Steve,

This is good information to have if anyone wanted to consider this option.  As you say a lot of time is usually involved in doing the research when it comes to adapting things to our Y-Blocks and it is such a big help when someone has already been there and done that.  Also, along with all your other detailed information the picture is really nice to actually see if on the engine.

Thanks Again,

Larry Boyer

57 Black Bird

I used a smaller diameter water pump pulley on my outfit - from a 289 I believe - bought a two groove and had the back groove cut off. It is 6 inches OD - the stocker was 7 inches. Speeded things up by the ratio of 7 divided by 6 = +17% so it pumps more water which is what I wanted. This was good..

I was also running a six blade fan - and the fan noise really went up. So one of the guys here mentioned they bought a kit from CASCO(?) to fit a fan clutch. I read up on fan clutches and found that they "waste" some RPM - slip to the tune of about 10%-20%, just right to get my fan speed back down where it was before.

Being a cheapskate - I got on Google, found Hayden and spent about a whole evening working my way through their catalog of clutches. I only found two worth trying on the T-bird - they are listed for the early eighties Bronco and F-150 with a 351. There is a "heavy duty" (#4797) and a severe duty (#2797). The biggest difference between the two is that the clutch area on the #2797 has about twice the friction area of the #4797. The mounting bore of the #4797 is 3/4 inch and (according to the catalog) it includes a sleeve to take it down to 5/8. The severe duty #2797 has a 5/8 bore and no sleeve. 

Both of them have the same mounting dimensions from the flange face to the centerline of the mounted fan - about 1.50 inches. The normal T-bird spacer is 1 inch thick - so the fan centerline is about 1/2 inch closer to the radiator. There was plenty of room for the clutch and heatsink that hangs out the front.

 

Both of the fan clutches are listed by several suppliers on the web - but I bought mine (new) on ebay for $20.

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona

Steve,

Where did you get your Hayden fan clutch setup?  Are there any specific advantages to using a fan clutch setup?  I had thought originally about running a electric fan but decided to get the thing going first with the old fan setup.

Thanks

Larry Boyer

57 Black Bird

Paul,

Your right about why I'm not using the w/pump spacer.  It would have needed to use the hard to find and expensive T-Bird specific damper to line up with the w/pump pulley.  I wanted to leave the original engine and trans with all the correct pieces and parts in case one day someone wanted to put it back absolutely original.  Since I had the spare 312 complete engine I decided to use it to build a warmed up street motor.  I had a few fan spacers around and knew I could space the fan out another inch to makeup for the spacer like Charlie has said.

Larry Boyer

57 Black Bird

Steve, Hate to disagree but the plates were really well thought out. their purpose was to make somebody a lot of money, and they worked! They don't do anything for the waterflow though!

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

I think the pump spacer is part of the "overheating" problems -  hanging the impeller out in one inch of "un-backed"(?) space isn't too helpful for efficiency if you ask me. The 'tin" plate style of filler that's sold isn't too well thought out either.

The passenger car style damper is a lot more economical to get your hands on than the "rare" T-bird part. Charlie's comment about the extension seems to be an interesting option to me. The usual T-bird fan spacer is an inch too - so a two inch spacer on the passenger car set-up would put the fan in the same spot as the Thunderbirds.

I recently re-fitted my outfit with a Hayden "fan clutch" and it moves the fan centerline about an inch and a half forward (leaving out the stock spacer). An 18 inch fan will clear the shroud with that arrangement  - so you have some leeway in figuring out the stack-up.

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona

The fan can always be moved back out with a spacer between it and the pulley.


Lawrenceville, GA

I'm probably missing something here, but why are you not using the water pump spacer? Because of the passenger car damper? T. Birds are reported here as being somewhat prone to overheating, so wouldn't it be better to have the fan further ahead?

Paul

If I had been thinking ahead I could have taken some pictures of your set-up and several other bracket set-ups that were either bought or fabricated by car owners while I was milling around at Columbus this year.  If your bracket set-up was moved back 1" would the alternator encounter any clearance problems anywhere?  This may turn out to not be much of a problem once I can get to the engine compartment again to see just how much room there is to situate the alternator and get it lined up with the other pulleys.

Larry Boyer

57 Black Bird

I'm running the original tbird brackets with my one wire gm alternator. Cut a spacer to take up the slack on the long bolt and with a double pulley on the alternator your belt should line up with the other pulleys.

-Gary Burnette-