the same time I put in a new water pump. I still had issues back then with it overheating the same way as it does now. So nothing different here. I also did a new pressure cap and hoses and recently puty on a better fan. I think it is all still fine. I suppose the water pump may have coroded some of the blades in it just sitting.

I will try moving the fan close to the radiator first and see what that does.

I have to move my son out of his appartment at college on Sat or Sunday so I will get a real test of it as it is now when I do that. I hope I do not get stranded somewhere. Well I have the good AAA towing now so I can always have them tow me the rest of the way home!


What was that old saying about "I would rather push a Chevy than drive a Ford"? Sometime when I am stuck with it overheating in the hot sun I start wondering about that. But I still do love the truck and would hate to ever part with it.

might try a good block flush too, the lower area has pretty small passages that do tend to sludge up, and that'd happen with a lot of sitting .... and make sure you have a good thermostat

Bill

my buddy just pulled his 56 panel out of storage for the summer and came by - I happened to remember this thread and took some pics of the shroud I installed on it, might be a different make than the one linked in the original post here, but thought the pics might be helpful to someone, it fits and works well - radiator in the 6 cyl [forward] position

Bill