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  • Carolina Tee Bird
    inexperienced
    • Jul 9 2015
    • 124

    flex fan recommendation

    Comments on overheating indicate a flex fan blade is better for moving more air. Will try a 7 blade flex fan blade. looks like a 17" would fit. There are several to choose from.Summit or ebay. I want to move as much air as possible at idle. Anyone have a recommendation. Currently have a 16" 6 blade hard blade. I noticed in previous post a diagram showing space between fan blade and radiator should be 1". my measurement is 2 inches. Is there a spacer to move the blade forward? Thanks as always
  • DKheld
    Super-Experienced
    • Aug 27 2008
    • 1583

    #2
    I used an 18 inch flex fan off a '72 Tbird with a 400ci engine.

    Fan part # is D2VY8600A

    I needed a shorter spacer since I was changing pulleys to add A/C. Found what I needed from Flex-a-lite. I would be they will have the longer one you need (don't forget to get longer bolts).

    Order it by the hub and pilot size then the length. Pilot is .625 - think the water pump hub is also .625? but hopefully you have something you can measure it with.



    I needed a 1 inch hub to .625 pilot 1 inch length spacer and flex-a-lite had it.




    Here was a test fit of the flex fan before I painted it white.



    Pic of the OEM 4 blade non A/C fan ,then the OEM 5 blade fan for A/C and finally the 7 blade Ford Flex fan.



    Lots less fan noise on the interstate and pulls a bunch of air at idle.

    Eric

    Comment

    • Carolina Tee Bird
      inexperienced
      • Jul 9 2015
      • 124

      #3
      Great to hear, thanks so much for this response, most helpful!!!

      Comment

      • byersmtrco
        Super-Experienced
        • Sep 28 2004
        • 1839

        #4
        I run a 7-blade flex (Hayden I believe 18")
        with a shroud. It will run out of gas before it will
        over heat

        Comment

        • byersmtrco
          Super-Experienced
          • Sep 28 2004
          • 1839

          #5
          Originally posted by byersmtrco
          I run a 7-blade flex (Hayden I believe 18")
          with a shroud. It will run out of gas before it will
          over heat
          Oh . . . I have a 4 row core

          Comment

          • sidewalkman
            Super-Experienced
            • Sep 14 2015
            • 508

            #6
            I bought an 18" Flexolite, comes in colours, you'll also need a spacer, I think mine is 1.5 inches but take a measurement. BUT it really didn't do much for getting hot at idle. I added a 160 degree thermostat, that helped but the biggest help I got was adding the 2 piece shroud off a 61-63 t-bird. Made all the difference, I've sat in traffic for 3/4 of an hour and kept the motor running, never went above the M on the gauge.
            Scott
            South Delta, BC, Canada
            1960 White T-Bird, PS, PB that's it
            Red Leather Interior!
            www.squarebirds.org/users/sidewalkman
            Thunderbird Registry #61266
            http://www.squarebirds.org/picture_g...ibrary/trl.htm

            Comment

            • byersmtrco
              Super-Experienced
              • Sep 28 2004
              • 1839

              #7
              Originally posted by Carolina Tee Bird
              Comments on overheating indicate a flex fan blade is better for moving more air. Will try a 7 blade flex fan blade. looks like a 17" would fit. There are several to choose from.Summit or ebay. I want to move as much air as possible at idle. Anyone have a recommendation. Currently have a 16" 6 blade hard blade. I noticed in previous post a diagram showing space between fan blade and radiator should be 1". my measurement is 2 inches. Is there a spacer to move the blade forward? Thanks as always
              The shroud makes a HUGE difference. !!!!!!!
              It would be REALLY cool to find a metal shroud off a full size Ford or Merc. It would look more orig AND fit better. There's about a 1" gap on the aftermarket fiberglass re-pop.

              Comment

              • sidewalkman
                Super-Experienced
                • Sep 14 2015
                • 508

                #8
                Originally posted by byersmtrco
                The shroud makes a HUGE difference. !!!!!!!
                It would be REALLY cool to find a metal shroud off a full size Ford or Merc. It would look more orig AND fit better. There's about a 1" gap on the aftermarket fiberglass re-pop.
                I bought a 2 piece original, there's another piece covers the top that I didn't get but when all 3 are on it looks stock, radiators didn't change.
                Scott
                South Delta, BC, Canada
                1960 White T-Bird, PS, PB that's it
                Red Leather Interior!
                www.squarebirds.org/users/sidewalkman
                Thunderbird Registry #61266
                http://www.squarebirds.org/picture_g...ibrary/trl.htm

                Comment

                • YellowRose
                  Super-Experienced


                  • Jan 21 2008
                  • 17191

                  #9
                  flex fan recommendation

                  My shroud on Rose is a metal one off a Bulletbird and it, along with a 6 bladed flex fan, works great. It also helps if your radiator and thermostat is operating up to snuff... You can find these Bulletbird shrouds on eBay still, at times. Also, you can get the plastic ones from the Tbird Parts Stores. I know that Lance at Tbirds Southwest has or had them.

