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By 56mercgal - 14 Years Ago
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Hi, would this fan mount right onto a standard fan mounting on my 312? And do you guys think it would provide better cooling as to the stock fan? Here's the link, found it on Jegs. I would also get the steel blades, I heard aluminum ones break too easy! http://www.jegs.com/i/Flex-a-lite/400/1615P/10002/-1
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By MoonShadow - 14 Years Ago
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What is the diameter of your current fan? I figure its more than 15". The universal fan should bolt up with no problem. Also the fixed blade steel fan reduces the chance of the blades pitching forward under RPM. I've seen flex fans with apparent clearance hit the radiatior under a hard pull. I don't think you would have that problem with this one though. I'm using a standard flex fan on my Vicky but as you may recall i did move my radiator forward an inch or more. Having the blower crank pulley along with power steering and future AC made thing thighter than I liked. Chuck in NH
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By 56mercgal - 14 Years Ago
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My problem has been a flex fan hitting the water pump and power steering pulleys. Radiator clearance is fine now. I have heard flex fans breaking apart under load as well. I will stick to a metal one, with more blades! Thanks!
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By GREENBIRD56 - 14 Years Ago
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Speedway in Nebraska sells rigid fans in several diameters - six blade steel and six blade steel center aluminum blade versions as well. Neither type does much flexing.......but didn't you say it was getting close to your lower hose? 
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By 56mercgal - 14 Years Ago
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Does anyone know where I can get a fan shroud that will fit the new radiator I have?
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By 56mercgal - 14 Years Ago
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As long as the new fan is no bigger than the stock fan, it will work. I think a couple of more blades will be a bit better cooling, and I would like to put a shroud on! 
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By paul2748 - 14 Years Ago
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The Tbird parts suppliers have a conventional six blade fan - I believe it is the same as a sedan fan size and mounting wise.
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By Rono - 14 Years Ago
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I'm currently running a 6 blade steel fan in my 56 Customline after my flex fan ate my aluminum radiator. It should work fine for your application. As far as a fan shroud goes, I don't know of any company making them for passanger cars, only trucks and T-Birds. Rono
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By 55vickey - 14 Years Ago
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I'm thinking 6 blade too, but my car is 2000 miles away, whats the diameter of a 55 ford fan? Couple of GoodGuys shows coming up, should find one there. Gary
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By paul2748 - 14 Years Ago
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For a shroud contact Walker Radiator. They make shrouds that will fit most anything.
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By 56mercgal - 14 Years Ago
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I talked to a guy at Walker Radiator, and he said they don't make shrouds for 56' Fords or Merc's. And to try Vintage Air. I am at work so can't get onto some catalogs as we don't have Adobe reader and I don't want to download any other programs (boss is touchy!) Where has anyone actually gotten a shroud for a similar car as mine? Maybe I can just call up a place and order the same shroud?
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By marvh - 14 Years Ago
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A few years back a Thunderbird parts seller from Texas sold these car shrouds on ebay. I bought one for my 56 Ford.
It would not fit due to the power steering pump pulley hitting the shroud. I tried to modify it to fit but was impossible. The only way it could fit on the car would be if it had a large bump in the housing for the power steering pulley to fit inside the shroud. If you do not have power steering a good sheet metal mechanic should be able to make one out of galvanized sheet metal. These are guys that do ducting for heating/ventilation systems in buildings
marv
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By 56mercgal - 14 Years Ago
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My Merc has the original power steering set up. I would think a shroud made for a 56' Ford car would fit, at would hope so! I would like to have one that looks nice, not just peiced together!
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By 56mercgal - 14 Years Ago
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I measured my fan blade again and it looks like it is 18 inches. I was thinking going with a 17 inch for a bit more clearance.
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By GREENBIRD56 - 14 Years Ago
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These guys (Speedway) have steel - or aluminum - (6) riveted rigid blades. Sizes 15,17,18 or 19 diameter http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Heavy-Duty-Steel-Cooling-Fan,1846.html They also list this kit to make your own shroud - but it will need to be a 28 inch width radiator - read the reviews...... http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Aluminum-Fan-Shroud-28-W-x-185-H,17146.html?baseNo=9174026#tabcontent Some like Speedway - some don't - I've not had any problems with their stuff but I usually knew what I was getting ahead of time.
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By 56mercgal - 14 Years Ago
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What do you recommend? Metal blades or aluminum? Both say they are non flex deigned. Also, that shroud sounds like it's too large, someone said use it with the 31" inch radiator.
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By Hoosier Hurricane - 14 Years Ago
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Gal: You seem to be agonizing a lot about your cooling system, going to a bigger radiator, wanting more blades on the fan, shroud, etc. Are you having serious cooling problems, or anticipating them? Maybe with the new radiator the other things won't be necessary.
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By 56mercgal - 14 Years Ago
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I am a worry wart! It does get a bit hot (up to the third mark on the temp gauge) sitting in traffic for 3-4 min. Makes me nervous! I don't want to ruin this new radiator sinceI do not have a warranty on it. I think a shroud and six blade fan will help.
