HELP...Stock '68 327 fan/shroud alignment - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

stllookn · 09-14-2005, 05:33 PM

My fan is hitting the inside of my shroud. I thought I had all the stock components for this truck when I put it together expept a fan spacer. I got a 2" extension to put the fan inside the shroud but when I drive over uneven ground the fan hits the inside of the shroud. I have adjusted it a couple of times but can't get it centered quite right. I am wondering if the fan is too big, it should sit outside the shroud or if I have a broken motormount. A picture of a stock set-up, shot from slightly behind the shroud toward the front of the engine compartment will tell me lots. Here is mine from that angle.

What diameter fan do you have and what length spacer?

neonlarry · 09-14-2005, 07:30 PM

Well for one thing your fan is way too far inside your shroud, it should sit about 2/3 of the way out the back of the shroud. It looks like if you remove that spacer it would sit about right. Also if the fan is hitting the shroud when you go over uneven ground I would suspect your motor mounts are worn and letting the motor move relative to the frame (which the shroud is attached to) thus the fan hitting the shroud.

Longhorn Man · 09-14-2005, 07:49 PM

I have to agree with larry on both accounts

stllookn · 09-14-2005, 08:04 PM

I suspected that...thanks guys!

Sweet72 · 09-14-2005, 08:12 PM

Your fan should be half in and half out of the shroud. Check the radia tor core support bushings too. They may be worn or rotten. Where (in the shroud) is the fan hitting? My 72 307 fan is just under 18" and the shroud ID is 19 1/2"...

stllookn · 09-14-2005, 08:19 PM

I think it was hitting on the upper left quadrant. There is not much room around any part of the fan. I thought it interfered with the ps pump without a spacer but I will recheck that. All of my trucks have had weird engine combinations in the wrong locations so I have nothing to compare to. The '68 GMC, which is completely stock, has the fan inside the shroud. My 283 is about 1 inch outside the shroud.

stllookn · 09-14-2005, 09:28 PM

Well...back to the original problem. When I had the fan where it is supposed to be it hits the power steering sheave. I wonder if it has the wrong pwr strg sheave. These were all stock components (but unassembled) when I got the truck. So something is wrong here.

What power steering system was on the '68 trucks? Was it similar to the '67's with the power cylinders? If so...somebody switched this to a later model which would explain the pump placement and alignment issues. My chassis service manual shows the older '67 style power steering system.

Longhorn Man · 09-15-2005, 12:27 AM

there was a mid/late year chainge on that. Some had the 69 style on them. Look at your steering gear box and see if it is mounted with shims or washers between it and the frame, and if none are there, then look on the inside if the frame for evidence of beating the hell out of it with a hammer. If either of these are present, then yours was modified by a P.O.

tomatocity · 09-15-2005, 01:34 AM

I agree with Sweet72 on the fan position and measurements. You already have enough info on why it is hitting the shroud. Have you thought of a clutch fan instead of a fixed fan? Gas mileage and performance.

thecatseye66 · 09-15-2005, 02:13 AM

Hey Mike,
I've got that stock PS '68 327 setup in my aqua truck. It is parked at Jill's place toward Colfax. I wish I would have seen this post 'cause I drove out there to get my digital camera about twenty minutes ago!
I'm heading back out this weekend, so I'll take a pic then. Can't post pics 'til next Monday though.
Chris

stllookn · 09-15-2005, 02:19 AM

tomatocity, I am doing a 100 pt. resto so it has to be stock. This Longhorn was built in on July 3 so I am sure it was the end of the production run and used '69 components. I will check the frame as Andy suggests but I know the original owner did not touch it...I have talked with him. The second owner might have but I seriously doubt it. He only had the truck for a short period of time and everything is stock. Mark, who I got the truck from, only put in a different 327 and did not finish the install when we traded. He provided me with all the stock components that came out of the truck. Maybe I got a bracket backwards or something. I noticed that there is another groove inboard of the one currently used by the power steering pump. Maybe I mounted the pump on the wrong (forward) side of the brackets...is that possible? I will have a closer look tomorrow and see what is going on there.

