distance between rad/water pump

[elkarcher]

Does this look right or do i need to get a whole front end from a mustang. This is a stock 302 from a 88 bronco. The distance just isn't wide enough. I cant fit my fan in with out hitting the radiator. any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Tim

 

[shamu]

Does this look right or do i need to get a whole front end from a mustang. This is a stock 302 from a 88 bronco. The distance just isn't wide enough. I cant fit my fan in with out hitting the radiator. any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Tim

do you have a factory old school fan? or the factory 1988 fan?
if neither will work go electric x2

 

[Broncobowsher]

That's about right for a Bronco. They were a tight fit when new.

Can't use an original fan, that is a reverse rotation waterpump. You need a reverse rotation fan to move air the correct way.

The latest and greatest fix is to use the complete front on a 5.0 Explorer engine, very compact and gives room for a nice clutched fan.

My last mix of cooling parts required a 5/8" machined down fan spacer. 3/4" was langer then I liked and 1/2" hit the crank pulley. Needless to say, they are a tight fit. Not any fan will fit either.

As for electric, they have issues as well. The aftermarket 2500 CFM fans just can't pull anywhere near that airflow when you make them pull air through a radiator. People have had good luck with Taraus fans (search) but they have another drawback, massive power consumption. You need a better alternator to keep up, and the stock wiring can't handle a better alternator. Makes life interesting...

And you wonder why there are always issues with people keeping Broncos cool...

 

[elkarcher]

do you have a factory old school fan? or the factory 1988 fan?
if neither will work go electric x2

I slide a single elec fan down and it hits on the water pump. so thats a no go. I have not tried the double fan yet.

 

[elkarcher]

That's about right for a Bronco. They were a tight fit when new.

Can't use an original fan, that is a reverse rotation waterpump. You need a reverse rotation fan to move air the correct way.

The latest and greatest fix is to use the complete front on a 5.0 Explorer engine, very compact and gives room for a nice clutched fan.

My last mix of cooling parts required a 5/8" machined down fan spacer. 3/4" was langer then I liked and 1/2" hit the crank pulley. Needless to say, they are a tight fit. Not any fan will fit either.

As for electric, they have issues as well. The aftermarket 2500 CFM fans just can't pull anywhere near that airflow when you make them pull air through a radiator. People have had good luck with Taraus fans (search) but they have another drawback, massive power consumption. You need a better alternator to keep up, and the stock wiring can't handle a better alternator. Makes life interesting...

And you wonder why there are always issues with people keeping Broncos cool...

so any 5.0 explorer will work or early 90's. I am not sure what year ford started putting the 5.0 in the explorer.
I have seen the taurus fan installed but that takes modification that i really dont want to do.

 

[ransil]

another option is to cut the core support and move the radiator forward.

 

[itsabronco]

check out your radiator brackets. James duff makes brackets that the radiator will sit closer to the core support. The stock bronco brackets and the aftermarket 4 row brackets pitch the radiator toward the engine more. Also search the site. there are some good ideas on here. JD brackets helped me. I also have a metal reverse rotation fan i can sell you.

 

[elkarcher]

I didn't think the explorer swap would be this hard to find. not anywhere in vegas at this point.

 

[Explorer]

I came across an electric fan the other day that was 2800cfm and only 2.5" thick. I'll see if I can find it again. I was having the same problem on a V8 Ranger project that I abandoned for other issues. Twin fans would make it a "little" easier.

 

[elkarcher]

Yes it would make it a lot easier and cheaper. Im about ready to start over completley but i have to mush money in it right now to go another direction. I also dont want to cut the core and move the RAD back either.

 

[elkarcher]

Ok what other serp swaps are there. its nearly impossible to find a explorer swap. what other options do i have. I know its not much

 

[Explorer]

Didn't see it mentioned, but here is a nationwide search for parts: http://car-part.com/index.htm I've found parts amazingly close.

 

[tatersalad]

side winder fan

I slide a single elec fan down and it hits on the water pump. so thats a no go. I have not tried the double fan yet.

Check out this fan it is made for tight spaces
http://www.the-fan-man.com/

 

[72Sport]

Does this look right or do i need to get a whole front end from a mustang. This is a stock 302 from a 88 bronco. The distance just isn't wide enough. I cant fit my fan in with out hitting the radiator. any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Tim

I have a 86-93 Mustang serpentine system in my Bronco. Stock 302, stock radiator mounts, stock (heavy duty) 3 core radiator. I have 2 13/16" between the surface of the pulley that the fan spacer mounts to and the radiator. I had the fan spacer cut down to a little under 1 1/8". The fan should be back as far as possible. The limiting rear mounting clearance on the Mustang is the tensioner pulley mounting bolt. My fan clears the bolt head by about .200" and the radiator by about 1 1/2". Sounds like a problem with the flex fan but the back side of the fan blades on a flex fan flatten out and move forward. The clearance between bolt head and rear of the fan blade increases as rpm increases. I have a Flex a lite #1517 flex fan which I put on in 1994. I have since added ac. I have never had an overheating problem either before ac or after all the mods I made as state in an article I wrote for Bronco Driver. I gave Bronco Driver bad info on the fan it is not a Derale (I just read the sticker on the fan) fan as stated in the article. See Bronco Driver #12 starting on page 59.

 

[shima77]

Not sure if you got my pm but I have the complete serp setup here in reno if you need...I can ship it all to you if you have a hard time finding one..I was in the same boat and figured by the time I bought an aftermarket fan,spacer,electric fan,ect I would be well into the price of running the explorer setup...I tried to make it work with a Ford 5.8 truck motor but just not enough clearance and I did not want to take a chance and destroy a $400 radiator trying to make it work,plus the parts are all easy to find at your local parts store for reasonable prices!