fan goes into radiator

[Craig Hockers]

Help! I have a 1971 240z, and 2 times now, while winding up rpms on takeoff, have had the factory fan push into the radiator. I replaced the motor mounts and trans. mount, and it did it again yesterday, as I was pulling out of a cruise-in! how embarrasing! There is hardly any space between the fan and radiator. I tried to get an elec. fan after the first blowup, and could not find one that would fit in that tight space. Here is my questions for the experts:

Has anyone else had this happen?

Can the elec. fans go in front of radiator on a 71 Z?

Anybody have an idea on how to proceed?

The car comes home on a trailer today.

Thanks for your help, Craig

[sblake01]

If there is hardly any space between the fan and radiator you possibly have a 280ZX/810 fan which has the mounting surface at the rear of the fan instead of the front like the pre-79 S30 fan which results in about 1" less clearance.

[EScanlon]

Stephen:

EXCELLENT! (Thumbs UP!)

Kudos for that bit of knowledge .... I'll bet that one has bit a lot of people.

E

[e_racer1999]

agreed. that was what i was gonna put, but i see i trail stephen and enrique

[Craig Hockers]

Thanks for the advice. I am pretty sure it is the origional fan, from the pictures in the manual. My father bought the '71 Z from the origional owner from San Diego over 15 years ago. It sat in his collection in his warehouse til he passed away 2 years back.So to my knowledge it was not modified in any way,til I got it. I stripped off the pollution control stuff and put a header and new exhaust,rebuilt the top end, and basically hooked up an I.V. to my wallet.

I tried a flex fan after the first rad. blow up, but could not find a good fit. Same with an elec. fan- would not fit between pulley and radiator. I do not think there was front end damage earlier as all panels line up great, and we are friends with orig. owners who never admitted to a crash.

has anyone found an after market flex fan that would fit? I have also replaced motor and trans mounts, so I don't uderstand where all this movement comes from. On a side note, on my way to the cruise-in last Saturday, the car stalled going around a sharp corner at a good speed(hey, it's a Z!) and died for the first time ever, then restarted fine as soon as it came to a stop. Then, when the rad. blew, the wipers turned themselves off and on for a second. I am beginning to think Dad is trying to tell me something-like slow down. Any one else have a haunted Z? Thanks again sblake, escanlon and eracer-hope to see you all on the road! Your online Z buddy, Craig

[sblake01]

Can you somehow take a picture of the fan? I still think I'm on the right track with this one and I've seen the wrong fan installed a few times. It would be hard to tell looking at the manual. Unless you look at them side by side, the difference really doesn't jump out at you.

[EScanlon]

I can't claim knowledge of the information that Stephen gave. That's why I gave him the praise.

I never would have thought of that, and it's that type of information that sets this site apart from the other ones.

Back on topic, Craig if you'd like, I'll measure the space in front of my fan and post pics. But I've never had any problems of this nature.

FWIW

E

[Arne]

A '71 should have probably come with the metal fan blades. If yours aren't metal, they probably aren't original.

I've got a pair of '71s, one with the original metal fan and one with a fan and clutch from a later 260Z. In both cases I have at least an inch and half clearance between the fan and radiator.

If the clearance between the pulley and the radiator isn't enough for an electric fan, and the body shell hasn't been damaged, perhaps the car has had the radiator replaced with a much thicker one at some time in the past.

[e_racer1999]

^or the electric fans being fitted were too thick.

IIRC, even the popular taurus fan swap is too thick to be used with the L6

[beandip]

Just for information . I have replaced the L-24 engine in my 240 with a 280ZX and I used the larger ZX fan as well . I ran with the OEM 240 radiator up until a couple of years ago with no problem, at any RPM levels . I am now running with a 280Z radiator and nothing has changed with the clearances with the fan. I defer to Stephen and I think he is on the right track here. Gary

[geezer]

I don't know if this is relevant in this case but I remembered reading this in a early '71 Service Bulletin. There must have been a problem with the fans being installed backwards. From your post I gathered that was the only thing you have done (remove & replace same fan)? Nothing else has changed?

[sblake01]

Well, if this is about a metal fan and the clutch that goes with it, I have no clue. In that case, Ron's scenario makes sense. It's been 36 years since I owned one set up that way. I'm not even certain that the plastic fan and attending clutch for a 240Z is the same as the combination on a 280Z. I do know that the design of a 280ZX/810 fan makes it sit farther forward than a 280Z fan though those two clutches are identical.