I could sure use a picture of a power steering pump mounted on a stock '68.

stllookn · 09-15-2005, 07:13 PM

I checked in the daylight and my frame is a late model '68 and has the stock indentation. If I could get the PS pump back one groove on the crank pulley...all would be golden!

09-14-2005, 05:33 PM	#1
stllookn Saving 1 truck at a time! Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Kent, WA Posts: 6,465	HELP...Stock '68 327 fan/shroud alignment My fan is hitting the inside of my shroud. I thought I had all the stock components for this truck when I put it together expept a fan spacer. I got a 2" extension to put the fan inside the shroud but when I drive over uneven ground the fan hits the inside of the shroud. I have adjusted it a couple of times but can't get it centered quite right. I am wondering if the fan is too big, it should sit outside the shroud or if I have a broken motormount. A picture of a stock set-up, shot from slightly behind the shroud toward the front of the engine compartment will tell me lots. Here is mine from that angle. What diameter fan do you have and what length spacer? Attached Images __________________ '68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 400/TH400 '68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 468/TH400w/buckets '72 C20 Halfhorn (Longhorn w/o cab and front clip) '69 Flxible Cruiser (look up ugly in the dictionary) Last edited by stllookn; 09-14-2005 at 05:54 PM.

09-14-2005, 07:30 PM	#2
neonlarry Registered User Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Vacaville, CA Posts: 2,745	Well for one thing your fan is way too far inside your shroud, it should sit about 2/3 of the way out the back of the shroud. It looks like if you remove that spacer it would sit about right. Also if the fan is hitting the shroud when you go over uneven ground I would suspect your motor mounts are worn and letting the motor move relative to the frame (which the shroud is attached to) thus the fan hitting the shroud. __________________ 70 C/10 Light Red 350/TH350, HEI, Duals w/40 series Flows, 91 seat, LED taillights 99 Pontiac S/C GTP, SLP Ram Air hood, GMPP Konis & springs 95 Neon ACR, MP PCM, AFX UDP, 3.0 CAI Last edited by neonlarry; 09-14-2005 at 07:31 PM.

09-14-2005, 08:04 PM	#4
stllookn Saving 1 truck at a time! Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Kent, WA Posts: 6,465	I suspected that...thanks guys! __________________ '68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 400/TH400 '68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 468/TH400w/buckets '72 C20 Halfhorn (Longhorn w/o cab and front clip) '69 Flxible Cruiser (look up ugly in the dictionary)

09-14-2005, 08:12 PM	#5
Sweet72 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Alexandria, VA Posts: 1,534	Your fan should be half in and half out of the shroud. Check the radia tor core support bushings too. They may be worn or rotten. Where (in the shroud) is the fan hitting? My 72 307 fan is just under 18" and the shroud ID is 19 1/2"... __________________ '72 GMC SWB C1500 Custom, frame-off in progress. 383 SBC, 9:1CR, Comp Cams XE262H, Scat internal balanced crank, Eagle SIR 6" rods, Keith Black dish pistons, Dart Iron Eagle 72/180 heads, Weiand Stealth intake, Stewart stage I water pump, Holley 4bbl vac sec, TH350 with B&M Shift Improver Kit. 12 bolt positraction.

