chrome 3 blade fan


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By DANIEL TINDER - 18 Years Ago
While this may be a rather oblique Y-block subject (I sense that originality is not a primary concern for most members), I thought I would pass on what I have learned:



My 55 Bird lost it's chrome "dress up" fan before I obtained it. I use a painted 4 blade model, as the car is largely a daily driver. Though I have upgraded much of the running gear for safety/reliability, I try to keep and gradually restore the original 50s spirit (6V, teapot, etc.). Since I have no cooling problem, I had considered replacing the 3 blade fan and having it chromed. I thought if well ballanced, magnafluxed, and annealed (baked) to counteract the hydrogen embrittlement/failure problem that caused Ford to issue a reinforcement plate, it might survive.



Unfortunately, no one seems to know how to deal with this problem to my satisfaction. Some chrome shops say they will bake it, but can offer no evidence that they really know what they are doing! Others say a belt driven chrome fan on a driver is NOT recommended. Some suggestions I heard were: the chrome plating process/chemicals Ford used were different than today, while others think the chrome itself is distributed unevenly which unballances the fan. Certainly NO ONE can demonstrate any technical knowledge re: hydrogen embrittlement/annealing.



As there is no obvious damage in the engine compartment, I assume the original fan was replaced before it could self-destruct. As I don't wish to tempt fate, I have abandoned the idea. Does anyone out there have any more specific data?
By bird55 - 18 Years Ago
I have seen what a disentagrating fan on a tbird can do. It's ugly. Here's a thought. You might check into powder coating a 3 blade in chrome finish. It looks great, the process requires baking around 400 degrees-so I don't know if that is here nor there. BUT of all the birds I've been around especially a 55- a 3 blade fan did a marginal job on cooling. I think that is why you don't see many chrome (or 3 blades) ones. I've got mine in a cabinet above the toolbox. I put it up there in about 1969.
By paul2748 - 18 Years Ago
While I realize you wanting to keep the TBird authentic (I have a 56) I would stay with the 4 blade fan if you drive the car a lot. The 4 blade pushed more air and your Bird will "keeps its cool" better. One of the first things I did was replace the 3 blade fan with a four blade since I have read of all the supposedly hot running Birds. It seems to run cool (185-190) with the four blader although I just got it going in the fall.
By GREENBIRD56 - 18 Years Ago
The kind of chrome shop you are looking for - with specific information about the hydrogen embrittlement issue - is the kind of shop that does industrial chrome plating. Namely those that do hydraulic cylinder rods or apply "build-up" chrome to resize bearing fits on heavy machinery shafting. It isn't rocket science either - they simply take it up to a specific temperature for a specific period of time. I don't believe they even apply a vacuum. It just isn't the sort of thing that decorative (bumper) platers do.

There is a re-inforcement plate for the three blade fan - and I believe I've heard it was an improvement that Ford came up with. The add on stiffener might be a good idea if you really want to try a retrofit. However, my 56 came home with what I believe is its original three blade fan with no stiffener (and had 100,000 miles on it). It has no cracks - and as suggested earlier, has become a wall ornament.    

By DANIEL TINDER - 18 Years Ago
Thanks for the imput guys.

Turns out my 4-blade fan has been painted (powder coated) pseudo chrome. Not as reflective as the real thing, but I think better than ordinary paint when it comes to removing the Indiana bugs. I have discovered why my father always equipped his cars with bug screens in summer. The last time I removed the radiator for a thorough cleaning, the car then ran about 20 degrees cooler!

I do have a 3 blade fan put away though (bead-blasted, ballanced, and checked for cracks) that may yet see chrome should the car ever get a "show quality" restoration.