The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Fan Spacer on TF 235?

My aluminum fan spacer got a little chewed up when the belt and pully broke. I'm afraid it might be a hair out of balance. I scored a NOS Pulley on Ebay, but I'm wondering if I need to reinstall the spacer? Do other Taskforce models have them? The factory assembly manual doesn't show one, but it often doesn't seem to have been updated after the 55 model. Here's a picture. Spacer Its about an inch thick. With it, the fan was close enough to the radiator that I couldn't use a socket to remove the bolts. I suspect it could be reused, but I'm curious if this was a factory part or PO addition.

Eric,
From what I have read and saw over the years, the face of the fan setting 3/4" from the radiator is the SWEET spot that everyone shoots for.
That would make sence as to why you couldnt get a socket on the old one it was prob. settin in that range that is the most preffered.
I would use the spacer if it was me.
Just my 2 pennies
Tim

I don't have a spacer on my Task Force 1955 235ci. That's not to say there didn't used to be one that someone took off, but to the best of my knowledge my engine appears to be stock and untouched. If you're that concerned with the spacer being unbalanced I wouldn't run it, but since it's aluminum and doesn't look too damaged I would like to think you'd be fine running it. If it was really out of balanced you'd see the fan wobbling around as soon as you started the engine. How the heck did the pulley break like that?!? That's quite impressive!

as Tim sez, the fan should be close enough you need to use a box wrench to remove the bolts, but that is NOT an original spacer - if you're leery of re-using that one, you could get a replacement at any FLAPS ... or find an original .... and later years did use them

Bill

That is dramatic! I just removed oa original pulley from my 261, and it had a load spreading washer behind it. It's a round washer with a slight radius where the pulley would touch the waterpump flange. The radius on the inside of the pulley is pretty tight, and it looks like it would not sit flush without the washer thingy.

Blackjack, How thick is the washer? Does it look likeThis?

Neil & Everyone

You have not seen the back side of the spacer. That's were its chewed up, but I really can't imagine it would be too much out of balance. I think I caused this by having the fan belt too tight. The old one was sqeaking and looked like it was on its last legs, I bought a shorter wider one, but it was too short (17400?) (40") so I put on the spare from 2007. I assume it was the same size (15405) (40.5") as the worn squeaky one since I bought 2 at once that year. This all happened about 20 to 30 miles after replacing the belt. I knew it was "snug", but figured it would strech. I was driving home and heard sounds like stones being kicked up, but it seemed odd. That was the center section disintegrating. Then there was a wap, wap, wap sound. That was the belt flapping around. I made a note to check that out once I got home. Then maybe 1/2 mile after wap, wap, wap. I smelled hot coolant, and saw my temp gauge was in the 250 neighborhood, its arm roated 180 degress past normal (as in 3 o'clock compared to 9). That got my attention and I stopped right then. Opening the hood revealed that my former fan belt was now stuck around the pully or spacer

The truck is parked for the winter, so I have time to find a better spacer. I have seen the reinforcement listed in the 1929-57 parts catalog. For '55-57 truck and cars. There is a note that says "Pumps having fan and pully hub pressed to .348 dim. must use the reinforcement when replacing pump with pressed dim of .288." So it might be used to take the difference up when when a water pump with .348 shaft stickout replaces one with a .288. I'm not real sure. Given the level of disentergration, I can't tell if I had one or not either. I'll probably just look how the belt lines up, or maybe buy one and see how that effects line up.

The pulley face of the water pump seems to have ridges. I am planning to take the engine out this winter for a paint job and will take a closer look at what's going on there then.

After the break down I debated how to get the truck home, I was almost there maybe 3 miles to go. After 10 or 15 minutes of sitting at the initial point, I hoped it would get a mile to my neighbor's sisters' where I could leave it safely to cool off good. It heated right back up, so I stopped in a 1/4 miles at the first turn. I was concerned my wife would be reluctant to partipate in towing me home, so I figured I would leave the truck and come back in an hour or two. She was on the way to pick me up, when a stanger asked if I needed a tow! He'd seen me stopped along the highway and when he saw me again not much further away, so he asked. That was scary, he got us up to about 40 and I'm 10 or 20 feet behind him wondering if he knows I only have manual drum brakes. I gave the whoa sign with my hand and got us down to 30 and then we slowly coasted to the turn on my road. Worked out great. Later on I started it up and drove it inside the garage where its sat since, but I don't think I runined the motor.

Yes sir that is the washer mine had! I think it is more than just a spacer, as it conforms to the contour of the inside of the pulley, and without it, I suspect, the sharp edge of the waterpump flange would rest somewhere along the radius of the pulley, and concentrate force on the edge. However, I imagine sheer age and metal fatgue could have resulted in that carnage, especially if, as you said, the belt was too tight.

No spacer on my '55 2nd, fan sits right at 3/4". It does have the support washer behind the pulley.