09-14-2005, 08:19 PM	#6
stllookn Saving 1 truck at a time! Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Kent, WA Posts: 6,465	I think it was hitting on the upper left quadrant. There is not much room around any part of the fan. I thought it interfered with the ps pump without a spacer but I will recheck that. All of my trucks have had weird engine combinations in the wrong locations so I have nothing to compare to. The '68 GMC, which is completely stock, has the fan inside the shroud. My 283 is about 1 inch outside the shroud. __________________ '68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 400/TH400 '68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 468/TH400w/buckets '72 C20 Halfhorn (Longhorn w/o cab and front clip) '69 Flxible Cruiser (look up ugly in the dictionary)

09-14-2005, 07:49 PM	#3
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,690	I have to agree with larry on both accounts

09-14-2005, 09:28 PM	#7
stllookn Saving 1 truck at a time! Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Kent, WA Posts: 6,465	Well...back to the original problem. When I had the fan where it is supposed to be it hits the power steering sheave. I wonder if it has the wrong pwr strg sheave. These were all stock components (but unassembled) when I got the truck. So something is wrong here. What power steering system was on the '68 trucks? Was it similar to the '67's with the power cylinders? If so...somebody switched this to a later model which would explain the pump placement and alignment issues. My chassis service manual shows the older '67 style power steering system. __________________ '68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 400/TH400 '68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 468/TH400w/buckets '72 C20 Halfhorn (Longhorn w/o cab and front clip) '69 Flxible Cruiser (look up ugly in the dictionary)

09-15-2005, 12:27 AM	#8
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,690	there was a mid/late year chainge on that. Some had the 69 style on them. Look at your steering gear box and see if it is mounted with shims or washers between it and the frame, and if none are there, then look on the inside if the frame for evidence of beating the hell out of it with a hammer. If either of these are present, then yours was modified by a P.O.

09-15-2005, 01:34 AM	#9
tomatocity Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Sacramento CA Posts: 1,255	I agree with Sweet72 on the fan position and measurements. You already have enough info on why it is hitting the shroud. Have you thought of a clutch fan instead of a fixed fan? Gas mileage and performance. __________________ Got bored, sold everthing. Got bored, looking for a 1960-66 C-10. Want to build my last truck.

09-15-2005, 02:13 AM	#10
thecatseye66 '68 C-20 396 CST CC Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 454	Hey Mike, I've got that stock PS '68 327 setup in my aqua truck. It is parked at Jill's place toward Colfax. I wish I would have seen this post 'cause I drove out there to get my digital camera about twenty minutes ago! I'm heading back out this weekend, so I'll take a pic then. Can't post pics 'til next Monday though. Chris __________________ 68 C-20 396/TH400 CST Custom Camper NOW W/DISC BRAKES 01 Jetta Turbo Daily Driver 84 Yamaha Virago 700 - Alaska to Florida Via Maine & Mexico

09-15-2005, 02:19 AM	#11
stllookn Saving 1 truck at a time! Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Kent, WA Posts: 6,465	tomatocity, I am doing a 100 pt. resto so it has to be stock. This Longhorn was built in on July 3 so I am sure it was the end of the production run and used '69 components. I will check the frame as Andy suggests but I know the original owner did not touch it...I have talked with him. The second owner might have but I seriously doubt it. He only had the truck for a short period of time and everything is stock. Mark, who I got the truck from, only put in a different 327 and did not finish the install when we traded. He provided me with all the stock components that came out of the truck. Maybe I got a bracket backwards or something. I noticed that there is another groove inboard of the one currently used by the power steering pump. Maybe I mounted the pump on the wrong (forward) side of the brackets...is that possible? I will have a closer look tomorrow and see what is going on there. I could sure use a picture of a power steering pump mounted on a stock '68. __________________ '68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 400/TH400 '68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 468/TH400w/buckets '72 C20 Halfhorn (Longhorn w/o cab and front clip) '69 Flxible Cruiser (look up ugly in the dictionary)

09-15-2005, 07:13 PM	#12
stllookn Saving 1 truck at a time! Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Kent, WA Posts: 6,465	I checked in the daylight and my frame is a late model '68 and has the stock indentation. If I could get the PS pump back one groove on the crank pulley...all would be golden! __________________ '68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 400/TH400 '68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 468/TH400w/buckets '72 C20 Halfhorn (Longhorn w/o cab and front clip) '69 Flxible Cruiser (look up ugly in the dictionary)



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