Like the ***le says. Pulled the motor out to clean it up. I'd like to toss the flex, it works great, never over 160. But I like the traditional look of the steel 4 blade. The flex fan is a 6 blade. They are both 17" Looking for someone that has done the swap either way and just how much real word difference it made. SBC 400, stock if that matters. Thanks.
NEVER use a Flex fan - three radiators later and i learned my lesson. I guess that solves that question....
That's ugly. Three in a row like that? Mines been fine for 10 years of daily driving. I'm not worried about it self destructing. I'm asking about cooling efficiency.
Yep, never use an antiquated flex fan. Although you don't like the looks of a flex fan, by your own words you said it worked fine. Don't like the looks, paint it semi-gloss black. If that's not good enough, get yourself a 60's Cadillac 7 blade fan.
Well thanks for the input guys, no help but..... The only Caddy fans I've found are clutch units. It's simple (or so I thought) I want to put the original 4 blade steel fan on. My question is will it cool enough compared to the 6 blade flex I have been running. I'm not painting the flex fan black. This is a tradition looking motor with Fenton intake, tripower, vintage Edlbrock finned valve covers, rams horns....... I don't want to ruin the look of it with an ugly fan out front.
You will be just fine with a stock Chevrolet 4 blade fan. Throw your Flex fan in the trash. Ten years with a cut down stocker in a '54 Chevy is my testimony to that I never get over 190 even in Bakersfield on a Hot day. Tim
Will a 4 blade cool enough compared to the 6 blade flex? Nope! Traditional looking engine----- Do you want it to "look" cool or "be" cool? I would consider the latter much more important. But if you want someone to "say" it'll work, okay!
Speedway sells nice old tradional looking fans ... for less than 30 dollars. This print in RED was copied from their website Heavy duty fan recommended for stock cars. Moves the maximum amount of air for the best cooling. Steel blades, non-flex design. 6000 rpm rating. Available in 15", 17", 18" or 19" diameters.
Deuce Roadster.... thanks for the tip. Looks like a clutch unit without the clutch. Gonna take some horse power to move that baby! Good price, good option. Thanks again.
Thanks Deuce Roadster, one of those will be going on my 48. I haven't lost a radiator with an aftermarket flex fan but I have had several of them come apart on me over the years both stainless and fibergl***. The factory ones for AC equipped cars seem to hold up ok though if you can find one that fits your application.
I have a stock 4 blade on the 55 Studebaker, with a 327 and a stock radiator. It keeps the engine cool in the Fresno heat.
Here is a link to an article about cooling, that has some info http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/148_0504_cooling_system_info/viewall.html
A friend of mine had a '41 Chevy with a small block that won't cool with a flex fan. He installed a solid 4 blade fan and it cured his cooling problem. He does have a shroud on it.
I won't ever use a flex fan after seeing what a failed one will do! Try and find a factory HD fan, even one off a larger luxury car, 5 or 6 blades, will work much better than the 4 blade one, and still look factory! I've even used Mopar ones on my Chevies, as long as the center hole and bolt pattern match, you'd be surprised how common the sizes and patterns are.
there was i guy down here with a t-bucket was doin something on engine nobody knows what but anyhow fan came apart blade hit him in head killed him instantly! true story it was a friend of a friend
I might have to try one of these fans,I usually use a factory flex type fan from a a/c equipped car on my vehicles but I think they are to be used with a shroud which I do not have. I got caught in traffic south of Atlanta going to the Turkey run a couple years ago and the temp gauge creeped up so my choice of the factory flex fan might not be the best,I put a fan that looked just like this one on a Buick skylark with a 455 that got hot even with a 4 row radiator and never had any issues afterwards so I am going to see if the part stores have a similar fan before next summer.
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