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59 Cadillac fan shroud?

Started by Robert, July 18, 2006, 03:29:29 PM

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Robert

Anyone happen to know if a 1959 Cadillac Fleetwood Special came stock with a fan shroud?

Geoff Newcombe #4719

Not unless it came with AC. AC cars had a fan shroud, 7 blade thermostaticly contolled fan and the radiator was further forward.
Non-AC cars had 4 bladed fan, no shroud.  

Robert

Thanks Jeff! I just had my 390 rebuilt and I am not sure what the running temperature should be. Currently on a hot California day the car is reading at 210 degrees. Is that a normal temp for this type of engine? Everything is new with the cooling system as well.

Bruce Reynolds # 18992

Robert,

I just replied yo your other question, but at speeds above 30 mph, the fan doesnt do that much towards cooling the radiator, as the air speed at 30 mph is sufficient to cool the radiator.   The fan is there just for low speeds.

Is your car A/C or non A/C?

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

Robert

Thanks for your information. My car is a non AC car. I just had the engine rebuilt and it seemed to run a little hot according to my mechanic. Right now it is running at 210 degrees. I called a local Cadillac restoration dealer and they said normal is at 200 degrees and that the engine as it breaks in will run cooler. I was thinking the car might need an upgraded fan from a 4 point to something better. A fan shroud mounting holes were found off of the radiator and I was thinking maybe mine originally had the fan shroud.

Bruce Reynolds # 18992

Robert,

Have you checked the timing?   Could be that you are slightly too far advanced, and that is causing the rise in temperature.

But, back to the Shroud, you cant run a fan shroud with the radiator in its correct position as there isnt room to fit the shoroud.

Plus, the shroud is only used with the A/C cars as the radiator is in front of the crossmember, and the shroud keeps the air within the confines of the fan/radiator.

Without the shroud to guide the air flow, the blades will just move the air that is coming from the easiest way, and that is from the sides, and not through the radiator.

In the Non A/C car, the fan sits very close to the Radiator, which is how it is supposed to be.

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

Robert

Bruce you are the best! Thanks for the information. I have changed my distributer to electronic and the timing has been checked. Everything seems dead on. I am only running 10 degrees different than factory. I was told my temperature will drop to a lower level when my new engine breaks in. As far as the fan shroud do you know of an aftermarket or a universal fan shroud that I can buy?

Bruce Reynolds # 18992

Robert,

Now, you say you are running 10 degrees different than factory.

Well, that is a lot, unless you are running some sort of ultra high performance Petrol, that requires such a high advance setting.

Are you running a Vacuum advance distributor? or straight mechanical?

As far as an aftermarket fan shroud, I dont know of any, and there is definately no call for any in Tasmania.   Gee, we only have around 20 Cadillacs from 1904 to 1988 in the State.

But, If I was you, I would be removing the engine fan, and fitting an aftermarket electric fan, in front of the radiator, and wire it up to a correctly positioned thermo switch, with an over-riding dash mounted switch for those times when you really need it to work.

I did a similar setup on a 37 Chev Hotrod and I didnt have the fan come on until I had driven into the Northern City, 120 miles away, and then not until I reached the 4th set of traffic lights.   That meant that I had saved a substancial amount of horsepower to drive the car and not spin the engine fan uselessly.

A newly built engine shouldnt be that tight that the water temperature increases to a worrying extent.   If it does, then there is something inside the engine that is creating too much friction.

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

Geoff Newcombe #4719

Just to add further to what Bruce said ..... suggest you reset your timing to factory specs and see what that does for your temperatures.  While youre breaking that engine in it might be good idea to be a little conservative with your timing anyway.
Geoff N.

Robert

I will definately check out the timing again and see if it has changed. I talked to a Cadillac restoration company here in Los Angeles. According to their mechanic they say 200 degrees is normal and that 210 degrees that I am running at now is ok. They say it will drop a bit after I break in the new engine.