How bad can a radiator fan be bent before it screws something up? When I put mine on last weekend one of the blades was way out of wack. The others were not consistant either. I took reference measurements and brought the tips back to a reasonable position relative to one another. It's obvious that something happened in a previous life. Probably a month or so away from starting the motor after rebuild. I was thinking it may shorten the seal / bearing life of the water pump if it's bad? On the other hand I wonder just how well balanced these are anyway. Your thoughts?
Bob

 

I would say they need to be almost exact, or you may screw up the water pump from vibration.

Vern

 

They need to be completely balanced. If it was bent you will beed to replace it.

 

Is it a four-blade fan (two pieces riveted together at 90 deg.)? Or is it the wide-belt type with big oil-filled hub?

 

It is the riveted two piece stamped steel. They aren't 90 degrees though.

 

Bob, a bent fan is not the kind of thing you want to mess with. The least of your problems would blowing out bearings on water pumps, etc. The real issue is, if the fan is out of balance, you run the risk of it breaking apart which would send pieces flying, and if you only suffered property damage from that, you should consider yourself very lucky. Flying fan blades will tear right through sheet metal and may cause injury or death.

 

For the price of shipping, I will send you a fan. If interested I will check to make sure my y-block fan will fit a 223(it should)

PM if your interested.

 

If it weren't the riveeted type, I'd be less worried. The kind on the big oil-filled hub are very stout and (I believe) single piece. No question it is prudent to replace the fan, but the choices are likely to be another used one (already straightened a couple of times? who knows) or trolling around for a brand new factory replacement -- not many left.

Bob, do you have sealed bearings, non-replaceable type? If so, you may be able to use parts from a later Y-block that used a similar design. I'm looking into that myself.

Edit -- Mr4speed says this is for a 223? I thought you had a V8 flathead. If that's the case, I don't know what the options are.

 

From personnel experience right after the bearings fail on the water pump the fan blade ends up in the radiator. At least then you'll have a whole lot of things to fix. In short get a balanced fan.

T900

 

Thanks guys. You are right. After all the time and $ spent to date I should know better. Mr 4speed, that is nice of you. Will PM.
Bob

 

My younger brother bent the fan blade on his old car and just straightened to his liking. I told him you can't do that, but he said sure he could because he already done it. A few weeks later I got to say I told you so because the reason his car was broke down on the side of the road was the fin he had straightened was lodged in cars battery.