VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 Fan/radiator clearance

Today I installed a new honeycomb radiator I purchased from the filling station last year. The car is a 26 with a 28 engine. There is maybe 1/8 - 3/16" clearance between the fan blade and radiator. I understood there'd be less clearance because the core is thicker than the original radiator but I didn't anticipate it being that much. The lower hose will need to be shortened as well.

Has anyone else had this problem? Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

There is definitely something amiss.There should be a lot more clearance.How much thicker is new radiator? Is it mounted a little off spot? Is the pulley pressed all the way on the water pump? Are the fan blades bent or is it the wrong fan blade? I am just throwing out ideas.I do not know if it is possible to mount the engine too far forward. My 27 has a 28 motor in it and I do have PLENTY of room fan to radiator.Regards,Ray

rbl2: How much clearance did you have between the fan blade and the old radiator core before you installed the new core?

:confused: :) :grin:

My '27 is twenty miles away,but from memory I would have to say better than an inch.

The core is about 3/8" thicker than the old one, I think. The clearance between the old core and the fan was one of those things I never really paid attn too but there was at least an inch, if not more. The blades are not bent and the pulley is pressed on correctly.

Tomorrow I'll check to make sure it's mounted correctly but it only goes in one way. There is room for adjustment and I pulled it as far forward as I could w/o riding up on the hole for the hand crank on the bottom and still having enough "hole" to mount the hood.

There is a single rod that mounts to the cowl and the radiator shell and I had to adjust it further out by quite a bit. Leaving it where it was at with the old core would have pressed the new core into the fan blades.

Mmmm maybe I unknowingly "unadjusted" that rod where it mounts to the cowl. I'll check tomorrow.

Based on your description above, it sounds like you should have around 1/2" to 5/8" clearance with the new radiator core.

:) :grin:

I agree. That was pretty much what I expected and was surprised when I saw the small am't I had. Tomorrow is another day, I'll go over it again. I must've done something wrong, I just can't think of it.

Which implies I'm capable of clear and intelligent thought to begin with and I certainly don't want to mislead anyone.

By raising the radiator about 1/4" I was able to move it forward top and bottom to get 13/16" clearance between the fan blades and the radiator. I'd rather have more but I think that's enough to get me down the road without having to worry about bumps and what nots.

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.

13/16" clearance sounds good to me. I think you have it made now!

:cool2:

I think it's safe. Lost a lot of clearance between the radiator and headlight bar though. Looking at it again this morning I don't think I did anything wrong. I think it's just the added thickness of the new core.

If it's the added thickness of the new core, then you probably didn't have that much clearance originally since the new core is 3/8" thicker.

:) :grin:

If it wasn't so much work I'd put the old one back in just to measure. I'm certain it was at least an inch though, which should have left me 5/8" clearance but.... On the other hand, if it was slightly less than an inch it would explain a lot.

Certainly someone else here must have purchased a new honeycomb core.

It matters not. It fits now, albeit not to my satisfaction. The hood doesn't rest on the shell quite right but I have moved it as far forward as I dare. Over time I'll work the bugs out of it.