That had happened to a 48 Chevy Aerosedan I once owned. Luckily mine went through the inner fender and glanced off the outer. It's shocking how much force is involved in rotating parts and how they can slice through what seems like solid sheetmetal like butter.

 

Had a Model A pick-up a couple of years back. Driving down the road, I heard a loud bang, and the truck started to vibrate violently. I coasted ofer to the shoulder, and got out to see what had happened, when I noticed a LARGE dent in the hood side, from the inside out. I opened the hood and 1 blade of the 4 blade fan was missing, hence the dent, and the vibration from the fan being out of balance. Being more than 40 miles from home, the only thing I could think of was to break off the blade opposite the missing one to balance the fan, and drove it home. I replaced the fan/water pump unit with a billet alumunim unit, and sold the "A" a few weeks later. It was a scary incident, being alone, I can just imagine what it would have been like with kids along.
Pete

 

I had a 396 mounted low in a 56 Ford Panel with a flathead fan bearing, shaft, etc mounted up above it all 'cause the waterpump location was too low. This was back before electric fans were in wide use. I bought it set up that way, and didn't think about the pulley ratio, which was quite a variation - big one on the crank, little one on the fan.
Driving along Rt 95 in DC driving from FL to ME I launched one blade into orbit right through the hood. Ripped it open like it was a tin can, probably what 48fordjeffie's sounded and looked like. The hood was a real conversation piece for a while.
I drove the rest of the way with the belt off (it only ran the fan), and then welded a crank - sized pulley onto the flathead pulley. I still have the three bladed fan, IIRC!
I also threw one off an MG, of all things.

Jonas

 

You need to leave the kids at home where they will be safe as a lot of things happen when you have them with you, now go getter fixed so you can make a DQ run on Saturday nite.

 

Happened to me late one night on a dark street. '76 F-150 with a built FE Motor. Missed the hood but slammed the inner fender. Absolutely scared the wee outa me. I was positive I had been shot at.......

 

My high school shop teacher had a hot 51 Chevy 6 and had a blade come through the hood on it. He brought it to school and showed it to us and impressed on us how dangerous that would have been if someone was revving it up and that happined. He told us never to put ourselves in line with a fan blade. It's something I've never forgotten. That was in 1969.

 

I had the same thing happen years ago street racing and it makes a huge crash indeed. I pulled over after the race and found the gash in the hood pretty amazing what a little fan blade can do.

 

On another note, It's a good thing you didn't have a shroud or you'd be looking for a new rad right about now and they seem to be a lot harder to come by than a body man.......

Glad to hear that there was no "Collateral Damage"

 

You folks got me thinking that I need to revisit basic common sense. I use good parts and tools but when I think about it, there is never a good reason to be in-line with a spinning fan...... Can't think of any reason I'd need to be there while it's running.....

 

OK... Maybe while I'm checking the timing at full advance.......

 

Thanks for all your kind thoughts guys. I got the old fan off and the rivet or spot weld did not let go. It looks like metal fatigue did it in. My wife had meninigitis last month, (she's fine now) so I have been lucky so far this year. I will post some pictures of the fan blade this week.
Enjoy summer...
Jeff

 

i had one blade break off on my 49 f-1 v-8 flatmotor, jammed between the shroud and radiator tank. the noise and vibration made me think that was it for that engine. was on the way to a night time meeting. parked under a street light, sized it up, took the belt off (crank and fan only belt) and went on my way. it did not break on the rivits, just snapped off. amazed it didn't damage the radiator. dick r

 

When I was an early teen, there was a guy down the street that worked on cars in front of his garage. Several of us youngsters would hang around to try and learn something. When we got off the school bus one evening, there were police cars and an ambulance sitting in front of his house. He was tuning a car and the fan blade exploded, it killed him instantly, nearly decapitated him. It was just a wonder the there weren't a bunch of us kids there when it happened. I guess it he taught us a final lesson that day!

 

holy cow! good thing the hood was closed! glad nobody was hurt! did the rivets let go, or did the blade crack at edge of bracket?

 

yep, i did it again! posted before reading 2nd page.