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By GREENBIRD56 - 14 Years Ago
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Hoosier's asking the right question - how hot does it run? - the stock sedan / station wagon cooling system usually seems to run quite nicely. Guys with the T-birds have a few issues  but they have some specific problems to address too. The dash gauges are notorious for being inaccurate but can be recalibrated. If you can find someone with an Infrared type temperature probe (that you just point closely at a specific spot to check temp) - you can tell what the temp is at the thermostat housing where water is exiting the block. For example - my bird runs just about exactly 100°F over the ambient outside air temerature. That won't boil over (takes 220°+) a radiator with a pressure cap - even the low pressure variety. The aluminum fan blades - I finally put a rigid aluminum bladed fan on my outfit to replace the steel one - because I liked the looks of it. The steel ones worked fine. Pontiac and other GM divisions used the aluminum blades in the sixties (as a seven blade variety) - and I saw one on a GTO at a show here last summer than gave me the "bug" to try one. The owner had removed the paint from the blades (not the center) and polished the blades. Very nice. Have you read elsewhere on here to get a high volume thermostat? That is a good investment - passes several more gallons per minute than the el cheapo's.
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By Hoosier Hurricane - 14 Years Ago
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Gal: A couple of thoughts I had. Does the Merc still have the original distributor with the dual diaphragm vacuum advance, does it have the original teapot? If either has been changed, the ignition advance probably isn't working as designed. This is more critical if the carburetor only has been changed. Also, if the engine has ever had the heads off, one or both head gaskets could be installed backward. This causes water flow problems. A Y head gasket has three rounded and one square external corners. The square corners should be visible at the upper front of the head on both sides, indicating correct installation. Did you have this heating problem before the radiator change?
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By Rono - 14 Years Ago
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I've got a Ron Davis aluminum radiator with a 160 degree thermostat and a 6 blade steel fan and last summer while waiting in a line of cars for 1/2 hour to get into the Bangor Car show, I burried the needle on my temperature guage. Temperature is normal when I'm just Cruising the highway or in normal stop and go traffic, so I'm not sure what is going on. This spring I will try removing the air dam on the upper radiator support and try some "wetter water". Some people swear by that stuff although I've never used it. If that doesn't work, I'm scraping the mechanical fan and going with an elecric puller fan.. Rono
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By GREENBIRD56 - 14 Years Ago
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Did it actually boil over and puke water - or did it just read hot on the dash? Once the water reaches 160° - the thermostat should have been wide open anyway. A high flow thermostat is a good investment if you don't have one. There are six inch diameter pulleys around - guys make them out of the two groove 289/302 waterpump pulley (cutting off the back groove). Cranks up the fan - and the pump. Cheap entertainment if you care to try....
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By Rono - 14 Years Ago
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Greenbird56; I did try a high flow, Mr. Gasket (Mopar) T-stat and as my luck would have it, it stuck closed on a short local cruise and did boil over. I let her cool down at a closed gas station, added some water and nursed her home. Luckily, no damage done. I pulled that t-stat out and tested it in a pan of boiling water on the stove. It didn't budge and stayed closed. I then tried the stock 160 degree t-stat and all went fine until that hot day when I got stuck on the entry line to the car show. I haven't heard of turning down the two groove water pump pulley, so thanks for that tip! It may be something to try. What concerns me about the electric fans is the clearance between the end of the water pump and the radiator core. That distance is right at 3" so if you want to center an electric fan opposit the water pump, it has to be a low profile fan. Most of the electric, low profile fans under 3" deep are 14" diameter or less and may not cover enough of the core...I don't know. I guess I could also try placing the electric fan just above the water pump shaft, but that would offset the fan on the radiator core. I don't have any experience with electric fans so this would be a new experience for me. Rono
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By GREENBIRD56 - 14 Years Ago
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You might try hunting around for one of these - they are cheap and chrome plated..... "Mota" isn't the best brand in the world - but probably the cheapest (short of a friend in the salvage business). http://www.amazon.com/Mota-Performance-A72001-Groove-Chrome/dp/B002ZMR7KC/ref=sr_1_10?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1296400547&sr=1-10 I can't speak about the problem you found with your thermostat - I've bought four from Mr Gasket now (for different vehicles) - they all worked. Milodon packages and sells the same "Robertshaw" style of thermostats as their brand. Haven't heard about any problems with theirs. NAPA sells a 170° (2 inch diameter) with a 1.50 poppet opening as part number "6" or "7"? Can't remember (oldtimers disease). The NAPA part is pretty popular I think, they handed it over the counter pretty quick when my buddy asked for one.
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By 55vickey - 14 Years Ago
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I'm running Napa #6 in my 272, under normal application, city or highway it maintains pretty good, but if I get into a long line, with very little movement it'll run up into the 220s. I'm running a 4 blade fan, maybe a 6 will help out in those isolated instances, Gary
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By 56mercgal - 14 Years Ago
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I just ordered what I thought was the six blade metal cooling fan, then after my order went thru,ooooops!! It was the aluminum one! It's a non-flex design, since I didn't want a flex fan. Is there an advantage to either metal or aluminum blades?? Don't see how I missed that!
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By GREENBIRD56 - 14 Years Ago
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You won't find anything seriously different between the rigid bladed fans - steel or aluminum either one. GM provided them for years on quite a number of their vehicles and they worked fine - can't remember them being used on Fords - but it's not really an issue.
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By Old Y Block - 14 Years Ago
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Try hitting your favorite junk yard a get a pusher fan. See if they will let you look around for the correct one, you'll know when you see it. I put one from a late model Honda on my 55 Fairlane for $25, it bolted right up to the outside frame work of the radiator support, there is a lot of room for one. I ran a wire to a remote switch under the dash to a hot wire and fused it with a 7 amp fuse. Works super and a lot less expensive than a aftermarket one, and will keep it cool, cause they push a lot of air!!! Old Yblock Kerrville, Texas
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