Thin metal on fan pulley

stickshift

stickshift

Senior Member
My fan pulley hub needs new bushings. The car came with some spare parts and one of the parts was a complete fan/brass hub and pulley. The bushings looked good so I installed it. When I was adjusting the belt tension, I noticed that the brass surface of the pulley became dented...crumpled like paper. I removed the fan and saw that the metal was paper thin. When I pumped grease into the fitting, grease was oozing out of cracks I couldn't even see. I think someone may have turned this on a lathe. My steel fan pulley is crowned and the brass pulley perfectly flat. I hate to think what would have happened if this failed while driving. Long story-short...has anyone tried an electric fan on a "T"? I know mounting could be complicated with the exposed front of the radiator. It would probably take away a lot of "character" of the T, but solve some weak links in the mechanics.
 
Last edited:
Just buy a replacement fan pully that would be correct for your year with modern bearings installed. You will have to rivet on the blades for the early style.
 
Use the crowned pulley. It does what the flat pulley can't.
The flat pulley will allow the belt to walk fore and aft.
The desigh or the crowned pulley keeps belt centered on its path.
 
Dan McEachern said:
An electric fan would drain your battery pretty fast. Just replace the parts and move on.
Click to expand...

Makes sense, I'm overthinking again. I ordered a new pulley bushing set and I'll rebuild my original pulley and put fresh grease it it. It should probably outlast me. By the way, I did a cross-section of my brass pulley and it was so thin, I could have used it to gap my spark plugs. I'm not sure what went on there, but it's in the trash now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top