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I have a 78' f150, 4x4,400, w/4 speed tranny. The previous owner put the wrong fan shroud on the radiator and the fan blades tore out the top of it and broke the tips of the fan. The fan is fixed(not a clutch fan). My question is how do I identify which radiator I have, and can I replace the fan I have with a clutch fan? The only time the truck tries to get hot is when it idles for a long period of time. It never gets hot while driving. Thanks, Wallyford
The fan shroud should be specific for your truck year, model and engine size. Try salvage yards, always a good place for parts for older trucks. For a new shroud, try LMC Truck or National Parts Depot (site sponsor).
As for the clutched fan, if the bolt pattern on the water pump is the same, and the overall circumference of the baldes is the same, and the distance from the pump mounting plate to the front of the clutch won't hit your radiator, it will fit. Check with a parts store, tell them what your trying, and get them to look up trucks (with the same engine as yours) that are newer than yours (say early 80's, I think they had clutches) and measure them.
Most late '70s pickups with a/c had a fan clutch. So grab one from a salvage yard. There were two sizes of fans, so measure yours first. I got a fan from a '78 F250 with 351M and went to napa and bought a new clutch for my '73 F100 390 with a/c. The new clutch fit right on the fan and it works great on my 390. Engine is quieter when I rev it, and no overheating problems.
Thanks to both of you for answering my post. I'm just a learn as I go mechanic and I have learned a lot from my 78', but I have a whole lot more to go. This as a awsome place to learn thanks to folks like ya'll. Thanks for the info.