Add washer as radiator fan spacer? Separating FIPG help (1 Viewer)

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My radiator fan spacer (0.187” inch thick aluminum) is not enough to clear my supercharger tensioner pulley. Is it safe to use lock washers as additional spacers? I’m thinking of maybe 2 spacers per stud. Also maybe I can find a tensioner bolt with shorter head for added clearance?

Here are the photos

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I also need suggestion separating the throttle body adapter to the supercharger body. I removed the two bolts but its held by the FIPG very well. I need to send the supercharger to Jon Bond. I tried tapping with mallet with no success. Will heat gun work?

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Are you trying to run the original plastic fan assembly??

cheers,
george.
 
Yeah, but the OEM fan will **NOT** fit without spacing out the fan a LOT more than a couple of washers. The fan WILL flex in operation and you will be sad when things get mangled. I wouldn't trust washers as spacers.

Someone on this site makes a machined spacer to reuse the original fan. Can't remember who. It's a fine line between moving the fan away from hitting pulleys etc and moving it too close to the radiator and hit it.

The other option is to use a fan from a 3f or I think a V6 toyota. Search this site. Along with the TRD provided spacer.

I went with a 3F fan way back when.

And yes, the Ring fan is useless.

cheers,
george.
 
Thank you george. I have read the thread but decided washer between the clutch and fan wouldn’t be great since the fan would not sit as secured as original mounting points. I just cant find a laser cutter service with correct material thickness
What material thickness do you need?
 
What material thickness do you need?
My current one reads about 5mm. I just ordered some more custom spacers with varying thickness so I can just mix and match to get desired spacing. How much do radiator fans flex? Whats the minimum clearance between fan and pulley?
 
My current one reads about 5mm. I just ordered some more custom spacers with varying thickness so I can just mix and match to get desired spacing. How much do radiator fans flex? Whats the minimum clearance between fan and pulley?
The plastic fan like this can flex at least 3/8" depending on RPM and other conditions. I'm not sure what factory clearances are.

Also, the fan needs to be in the smallest diameter of the shroud to optimize the air seal and flow.

At 5mm, you may have to get a 1/4" thick spacer and have it milled down. Normally available material thicknesses are 0.1875" and 0.25", then up from there. Your 5mm is 0.1968"
 
Thank you george. I have read the thread but decided washer between the clutch and fan wouldn’t be great since the fan would not sit as secured as original mounting points. I just cant find a laser cutter service with correct material thickness
for what is worth I have been running this set up now for 7 years with no issues at all. In fact I have even checked it after a while and everything was nice and tight.

Cheers !
 
The plastic fan like this can flex at least 3/8" depending on RPM and other conditions. I'm not sure what factory clearances are.

Also, the fan needs to be in the smallest diameter of the shroud to optimize the air seal and flow.

At 5mm, you may have to get a 1/4" thick spacer and have it milled down. Normally available material thicknesses are 0.1875" and 0.25", then up from there. Your 5mm is 0.1968"
I ordered various thickness starting from 1mm up to 6.3 mm. I will have to combined two different thickness to get the proper spacing.
for what is worth I have been running this set up now for 7 years with no issues at all. In fact I have even checked it after a while and everything was nice and tight.

Cheers !
Hi toyofan! I have no doubt your method is working great, like i said i read the thread and your followup on it. I feel like im too clumsy to your method and not center the fan enough or something 😅
 
There’s two of them, if you look on the too left of the pulley you can see a little bit of the rear bekt
Still can’t see it lol.

Anyway, from my experience, the amount you need to space out the fan to clear the tensioner is enough that the clutch will no longer interface with the dowel on the water pump. It’s that interface that guarantees centric alignment of the assembly. Not sure if it will be a problem or not. But eliminating that kind of design element always carry some risk.
 
Still can’t see it lol.

Anyway, from my experience, the amount you need to space out the fan to clear the tensioner is enough that the clutch will no longer interface with the dowel on the water pump. It’s that interface that guarantees centric alignment of the assembly. Not sure if it will be a problem or not. But eliminating that kind of design element always carry some risk.
You’re talking about the clutch and fan spacer method correct?
 
The one where you space the clutch off the water pump which is what I think you are doing. I think other people are spacing the fan off the clutch.

In any event you need about 8mm, 5/16” of spacing.

Oh gotcha! Thank you Landtank.

I also have another question i posted on the kriginal post above. Regarding separating the supercharger and theottle body adapter. Its held by the fipg so well.
 
I just did this on my Cruiser.
8mm spacers between my bluehub and the stock 1FZFE fan gave me about 3 to 4mm clearance to the supercharger tensioner and belts.
1/2" or 12.71mm spacers pushed the fan too far forward and during spirited driving, the fan blades deformed just enough to contact my radiator and eat some of the fins.

I've also replaced the thicker TYC1918 radiator with the thinner Denso unit.
 
You can run Flexilite 501N spacers ( 3/32 thick X 3 or 4 to get needed clearance) with center bored to fit water pump snout. I have enough clearance to run the base of my fingers between original fan and bottom edge of stock radiator.
I would only recommend this approach with NEW motor mounts and transmission mount.
 
Old thread, but why not just have a part made to the exact dimensions? Doesn't seem
like complex machine work.
 

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