Fan Hits Radiator

[texasz]

Ok, so I have a 240Z that I have put an L28 in and just getting to installing the radiator.  This is the stock radiator that I had cleaned up so it came out of the car.  I managed to get it in and noticed that the fan was up against the radiator.  I'm using the later model plastic blade fan.  I'm not sure what may be the issue.  I have replace the fan clutch, could that be the problem, is it too long?  Any thoughts, input, experience on this would be helpful.  If you need pix I can take some.

[Zed Head]

Did the 240Z have anything in it when you bought it?  Looked at your old posts and can't find any details.  Could be an engine swap, could be a salvage car that didn't have anything.

Details about the L28 might help too.

[texasz]

This was a running driving car before starting in on the engine swap.  The L28 is an N42 block with an N42 head.

[Zed Head]

Well then, no offense intended, sometimes we overlook the obvious, the simple thing to do would be to compare the parts on the front of both engines.  Get out the ruler or tape measure.

Or, any chance you got the engine mount brackets on the wrong sides?  People do it sometimes but I don't know if it moves the engine forward.  It does cause it to tilt the wrong way.

 

[cgsheen1]

2 hours ago, texasz said:

...  I'm using the later model plastic blade fan.  I'm not sure what may be the issue.  ...

If the fan happens to be from a 280ZX, it has a different config than the fans on the earlier 280Z L28E's.  The blades are set farther forward on the metal mount.

Otherwise I have had difficulty with the new 280Z fans on my L28ET and my Koyo radiator. The newly purchased fan blades were longer (and softer) than the old one I was using and with the engine tilt it put the blades a bit closer to my radiator. What surprised me more was the flex of the blades pulling them into the radiator and actually damaging it at higher RPM. So, new radiator and back to the old stiff, short(er) fan blades... (and, no, I don't use a ZX fan on my L28ET and my frame is an early 260Z - so same rad core support as the 240's)

[bluez]

Pics would help. Motor mounts reversed would not move engine forward. Either wrong clutch, or you stated car has stock radiator, are you positive?

[texasz]

2 hours ago, cgsheen1 said:

If the fan happens to be from a 280ZX, it has a different config than the fans on the earlier 280Z L28E's.  The blades are set farther forward on the metal mount.

Oh, this could be be the case.  Is there an easy way to tell the difference?

[texasz]

1 hour ago, bluez said:

Pics would help. Motor mounts reversed would not move engine forward. Either wrong clutch, or you stated car has stock radiator, are you positive?

 

[bluez]

Well that’s your issue.. Here’s a pic of original radiator/fan.

 

[cgsheen1]

Yup. On the ZX they had to move the blades forward a bit due to the added power steering belt and pulley (three possible belts instead of two). You need the stock 280Z fan and honestly I don't know if there's a difference between the 75-76 and the 77-78.   carpartsmanual.com lists the same part number for all the 75-78 L28E and the 260Z L26. There's also no reason you can't use a 240Z fan...

[texasz]

I've done some poking around on the internet and it appears that the quick, easy visual difference is 7 blades for the earlier ones and 8 for the 280ZX fan.  And yes, based upon this and what people have said here it appears what I put on the car is a fan from a 280ZX.  😞

[Terrapin Z]

2 hours ago, texasz said:

I've done some poking around on the internet and it appears that the quick, easy visual difference is 7 blades for the earlier ones and 8 for the 280ZX fan.  And yes, based upon this and what people have said here it appears what I put on the car is a fan from a 280ZX.  😞

I have a bunch of seven blade fans if you end up needing to source one.