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May 15, 2013 8:28 pm  #1


Made a fan shroud for the old Gal

About a year ago I made a post on a mustang forum detailing how I had come up with a better option than the factory plastic parts for securing an electric fan to the core of a radiator.  At the time one of the forum members, MustangSteve, commented about the fans being attached directly to the core" 

 "Why not build some brackets to mount it away from the radiator core? Some of the guys here have made some pretty impressive mounts. Your screws and washers are certainly a major leap from the plastic junk, but I have severe reservations about mounting anything directly to the core. That thing will bounce around alot going down the road, and the core will be bouncing with it."  

When I first installed the fans it hadn't occurred to me to find a different way to install the fans other than connecting them to the core.  I mean thats how lots of people do it and thats what the install kit that came with the fans was designed to do, but after reading MS's post I realized that he was correct and that mounting directly to the core was a bad idea.  I hadn't had time to come up with a better option until today.

My solution was to build an aluminum fan shroud and mount the fans to the shroud.  I used a piece of .080 aluminum and then cut out the openings for the fan.  I then took some .5" aluminum angle pieces and pop-riveted them to the main piece.  The angle pieces added rigidity to the main piece,  formed the sides of the shroud, and acted as standoffs between the fan plate and the radiator.  I then used rubber tubing on the edge of the angle pieces so that there would not be metal on metal contact and to dampen vibrations between the fan and radiator.  With the rubber on the edge of the angle pieces there is 5/8" between the fan plate and the radiator. (didn't have enough room to make it stand any further off the radiator)  The whole assembly was then attached to the radiator.  I am very pleased with the results.  I fired up the fans and I could feel air being drawn through out the entire radiator not just directly in front of the fans.








 

May 20, 2013 9:47 am  #2


Re: Made a fan shroud for the old Gal

Nice looking work, but haven't you effectively reduced the cooling area by blocking off the other sections with the flat alluminum of your shroud?  Might be worth putting some louvers in the blank areas just to allow normal airflow through that portion of the radiator?  Just my thoughts, but looks like a nice setup otherwise. - Matt


1963 1/2 Galaxie 500 P Code 390 4V Police Interceptor
 

May 21, 2013 8:23 am  #3


Re: Made a fan shroud for the old Gal

WV63Pcode wrote:

Nice looking work, but haven't you effectively reduced the cooling area by blocking off the other sections with the flat alluminum of your shroud?  Might be worth putting some louvers in the blank areas just to allow normal airflow through that portion of the radiator?  Just my thoughts, but looks like a nice setup otherwise. - Matt

I know it seams counter intuitive to block off the radiator like that but there is a 5/8"  gap between the radiator core and the aluminum piece.  This will allow air to flow through the entire radiator ad then out through the fan openings.  This will cool almost as well (when driving at highway speeds) as it did with no shroud.  BUT when relying on the fan to cool the radiator it will cool much much better as the fans will be drawing air through the entire radiator and not just directly in front of the fans.  Most OEM electric fan shrouds have something similar.  
 

     Thread Starter
 

May 25, 2013 4:46 am  #4


Re: Made a fan shroud for the old Gal

Nice job!  How did you mount it to the radiator?


Dave Coleman  http://www.62ford.com/
1962 Galaxie 500 XL
1962 Country Sedan
1963 Galaxie 500 XL 4 door hardtop
 

May 25, 2013 2:23 pm  #5


Re: Made a fan shroud for the old Gal

davecoleman wrote:

How did you mount it to the radiator?

I bolted it directly to the top and bottom core support of the radiator.
 

     Thread Starter
 

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