Safe Distance Between Fan and Radiator

[377]

I’m in the process of installing my radiator in a Bronco Design Body and have fabricated mounts that bolt onto the BD core support. My radiator is a Champion Three Core and I have a explorer front dress including the clutch fan. Can anyone tell me a safe distance between the fan and the radiator? I’m not sure about body flex and if the explorer fan blade changes pitch when the engine is running. The rig will be used on the trail so I’m really concerned with my fan not getting into my radiator. Thank you for advice you can give me.

 

[bronconut73]

With your setup the main problem people run into is the fan being too far from the radiator. Not really that it's too far but just that the factory shroud won't encapsulate it quite the way it should.

So as far as the fan getting into your radiator you should be fine that's what the Explorer serp does it gives you lots of room.

I had to cut my factory shroud in half and make it about an inch longer up and down to fit around the Explorer fan. But I still have not extended it to where approximately half of the fan is inside of it. Right now my fans barely in the shroud. The only reason I have not extended the Shroud yet is cuz it's working so good like it is

 

[hammer189]

I'm running the exact same set up. Trucks not running yet though. Bottom of my fan is 1 1/4" top is 2 1/2" away from my radiator.
What top radiator hose are you going to run? I'm still fiddling with mine. Trying not to splice 2 together.

 

[bronconut73]

I ran the Fox body Mustang upper hose

I had to cut it shorter but it fits good.

My lower hose is a stock lower hose flipped over and cut shorter.

351W
Explorer Serp
3 row champion 5.0 conversion radiator

 

[bronconut73]

You can see the gates part number for the upper radiator hose in one of the photos. The shot of the lower hose should hopefully look familiar to you it should look like a lower early Bronco 302 radiator hose. Since it's on the other side you just flip it over and cut a couple inches off the end of it

 

[Broncobowsher]

I have found the Extreme motor mounts lock the engine to the frame a lot better than the rubber. The rubber mounts allow more for/aft movement of the engine in the frame. So it is possible to be safer with a tighter fan clearance with the extreme mounts over rubber. But there is still movement of the body mounts, body flex, core flex, and even the fan blades will bow forward under load. I didn't want to say the fan blades will flex because that is very different than a flex fan where the blades flatten out under load.

As mentioned, the Explorer is usually very generous with fan clearance to the point the fan is too far away from the shroud, not too close to the radiator.