Click on image for the lowdown. 
====
| | | Forums66 Topics128,140 Posts1,056,771 Members48,454 | | Most Online14,466 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!
Lots of work on Brad's part ... pure enjoyment (and references) for you!
| | THANKS!
For helping keep this great
old truck web site
on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down with Ads! Again, thanks! | |
#59436 04/20/2006 1:14 PM | Joined: Nov 2001 Posts: 58 Member | | Member Joined: Nov 2001 Posts: 58 | Ok Guys: I've checked all the postings. Couldn't find the answer. I seem to recall a thread, a couple of years ago, on the correct distance from the fan surface to the face of the radiator for optimum cooling. One of the members was a cooling/thermodynamics engineerand knew the answer. Does anyone know the answeror remember the thread? I am going to install an electric pusher for added insurance but would like to run the engine driven fan. What I've learned the hard way and through this web site is: 1. On a 261 into a 52 3/4 ton with a stock radiator the fan sits about 3 inches lower than the center of the radiator and won't fit between the WP pulley and the radiator. 2. Any engine driven fan will run more efficiently with a shroud. 3. Moving the radiator "L" brackets is the easiest way to reposition your radiator. 4. You've all heard of Murphy's Law, well BUBBA's law simply states Murphy was an optimist. Later Brothers and Sisters JimBo
Bubba
| | |
#59437 04/20/2006 1:21 PM | Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 483 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 483 | Bub: For what it's worth my 53 chevy pickup's 216 fan sets about 3/8 in. away from the radiator. | | |
#59438 04/20/2006 4:20 PM | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 157 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 157 | Mine is just under 1" on my 51 and it all looks to be stock setup. | | |
#59439 04/20/2006 5:34 PM | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 1,624 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: May 2005 Posts: 1,624 | You should check with the experts about running a "pusher" fan with "puller" type. I was told by a radiator build shop this is not a good idea due to a vortex that is set up by running the fans in this configuration
Six volt guy living in a twelve volt world
| | |
#59440 04/20/2006 6:32 PM | Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 4,258 "Hey! I sound like Darth Vader!! | | "Hey! I sound like Darth Vader!! Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 4,258 | Vortex?? Do you mean hundreds of tiny ones through the fins? You'd think the radiator itself would put an end to that! | | |
#59441 04/20/2006 6:46 PM | Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 Bolter | | Bolter Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 | have not measured mine but it is about as close as you can get it..........no shroud,, not electric fan and it never has ran hot, it has been driven in some real hot tx weather,, running a 58/235 in it.. Redryder pixMy HotrodA veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The 'United States of America', for an amount of "up to and including my life."I am fighting cancer and I am winning the fight | Pain is part of life; misery is an option. | | |
#59442 04/20/2006 10:35 PM | Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 469 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 469 | Have you thought about useing one of the water pump adaptors that lets you run the old style 216 pump. If you use the adapter and old style pump it should put your fan in the right distance from the rad. I have a 62/235 in a old wench truck that gets worked pretty hard, never had any problems. | | |
#59443 04/24/2006 12:00 AM | Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 324 Member | | Member Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 324 | 3/4 to 1" unless you can use a shroud. some elect pusher fans from junk yards work fine in front of radiator, easyer to align with center of rad.
"It ain't a truck if you can't hose out the cab."
| | |
#59444 04/24/2006 9:07 AM | Joined: Jun 2005 Posts: 887 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jun 2005 Posts: 887 | I"m not sure about the 'vortex' idea-
I've owned several cars that came from the factory with fan on the water pump and an auxiliary electric fan in front of the radiator to keep the engine cool when the a/c is on. If the factory can do it I don't think there would be a vortex problem.
'51 Chevy 1/2 ton w/'62 261, HEI, offy, fentons, dual carter/webbers, t-5 & 12 bolt posi
| | |
#59445 04/24/2006 11:27 AM | Joined: Nov 2001 Posts: 58 Member | | Member Joined: Nov 2001 Posts: 58 | Gents: Some years ago I had a 72 Chevy 1/2 ton that we dropped a 468 big block into. The truck normally ran on the warm side, but in summer bumper to bumper traffic would overheat. We solved the problem by adding an electric pusher fan. The change was dramatic, when the fan kicked in you could watch the temperature gauge drop. Wired the fan so it would ron for a full minute after shutdown to help cool the engine down more quickly. Never had a problem with any air turbulance [vortices] etc.
Bubba
| | |
| |