tonymcilroy

I have an electric fan with no shroud. I am considering putting the shroud back on at least the top and sides. Other than I think it looks better will it help cooling or hurt it?

68hemi

Yes, a shroud is very important but doing just the top and sides will be of little to no benefit. The shroud works by sealing the air path from behind the radiator so that ALL the air in front of the radiator passes through it. You also need to seal the shroud to the radiator.

I run both the factory engine driven fan AND an electric puller fan behind my rad. in my 1957 with 383 stroker engine. The electric fan aids in cooling when stopped or low speed driving. If you run an engine driven fan with shroud the correct placement is with the fan blades 1/2 in and 1/2 out of the rear edge of the shroud when view from the side of the car.

tonymcilroy

I'll get the parts on order.

wmf62

my .02... the shroud will not help with only an electric fan as the only air that the fan will pull through the radiator will be that section directly in front of the fan. if you have an electric fan with a shroud made specifically for that fan, then a specific shroud will help, not a factory shroud; look at the fan that Dewitt sells and you will see what I mean.

check this link for an example of how to install an electric fan only: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ud-set-up.html

Bill

68hemi

Yes but if you are trying to cool the car with electric only you will need two fans unless you don't drive the car in the summer. If you are going to run two fans my preference would be the set up I have with a factory shroud, factory fan and a puller electric fan.

SDVette

When you are not moving, the fan has to "suck" air through the radiator in order to help.
Air takes the path of least resistance.
So if the fan can't create a low pressure area (slight vacuum), it's not going to help much.

wmf62

you don't need 2 fans, just the proper shroud as in the link I posted above.

if you have the factory engine driven fan and the factory shroud, then the addition of an electric fan will help suck additional air at low speeds but will be of little to no use on the highway

I use a pusher fan in front of my a/c condenser to provide additional airflow at low speeds and to help overcome the air flow blockage from being in front of the radiator; again, at highway speed, fans are of little use.

Bill

tonymcilroy

Well you have all given me much to think about . I'll add a few things. Engine is a zz4 350 the current 16" fan seems to work well even with the stk generator and radiator. Runs at or near 180 even on 90 deg days usually but I have seen it up to 210 which is one reason why I wanted to install the shroud. I have the fan on a thermo switch and it has not yet blown a fuse. I think I will go ahead and get the missing parts for the shroud rubber seal it for a tighter fit and see what happens next summer. Thanks for all your help.

68hemi

You could not cool one in AZ. where I live with only one electric fan shroud or no shroud with it.

My 57 ran perfectly cool with the original rad. engine driven fan and shroud until I upgrades the engine to a 383 with 11 to 1 aluminum heads. Then I added the electric fan and still had cooling problems. I upgraded to a Dewitt rad. and since I already had the electric puller fan I used it but don't really know if it was necessary. I am not a "fan" (no pun intended) of pusher fans as by their nature block air flow over the surface of the area they are mounted to. A puller fan would suck air through the A/C condenser as well. The problem with A/C cars is that the hot air from the condenser is being sucked directly on to the rad that is trying to get rid of it's own heat.

wmf62

except I think the Mark VII Lincoln fan and shroud MIGHT do it...
Bill

wmf62

if you put the full shroud back on, then "I" would put the engine driven back on too
Bill