defiant1

Okay mocking up my fan clutch that I am going to install on my original non A/C 1970 Cutlass.

There is a circa 1970 aftermarket A/C setup installed. Well, I can see why I have never seen my setup on another Cutlass. With how the additional pulleys are mounted; the fan attached to clutch hits them when mounted directly to water pump. Actually, I can't blame the A/C setup, the fan blade actually hits the nut on the power steering pump too

So, need to know if they make a spacer or is it safe for me to cobble something up? The original spacer is 2 1/8" and from the advice I have been given this will put the fan to far inside of shroud. Do the make a smaller spacer?

See pictures below to see the madness I am dealing with.

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Lady72nRob71

I would see no reason a custom spacer would not work. I have seen other cars with spacers there.
A chunk of aluminum stock would be great - use the pulley to mark the holes and carefully bore the holes with a drill press.
Replace the studs in the pump snout with the right size bolts, add lock washers, and assemble!

Sounds too easy - I must be overlooking something. Everything is easier on paper for me...

Oldsmaniac

search ebay for fan spacer, cheapo to good ones show up.

defiant1

Good call! Ebay has a lot of different options. thanks!

Rickman48

Almost any auto parts store should have spacers of various thicknesses.
In the beginning, you mention clutch fan, but then mention spacer - which are you using??
The clutch fan is your better choice, for many reasons - less HP draw, better MPG, better cooling and spaced correctly, to name a few.

CQR

Use as small of a spacer as possible. The further out you put the mass away from the water pump bear increases the strain on that bearing.

TripDeuces

I know Autozone, NAPA, etc sell spacers from 1/16 inch up to 3 inches. The smaller ones are usually just fiber or fiberglass wafers in packs of 3 or something like that. As mentioned try and keep the spacer short. Nice work on the cardboard to save the radiator from damage, I like that idea. GL with that project and let us know how the shroud worked in keeping it cool.

rptw32

Are you aware that the fan clutches are also available in 2 lengths ? you might have the short one now with short snout WP ? I had this issue on my 69 when I swapped over from non A/C set up ( ie factory spacer with stock fan - to thermal fan clutch set up ) did same thing - blades ticked the PS pump center bolt - went to longer Clutch hub - problem solved - - did push the fan into shroud little more than I'd like
but I put washers between the fan and the clutch hub and that brought it back just
a tad away from radiator. .

Rgds

defiant1

Did not know that... I believe I just went off of what summitracing had on their website. Thanks for the info, I will try the spacer first (since I already got it) and go from there.

Thanks-nice to know I am not the only one that runs into SNAFUs from time to time.

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defiant1

Finally got the fan shroud (thanks to TripDeuces) and clutch fan installed. Took a little work but all my clearances are good.

Well, the fan shroud and clutch did have a noticeable difference at idle while I was setting the timing. The motor did not overheat rapidly. After about 30 minutes the temp was at 220*. Whereas before it would hit 240* without fail. Still a little concerning, but since I have no frame of reference since the motor overheats since the day I got it. So not sure what "normal" is.

I took the car for a drive. At cruise speed the car was actually running 181* which is approx 6* cooler than it normally runs (thermostat is 185*).

Then I did the " parade mode" test. I putted along between 8 - 18 mph for about 2 miles. The temp reached between 215*-220*.

Next test was I pulled into the garage and let it idle for 5 minutes. It went from 181* to 220* in that time.

So those are the stats. If anyone has any feedback, let me know.

Now, back to the install. I was advised the fan blades should be between 2"-4" from radiator. I had to buy a spacer because with the clutch fan mounted without the spacer it was hitting the idler pulleys and power steering pump.

But with the 1" spacer installed the fan is mostly enclosed by the shroud. But the fan is 3 3/4" back from the radiator, so it is not as if I mounted it right up against the radiator. This is with me backspacing the fan itself 1/4" with washers.

Another item of note, the fan sits at a angle compared to the shroud. Basically the shroud sits vertical due to the new top plate. And the fan tilts back from vertical due to the way the motor sits in the engine compartment.

Soooo, I could install a 1/2 spacer but the fan would be farther away then 4 inches from radiator.
Just need to know if I should leave well enough alone or if bringing the fan back out of the shroud a 1/2" will do some good?

Pics attached.

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TripDeuces

The distance from the radiator is no longer important with the shroud. What's important now is having the fan near the mouth of the shroud so that it pulls air through and out utilizing the whole shroud as a funnel. As I stated in my PM it should be about 3/4 inch within the shroud opening. I'm glad to here you're making headway with this. As a point of reference my 66 Cutlass runs at 197* while idling and it has no shroud. I think 220* is a little hot but at least you're going in the right direction. Is the radiator clean and how many rows/cores is it?

defiant1

Gotcha, I was being overly cautious with the 1" spacer. I did not want the fan hitting the accessories. But after mounting everything I see I can back up the clutch fan assembly a good 1/2" and still have good clearance.

My aluminum radiator is less than a year old and has 2 rows that are both 1" wide. Thanks for the info.

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TripDeuces

Well your radiator isn't the problem. Can you actually see the water flowing through the radiator with the cap off? I'm not questioning the radiator but rather if the impeller on the water pump is actually doing it's job. The other thing to look for is if the hoses are collapsing or being sucked closed. That's a simple fix with those springs they sell to stop that from happening. Air in the heads also came to mind but I've never had that problem and other than forcing water throughout the system I'm not sure how to clear that. Also, plain water is the best coolant but not practical so make sure your anti-freeze mix doesn't exceed 50/50. Sharp looking car btw.

defiant1

Yeah, water is flowing well. But I do not trust the water pump. It is a NAPA reman pump that does not have the closed impeller. It seems to be doing its job, though. The hoses are new, but I will check the lower one to see if that has been closing on itself. The lower hose did not come with a spring and the old one was so rusted I did not use it. I will report back after I install a 1/2" spacer.

adis

Following with interest. I'll be doing this same mod in two weeks. Engine looks awesome, BTW.

defiant1

Thanks for the kind words.

Well I installed the 1/2 fan spacer and that seemed to improve the cooling a little bit more.

At cruise (78* outside temp) it was registering 178* with a 185* thermostat. At idle/parade mode it varied between 185* and 198* depending if I was stopped or just barely moving.

At idle in garage I don't have to worry about it heating up in a hurry like it used to.

So overall it was a very good addition to the car performance wise. I will keep testing it, in fact there is a car show tomorrow I will attend and there will probably be a lot of stop and go traffic. Plus it will be warmer out as well, so we shall see how it performs then.

Thanks again to George (TripDeuces) for getting me the shroud and the great advice.

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TripDeuces

I'm glad it helped. The temps you're reporting are well within normal operating range now. Have you tested it a speed, like between 30-65mph?

defiant1

Yes sir, it works wells in that range. It stays around 181-185*.