Wicked radiator damage

Lightshow · Post by **Lightshow** » July 22, 2010, 4:47 pm

sorry guys, have to link to pictures today. camera's on the fritz.

first off, the gory details:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4 ... =621629431

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4 ... =621629431

whoa! those fan blades are stiff, i have no idea what would make it bend that radically against the turning direction. if it was spinning and it hit something, wouldnt it have bent the other direction? it didn't hit anything in the engine compartment, there wasn't anything in its way and nothing else was tore up. regardless, the radiator ist kaputt, wondering if you guys have insight on perhaps what would cause the fan to bend like that...

jakdad · Post by **jakdad** » July 22, 2010, 5:04 pm

Get a new blade.
Looks like a flex blade gone bad.

Lightshow · Post by **Lightshow** » July 22, 2010, 6:07 pm

flex blade? never heard of it. the blade on mine is sheet metal, doesnt usually flex at all really...

jakdad · Post by **jakdad** » July 22, 2010, 6:18 pm

Here are several Ford fans including the flex blade. They were pretty noisey.
http://www.santabarbaramusclecars.com/t ... page-3.php

Michelle · Post by **Michelle** » July 22, 2010, 6:28 pm

That could be a mystry that may never be solved if it was perfectly straight before the failure. Something had to get in the way to cause that kind of damage.

jakdad · Post by **jakdad** » July 22, 2010, 6:36 pm

And the flex blades would occasionally throw a blade.
Don't ask me how I know..................................

Brian Taylor · Post by **Brian Taylor** » July 22, 2010, 6:45 pm

I had the exact thing happen to a vette I had. Replaced the readiator and was lost in what could of happened. About 2 weeks later went to find my large breaker that I used for turning the engine and realized that was on the frame and bounced off during the drive and bent the blade.

Michelle · Post by **Michelle** » July 22, 2010, 6:54 pm

Brian, that makes sense to me, an overlooked tool.

ICEMAN6166 · Post by **ICEMAN6166** » July 22, 2010, 7:45 pm

lost a blade into the hood one time. found out later there were some older fans prone to failure.they are also mentioned in one of the Steve Crist books.
not sure if it was actually one of those but i got lucky as all the damage was the slice in the hood.

we were coming back from Anchorage and got to the turn in the highway where at the time was a traffic light.
a few miles back we heard a noise, thought something from the road hit the bottom of the cab. the engine was vibrating quite badly at idle.
we went slowly to the wal-mart lot a couple more miles away. when i opened the hood, the blade fell out of the hood and light shined thru the gash.so we stooped at the auto parts and they had one universal racing type flex fan. wallet lightened $40 or so i changed it out in the parking lot. of course theres 17 fans 50 miles away at home, but doubt i would have made it.

we took some pics later at home,(i cant find them) took duct tape and wrote "OUCH" in permanent marker and taped over the gash.

6166 Junkyard Dog · Post by **6166 Junkyard Dog** » July 22, 2010, 9:42 pm

I have a radiator in the junk pile brand new from a guy with a 65, He bought a new raiator then BOOM, he said something flew up from the bottom he heard then steam and water on ground, he had that same 4 blade steel fan , I sold him a 5 blade Ford Flex Fan used radiator and he was on his way

Mellvis · Post by **Mellvis** » July 22, 2010, 10:03 pm

I don't think an animal hit on the road would cause these fans to bend like that. Maybe a large rock or such item hit by a tire and flung int the fan, but you would surely feel that. What an enigma!

dave r · Post by **dave r** » July 23, 2010, 2:31 am

I was a line mechanic @ a FORD dealer in the early '80's.FORD was doing a recall of clutch fans due to several fatalities caused by fans coming apart and blades flying off and striking someonewhen the hood was opened and the engine was running.If memory serves the recall involved FORD cars and trucks from 1973 ish to 1978 or'79.Since then I have NEVER trusted them(an ounce of prevention...)I always cringe when I see someone lean over an engine and race it to 3 or 4 thousand rpm...
Dave

Rusty 63 · Post by **Rusty 63** » July 23, 2010, 6:06 am

A guy that used to work for my dad had a fan blade come apart in his face. Lost an eye & took a chunck out of his head. I never race the engine from the front!

On another note, earlier in Rusty's life, with my brother at the wheel, the motor mount let go and the engine rocked over letting the fan hit the core & doing the same damage. Check your mounts.

65COOL · Post by **65COOL** » July 23, 2010, 9:09 am

I had a motor mount go bad it did the same thing made one heck of a noise.i think it was the driver side

34rdztr · Post by **34rdztr** » July 23, 2010, 4:15 pm

65COOL wrote:I had a motor mount go bad it did the same thing made one heck of a noise.i think it was the driver side

i think we have winner!!!!!!!!!!i was going to post the same thing till i got to the bottom.....ck your left motor mount really close.....it most likely hit the bottom of the top tank,bent the blades and eat up the rad......
the last time that happened to me,bambi had something to do with it!!!!!

Lightshow · Post by **Lightshow** » July 23, 2010, 5:30 pm

that doesnt surprise me. It WOULD be the motor mounts, wouldnt it??

sheesh, one more thing to replace. thanks for all your help, guys. i would have never known half of what i need to fix on my truck (until it broke =D) if it wasnt for the community here. Kudos!

Michelle · Post by **Michelle** » July 23, 2010, 7:33 pm

Mystery solved. Its nice to have a collective meeting and find the answer to the problem.