In case your considering a flex fan....
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,458
Likes: 1
From: Collinsville MS
St. Jude Donor '08
In case your considering a flex fan....
This is the hood of my car from where the PO had installed a flex fan. Make sure you check the rated rpms.....
Its getting ready for paint, this is the only fiberglass damage on the car
Its getting ready for paint, this is the only fiberglass damage on the car
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,458
Likes: 1
From: Collinsville MS
St. Jude Donor '08
HE did this just prior to my purchase of the car. He said it was a flex a lite metal fan and he was winding out first gear when it popped. I remember seeing the fan in his shop on top of the trash can, he had just reinstalled the OEM fan when I showed up to pick it up. I was documenting the body work today before I start getting it ready to paint and figured I would hang this out there. I had blown one out a couple of years ago on an old truck with a granny low gear trying to pull a tractor out of the woods, luckily it went through the bottom....
I didnt look at the name on the fan, just saying what he told me!
I didnt look at the name on the fan, just saying what he told me!
C6 the C5 of tomorrow
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 6,665
Likes: 2
From: Twin Cities Minnesota
Use either a clutch fan or an electric fan. Both use less horsepower than the flex fan and don't fly apart...
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Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
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From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
I also ran the 10,000 rpm stainless flex fans at up to 8000 motor rpm for many years without failure. I never trusted the stock 7 blade fan clutch at higher rpm so I removed it.
Team Owner
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From: eville in
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
When I worked at the Dyno Shop, they would not even dyno cars with:
- Flex Fans
- Rubber Fuel lines
Both were on the high failure rate and unsafe to use list.
Last edited by SanDiegoPaul; Apr 8, 2008 at 12:29 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,493
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From: Little Rock AR
It happened to my Dad's Vette back in the 80's. Lucky for him the tossed blade went down rather than up. Never used an aftermarket fan after that.
I did loose a smog pump belt once that did that same kind of damage to the hood. Trashed a BUNCH of other stuff in there at the same time when it let go.
Broken brackets, stud bolts broken off in the head, new paint for the hood, etc.
-Mark.
I did loose a smog pump belt once that did that same kind of damage to the hood. Trashed a BUNCH of other stuff in there at the same time when it let go.
Broken brackets, stud bolts broken off in the head, new paint for the hood, etc. -Mark.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
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From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
I did have a tough aluminum home made shroud as a blast shield and it only cleared the blades by maybe a 1/2 inch. Poly locker motor mounts kept the motor firmly in place.
More than 12 years and lots of different motor. 17.5 in flexilite SS
More than 12 years and lots of different motor. 17.5 in flexilite SS
Last edited by gkull; Apr 8, 2008 at 08:50 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2001
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From: Virginia USA
I have the same fan a gkull. It's rated at 10,000 rpm but I only push my ZZ4 to 6000 (where my rev limiter is set to). No problems in the 8+ years running it. Just don't go down to Pep Boys and buy a cheap one. Buy the best, highest rated rpm one out there and you should be fine.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
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From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
The motor shown is probably my original 7500 rpm solid roller 383 with a 750 demon carb on a weiand team "G" single plane
Last edited by gkull; Apr 8, 2008 at 10:49 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Fremont CA
Hi Performance motors used the 5 blade fans and they are good to in excess of 7KRPm with a fluid clutch on them. Most flex fans are made in China today, having had to make a trip to the ER ward for 8 stiches once involving a flex fan incident, I have sworn them off for life! Unless you are doing a "restoration" I would go with dual electric fans on any Vette today.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Columbia Missouri
Hi Performance motors used the 5 blade fans and they are good to in excess of 7KRPm with a fluid clutch on them. Most flex fans are made in China today, having had to make a trip to the ER ward for 8 stiches once involving a flex fan incident, I have sworn them off for life! Unless you are doing a "restoration" I would go with dual electric fans on any Vette today.
Dual electrics are a great way to go. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,493
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From: Little Rock AR
I have the same fan a gkull. It's rated at 10,000 rpm but I only push my ZZ4 to 6000 (where my rev limiter is set to). No problems in the 8+ years running it. Just don't go down to Pep Boys and buy a cheap one. Buy the best, highest rated rpm one out there and you should be fine.
Is that fan RPM or is it engine RPM? Probably fan RPM so who knows what the engine RPM rating is....
-Mark.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
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From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
Now I have shifted to Dual spals