Introducing-Junkyard Tech episode 1!!!!

[gmachinz]

Ok...so if a lot of you are like me, you enjoy perusing your local junkyard looking for later model upgrades for your square, right?
Well, here's a little project I did in literally one hour just to see how it would turn out....the mission?

Adding a stout electric fan to an otherwise stock fan shroud assembly to negate the need for fabbing up some custom mounting brackets for the fan assembly itself.

So, here's your checklist of what you need:

1.) A Tbird or Mark 8 electric fan assembly
2.) Stock truck shroud (I used a BB one but a SB one should work as well)
3.) Drill with a 1/4" drill bit
4.) Rivet gun
5.) 1/4" rivets, 3/4" length and washers
6.) PVC saw
7.) Dremel w/cutoff wheel

[gmachinz]

Cutoff the fan assembly mounting ears using your PVC saw.....

[gmachinz]

Next, lay the Motorcraft fan inside the truck shroud, center it and mark the fans' reinforcement ribs to trim down....allowing it to sit more flush inside your truck shroud like so....

[gmachinz]

Now, with the Motorcraft fan centered, drill a hole through both the truck shroud and the Motorcraft shroud-make sure to check your holes so that they align in a way that allows each hole to cleanly go through both-I marked my holes to drill with a silver paint marker....

[gmachinz]

Lastly, simply drill and secure one hole at a time-using a washer on the backside to make sure you get a good, tight compression of the rivet head. Once you're all done, the whole assembly will bolt back up and look stock-how you trigger the fan can vary depending on your preference....I'll end up securing one of my fan control relay bank directly to the truck shroud a easy-peasy and stealthy to boot! You could also trim off a couple sides of the Motorcraft fan inside the truck shroud for added "shrouded" air to come through-I'd even take it a step further and use some high heat insulating foam between the truck shroud and radiator also.

This is a pretty good fan upgrade if going electric and is a great way to clean up the engine bay on serpentine converted trucks!

[mattcrp1]

looks good, simple and clean.

[greg64]

Great junkyard tech! Thanks.

[gmachinz]

For those who may not know, the Motorcraft fan opening on the shroud itself is a hair over 18" in width, so as long as your shroud opening is 19" or larger it will work. Also, the depth of my junkyard tech cooling fan assembly is 6" from truck shroud face to back of fan motor-so be sure to check your water pump-radiator fin distance....you need at least 6.25" or more.

[bnoon]

Very nice! I have an extra nice shape BB shroud I'll sell you cheap if you want to offer a loaded one for selling on here.

[Rich84]

This would be a nice setup for the LS swappers too..Those fans work so well that you don't have to go crazy sealing them up.

[cooperhw]

Very nice. I will be saving this for the future. Thanks for taking the time.

[gmachinz]

No problem-I actually used a 73-80 BB shroud-of which there appears to be at least 3 variations. I don't see why a SB shroud wouldn't work just as well. If I do anything else I'll most likely dremel off both sides of the Motorcraft fan at least so that the truck shroud is funneling all the air.

Bnoon, I have several shrouds still too-I suppose I could build them and offer them for sale but I figured a lot of guys might like an excuse to go junkyarding-lol. I'm all out of Volvo dual speed fan relay kits at the moment so I'll just put a dual speed relay kit on it and see how it does. I still want to stop by and check out your truck again!

[Corts60]

Very well done! Thanks for posting.
Posted via Mobile Device

[bnoon]

Originally Posted by gmachinz

No problem-I actually used a 73-80 BB shroud-of which there appears to be at least 3 variations. I don't see why a SB shroud wouldn't work just as well. If I do anything else I'll most likely dremel off both sides of the Motorcraft fan at least so that the truck shroud is funneling all the air.

Bnoon, I have several shrouds still too-I suppose I could build them and offer them for sale but I figured a lot of guys might like an excuse to go junkyarding-lol. I'm all out of Volvo dual speed fan relay kits at the moment so I'll just put a dual speed relay kit on it and see how it does. I still want to stop by and check out your truck again!

I used the same SBC stock clutch fan with the BBC and SBC radiator setup. The SBC fan shroud is deeper than the BBC one by a few inches, so the BBC one gives you the most room.

Come on by!

[geezer#99]

While you did do a nice job, I gotta ask why you'd want to put a fan that has a shroud already into a shroud on your rad.
Defeats the cooling process!
Hiding it maybe!!

[GASoline71]

Have you tested it yet? Curious how this will perform.

Gary

[gmachinz]

Originally Posted by geezer#99

While you did do a nice job, I gotta ask why you'd want to put a fan that has a shroud already into a shroud on your rad.
Defeats the cooling process!
Hiding it maybe!!

No...it won't defeat the cooling process-trimming the fan sides will allow it to be fully functional. I tried it this way because there's no clean way to mount an electric fan without it looking out of place sometimes. And, I detest v-belts and prefer serpentine drive anyway.

[gmachinz]

Originally Posted by GASoline71

Have you tested it yet? Curious how this will perform.

Gary

I will be as soon as I get my radiator in-I am modifying a core support brace a little so I can run a late model AC condenser for way more volume.

[GASoline71]

Hope it works!

Gary