replaced my broken fan

D. Jones

D. Jones

Well-known member
About three weeks ago a blade came off the fan in my pickup. The blade did some damage i.e. destroyed the inner and outer distributer caps, the rotor, broke a small piece off the intake manifold and bent the sealed bearing fan hub shaft. Thank goodness there was no hood or radiator damage.

Not wanting to use another original fan, one disaster was enough, I bought a 6-blade Speedway steel race fan #910-1571-17 and drilled it to fit my sealed bearing hub and made a new fan hub shaft.

I had another complete distributer with wires all set up and ready to go so I put it on. When I tried to start the engine it hit a couple of times and that was it. It turned out the the spare distributer was ground out inside. Oh boy, just what I need another project. I next used the original distributer and the caps and wires from the second one. Like magic It started right up. Now I need to do a road test but will have to wait until we get some better weather, it's been snowing a bit.

The fun we have driving our old Fords.
 
This is why I NEVER stand in line with a fan when the engine is running. I have seen a blade go through the hood at high RPM. You were lucky to only have distributor damage.
 
Years ago there was a manger across town in a Shell station that was killed one day in the shop from an exploding fan. So I stay clear and often think of him when I do.


Glenn
 
On a lighter side, one of my friends in high school had a '51 Chevy convertible that shed a fan blade. It went clear through the hood (I didn't think a "stovebolt six" could rev that high). We always gave him a hard time about his "louvered hood" with one louver.
 
"Been there.
Done that." RE: Fan thru hood in 1972. Just missed my head!

Glad you weren't hurt.
 
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My '33 shed a blade at 55 mph -out thru the hood side. what's up with these occurences. ? Newc
 
I'd guess fatigue, vibration, corrosion, imbalance, and/or etc. Scary. Partly why all my old stuff now have shrouded plastic. Just like the new stuff.
 
Lost a blade on my 406 in my '56 T-Bird. Never ever stood in line with a fan after that. I was lucky, blade went straight down with no damage.
 
Never really thought about the old fan on my 59a flathead…hmmm. Maybe I should have it magnufluxed or buy new but what fits on a powergen pulley?
 
554537
 

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Tony said:
I'd like to see a pic of your new fan mounting, if you could.
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I'm not sure what you want to see. I converted from the old oiled fan hub to a sealed bearing one based on one built by another member here that uses the original mounting bracket. You would need access to a lathe and welder to build one. Bob Drake sells such a fan hub. It sure beats having to check the oil in the old one. The fan blade is one that Speedway sells and is an easy fit but, has to be accurately drilled to fit the eight bolt hub. I'm not sure what a picture would show that would be helpful but if you really need one let me know and I'll see what I can do.

As for why the old fan blades fail this is what I think happens: When you accelerate the fan blade starts to pull air thru the radiator and in doing so it wants to flex ahead towards the radiator. When you decelerate the fan slows down and the blades want to return back towards the motor. Over many years the stress on the blade will cause a stress crack to develop and then failure. Speedway states you should check your fan every eight thousand miles. Very good advice.

I hope some of this is helpful.
 
Sort of on topic question. If I wanted to add a puller fan to the inside of my radiator, can I eliminate the stock fan all together? I have a pusher fan on the outside but this makes me think I should move it to the inside, make it a puller and get rid of the stock fan. I'm not sure I'd really want to do this or would actually do it but this thread got me thinking. Thoughts?
 
Now I am concerned about my fan blade. It is original and it spins on the generator shaft out in front of the pulley. Four blades. It looks and feels very tight. How concerned should I be? Are there new replacements that bolt to a generator pulley that anyone is aware of? I'll be looking too.
 
Now I am concerned about my fan blade. It is original and it spins on the generator shaft out in front of the pulley. Four blades. It looks and feels very tight. How concerned should I be? Are there new replacements that bolt to a generator pulley that anyone is aware of? I'll be looking too.
 
deuce_roadster said:
This is why I NEVER stand in line with a fan when the engine is running. I have seen a blade go through the hood at high RPM. You were lucky to only have distributor damage.
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I was a mechanic for 30-years and never once saw a fan come apart, but I know it happens. You are absolutely correct, never stand in line with the side of a fan when the engine is running. When we serviced the vehicles, we grabbed the fans and checked them for loose rivets and for cracks and also for loose water pumps.
 
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