Fan came apart!!

[Lee Mitch]

Thanks CAS3. Good idea

 

[Lee Mitch]

I thought it would be interesting to send this photo. I believe this is where it all started, at the hub. I suppose the blade could have come off first causing an imbalance and then the hub broke free, but I think it was the other way around. It should be another place to look when inspecting, is the real point.

 

[my4dv8]

That point where the blade came off is exactly where they metal fatigue . Check your rivets for tightness. We caught the blade loose on our 50 merc motor as i spied a bit of oil from the hub on a blade ,oops blade is loose. Removed fan disassembled blades ,tig welded up cracks and re riveted back together. Also replaced fan bearing and shaft.

 

[petehoovie]

I thought it would be interesting to send this photo. I believe this is where it all started, at the hub. I suppose the blade could have come off first causing an imbalance and then the hub broke free, but I think it was the other way around. It should be another place to look when inspecting, is the real point.

 

[FlatheadTed]

By the look of that its had no road testing ,the paints still on the half of the pulley and may have been welded its cast iron so don't weld so good, bolts should be ok but should have been balanced ,

 

[19Fordy]

Thank goodness you were not hurt. I had the same thing happen years ago when i was standing by the car giving it gas.

Vroom, vroom, WHAM, BANG

 

[Carl]

Thanks Jack. I was thinking electric plastic fan too, but ugh that is ugly. I would take it over what happened though.


The radiator got completely trashed. Not salvageable.


No way will I leave the side panel like it is. The rig is too nice to have that awful looking mess! It just wouldn't fit the rest, plus i lean heavily towards OCD.

lee- you experienced a blessing in disguise, if you had been working under that hood with motor running, and near radiator when fan came apart you could have been seriously injured. I'm glad that did'nt happen.

 

[V8COOPMAN]

Not quite as damaging to radiators and such, but just as lethal if you're in the way......I've had the little bent-over generator and alternator fan fins separate, usually when you're using a stock-diameter pulley on an engine capable of 6,000 and more RPMs. That's why Chevy and I'm sure others used to install larger diameter pulleys on high-red line engines from the factory. I've managed to implant some small, "outie" dents on a '34 Ford hood (Chevy engine) and a '55 Chevy hood in the past. The noise is almost like a gun shot. DD

 

[grumppyoldman]

I was lucky when a blade broke on my 48, it went down and took the dist. and pushed it into the radiator. Didn't ruin radiator, but busted dist. cap and cut the spark plug wires, of course I was young then and reeving it up when it happened.

 

[rbone]

Very similar happened to my '34 a few years ago while I was driving home from seeing a true '32 survivor V8 tudor (still trying to get the guy to sell....). Radiator core was destroyed and the right side lower hood panel had a large hole. I took advantage of the situation and had the radiator re-cored, sent the water pumps to Skip Haney, cleaned out the water passages in the block, cleaned the points in the distributor, etc. You cannot tell that it ever happened now. Bonus - the car ran at about 195 F or so here in Texas on a hot summer day before. Now it runs 5 - 10 degrees cooler, even in 100F/40C weather.

Very good idea as suggested above to look over fan closely once in a while.

 

[Randy in ca]

The broken hub definitely adds a new dimension to things.

I have no experience with them but just remembered these (see link) from Vintage Auto Garage. All the pieces are also available individually as well. The Alternators are equipped with ball bearings to better handle the stress imposed by the fan. On their page is also a link to installation instructions. Good luck with however you decide to proceed.

https://www.vintageautogarage.com/1933-1939-Ford-Flathead-V8-12V-Alternator-Bracket-p/333912vn.htm

 

[FlatheadTed]

The 39 pick up has a extended fan so I doubt whether any stock alternator has the design like stock Ford ones do tapered rollers to handle the stresses ,( I dont know about Vintage garage )

 

[1948F-1Pickup]

^ What he said.
You get much higher radial load capability with tapers or single roller than you'll
ever see with a ball bearing design. Balls will take way more rpm, will have less
drag and will run cooler though.

 

[grumppyoldman]

After reading OP's thread I checked my 6 blade crank mounted fan on my 41 to be sure it was ok. Cleaned it good repainted it, no cracks. I didn't want it messing up my new Champion aluminum radiator. al

 

[Jack E/NJ]

my4dv8>>> Check your rivets for tightness.>>>


What rivets? The fan on the left came apart. The fan on the right is the way it's supposed to look from the factory. Notice any differences? 8^) Jack E/NJ

 

[Karl]

You Got of lightly ! When mine went the imbalance sheared off the front of the inlet manifold Collapsing the generator and what was left of the fan into the radiator - Surprisingly the sheet metal was unmarked the blade must have gone out the bottom of the engine bay

 

[jimvette59]

The person who put the time bomb together should be shot. That person has no regard
for safety or life. I think that person should be held accountable for there actions. JMHO

 

[V8COOPMAN]

That person has no regard
for safety or life.

What this really shows is that whoever did this may own a drill and a hacksaw, but he's STILL not qualified even to just lick his lips real good! Mon Dieu....SOME people ain't got a clue when it comes to the understanding of basic 'natural forces', nor even the pre-K level of engineering practices. I'm wondering if it wasn't the same bozo that did this 'really-nice' steering shaft mod? DD

……..

 

[cadillac512]

Now that's just plumb fancy.
Terry