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First new thread for me, so pardon me if I'm posting in the wrong forum. I searched others to no avail, and it is more specific (possibly) to the '73-'79 trucks. My question is did the engine's centerline in relation to the radiator change between various engines? i.e., would the fan of one family of engines be centered in the fanshroud compared to another family of engine? I understand that there are
different radiators and shrouds depending upon the setup, but did the actual centerline geometry change?
Thanks a bunch Dennis. My situation is probably more common than I might be thinking it is. The truck used to be an I6 and has been swapped to a 302. No a/c and its a 4-spd. PO/s did the work, so not much info or history available. I can't be sure, but it appears that the original radiator is intact and there is no shroud. Fan is also a cheesey old fiberglass flex - its gotta go. I have not had much luck finding any 302 donor trucks, they all seem to be FE's & M's. I took measurements on an FE setup and I think I might be able to make the shroud work. The mount holes seem to line up. My next challenge will be a clutch/fan assy that will sit correctly in the shroud. Any criticism or suggestions? All are welcome.
351m/400 & 302/351w can use the same fan shroud. (I'm using 351m rad & shroud with my 351w) It would make sense to me to arrange it so that multiple engines use the same shroud, less parts to keep track of.
It would make sense to me too, but looking at various vendor sites/catalogues, site sponsor or not, there is a plethora of different shrouds (and radiators). I know and understand that they all seem to be dependant upon fan-related engine accessories, ie, a/c, p/s, smog, etc. in addition to what engine family. That is what is making this project so frustrating. Was the M your original engine? With the small block I've got tons of frontal room - I just want to be sure that I can actually reach the shroud for proper fan placement, otherwise its an exercise in futility.