                  Ray Clark - Squarebirds Administrator
                  The Terminator..... VTCI #11178 ITC #6000 Yellow Mustang Registry (YMR) #12188
                  Contact me via Private Message for my email address, or Call (Cell) 210-875-1411

                  https://www.squarebirds.org/picture_gallery/TechnicalResourceLibrary/trl.htm
                  Faye's Ovarian Cancer Memorial Website.
                  https://faye.rayclark.info/index.html

                  Comment

                  • Tbird1044
                    Super-Experienced
                    • Jul 31 2012
                    • 1346

                    #10
                    I pretty much followed the same path as Scott, however I got lazy and spent the big bucks for the aftermarket fan shroud. I installed a Flex A Lite 2018 (18") fan, 6 blade, with appropriate spacers so the fan is set up according to the recommendations that are shown in DKhelds post. http://www.squarebirds.org/vbulletin...ad.php?t=22919
                    The 18" fan had adequate clearance to the shroud, although it it a bit tighter than the 1" recommendation.
                    As for the spacers, here is a heads up. As I remember, the spacer needs to have a 1" register to the water pump and then goes to 5/8" register to the fan. If you need a second spacer, which I did, it needs to have a 5/8" register on both ends. I had to get longer bolts, so off to the hardware store for some Grade 8 bolts.
                    On a hot day with the AC on, the temp will still climb to the top of the M in stop and go traffic or idle, but comes right back down when I get moving.
                    Nyles

                    Comment

                    • StealthSRT10
                      Experienced
                      • Jun 7 2017
                      • 208

                      #11
                      I also went to the biggest flex fan i could get. Living in houston there is always heat and traffic. it defiantly moves more air.

                      Flex-a-lite (4817) 17” 7-Leg Belt Driven Flex Fan, Silver

                      Flex-a-lite 14538 Mill Finish 2" Fan Spacer Kit
                      1959 Thunderbird 397ci
                      Cruise-O-Matic
                      Flamingo Pink.
                      Thunderbird Registry #8442
                      Daily driver

                      Comment

                      • DKheld
                        Super-Experienced
                        • Aug 27 2008
                        • 1583

                        #12
                        You guys are running cool....

                        Was about 90 deg here late last week and high humidity. Temp stayed around the M in temp most of the 40 min ride. Sitting in the driveway afterwards the gauge went to the end of the black mark slightly past the P (and I think it would have kept going).

                        IR temp gun read 212 at the temp sensor (+/- 3 deg). Probably OK because the boiling point would be higher with the 13 PSI system pressure.... but still hotter than I want to run.

                        I'm definitely going to have to install a shroud whether it's the plastic one or the Bullet bird type. And probably install electric fans which means an alternator upgrade.

                        Comment

                        • byersmtrco
                          Super-Experienced
                          • Sep 28 2004
                          • 1839

                          #13
                          Originally posted by DKheld
                          You guys are running cool....

                          Was about 90 deg here late last week and high humidity. Temp stayed around the M in temp most of the 40 min ride. Sitting in the driveway afterwards the gauge went to the end of the black mark slightly past the P (and I think it would have kept going).

                          IR temp gun read 212 at the temp sensor (+/- 3 deg). Probably OK because the boiling point would be higher with the 13 PSI system pressure.... but still hotter than I want to run.

                          I'm definitely going to have to install a shroud whether it's the plastic one or the Bullet bird type. And probably install electric fans which means an alternator upgrade.

                          The shroud & a 6 or 7 blade will do it.
                          You won't need elec

                          Comment

                          • Woobie
                            Experienced
                            • Apr 1 2016
                            • 146

                            #14
                            Originally posted by DKheld
                            You guys are running cool....

                            Was about 90 deg here late last week and high humidity. Temp stayed around the M in temp most of the 40 min ride. Sitting in the driveway afterwards the gauge went to the end of the black mark slightly past the P (and I think it would have kept going).

                            IR temp gun read 212 at the temp sensor (+/- 3 deg). Probably OK because the boiling point would be higher with the 13 PSI system pressure.... but still hotter than I want to run.

                            I'm definitely going to have to install a shroud whether it's the plastic one or the Bullet bird type. And probably install electric fans which means an alternator upgrade.

                            Try the shroud. You may be ok with just that improvement. When we had our Squarebird we were lucky to find a universal shroud that fit about 7/8 around the radiator. Sealing against the radiator is important. Keeping the fins in the radiator cleared is another chore.

                            As a reference, we just installed a shroud and hi-performance four blade fan on our undersized radiator in another car,
                            ditching the 5-blade clutch fan. On a high idle startup it was pulling the grass clippings up off the lawn.
                            Austin

                            Comment

                            • sidewalkman
                              Super-Experienced
                              • Sep 14 2015
                              • 508

                              #15
                              Originally posted by DKheld
                              You guys are running cool....

                              Was about 90 deg here late last week and high humidity. Temp stayed around the M in temp most of the 40 min ride. Sitting in the driveway afterwards the gauge went to the end of the black mark slightly past the P (and I think it would have kept going).

                              IR temp gun read 212 at the temp sensor (+/- 3 deg). Probably OK because the boiling point would be higher with the 13 PSI system pressure.... but still hotter than I want to run.

                              I'm definitely going to have to install a shroud whether it's the plastic one or the Bullet bird type. And probably install electric fans which means an alternator upgrade.

                              If I'm sitting in traffic it's at the M, middle of the M, but driving it's just at the start of the E, before the shroud and the thermostat it ran at the M while driving.
                              Scott
                              South Delta, BC, Canada
                              1960 White T-Bird, PS, PB that's it
                              Red Leather Interior!
                              www.squarebirds.org/users/sidewalkman
                              Thunderbird Registry #61266
                              http://www.squarebirds.org/picture_g...ibrary/trl.htm

                              Comment

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