Radiator damaged by fan

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Joined
Apr 20, 2003
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Location
NE PA coal region
Was wondering if anyone other than Brian Koerner has had trouble with putting the fan into their radiator. Last year the last day of the Coal Miner Cruiser Classic I banzaied through a long deep mud puddle, no problem for the piggy...........but about 100 yards down the trail I smelled anti-freeze. Bif time. When the steam started to come out from under the hood I checked and there was a massive hole in my radiator where the fan damaged it. Couldn't get the hole patched and had to be owed to the staging area.

I had the rad recored ($400) and I believe the shop did a great job. Driving the truck the last six months it has worked just fine. We had a club run at Paragon two weeks ago and the truck worked great, went through some deep water a few times without incident. One evening last week I had to drag a local out of a hole in the woods behind my house, it was a very cold night ('bout ten degrees). After pulling him loose I saw steam coming out from under the hood. Found that the fan had once again dug a hell of a hole in my newly recored radiator. Not happy.

My truck engine and radiator wise is bone stock. No body lift at all although I am sprung over. The engine is a stock 2F with plastic fan that bolts right to the water pump with the double row pulley in between. When the rad is in place and without the engine running (!!!) there's about 1 inch of clearance between the fan blades and the rad.

Has anyone else had trouble like this with their piggy? I thought the first time it happened it might have been because I had removed the splash pan under the radiator and frint of the engine, but lasdt week when the problem reoccurred the splash pan was properly bolted into place. Can anyone offer any suggestions or let me know if this is a somewhat common problem! Shmukster (Gary S)

By the way I tried to test fit a 60 series rad in their after removing my original, the 60 rad actually was closer to the fan blade than the stock rad and of course the mounting holes in the rad frame didn't match those in the piggy's rad support. Thought I might get away cheap there. Has anyone out there installed a 60 series rad in a 55?
 
hay Gary
Have you checked your motor mounts? I busted one on the rubicon and my fan ate the rad.


terry
 
hay Gary
Have you checked your motor mounts? I busted one on the rubicon and my fan ate the rad.


terry

X2 that's what I was thinking. broken motor mount letting the engine move around when torque is applied.
 
i agree, engine mounts. I broke my raiator twice till i replaced my engine mounts. I also now run a fan of unknown origin with perfectly matching holes that sits back a further 10mm from the radiator than the original 8 blade fan.

This might help... https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=112960 hopefully some one will benefit from my stupidity...
 
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i agree, engine mounts. I broke my raiator twice till i replaced my engine mounts. I also now run a fan of unknown origin with perfectly matching holes that sits back a further 10mm from the radiator than the original 8 blade fan.

This might help... https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=112960 hopefully some one will benefit from my stupidity...

Did you ever figure out what application the smaller fan came from?
 
Fan blade

As far as I know the fan is the original fan. My truck was basically an unmolested original vehicle when I bought it- in need of a clutch, carb and brake work. The fan attaches to the water pump with bolts rather than nuts and studs.

Funny this message should come from you at this time. I am in the process of installing a later model 2F (circa 87) in my pig. Engine is in and I'm just addressing details now. My original fan blade won't work with the later model water pump and pulleys. Looks like I'll need to replace the later model water pump on the 87 engine with my opriginal water pump, pulleys, and fan. Gary S
 
I checked motor mounts and they looked okay...but I was coming off a big ledge and the 36" tires were rubbing a touch and then it sounded like a fat kid eating a box of crackers when the fan hit the radiator. I haven't had problems since I put in the taurus elec fan.

check the motor mounts and get that hi-po engine in there

bk
 
what others have said,,, get the square motor mounts, they have the steel bent in a way that they cant move more than about 1/2". also, you can buy one of the radiator protector wire things,,, sorry dont know what else to call it.
 
Motor mounts would be my first suspect. The change to square ones, super sound advice. A (and forgive me for even suggesting this) second possibility is you might have a major failure in your frame or radiator support. Quick look around should be enough to negate this possibility.
 
Gary,

Recently had to change my motor mounts. Fan was hitting the radiator when wheeling but only when my truck was at odd angles. I was lucky and did not do any major damage but did manage to chip the fan a bit.

You can try to torque the engine, set the parking brake, put it in first and let the clutch out. Usually, the engine will lift if the engine mount is broken. Try it in reverse also.

Sucks to have to repair the radiator again.
 
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