Aluminum fan shroud question
#1
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Car: 1991 BandittII Firebird
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Aluminum fan shroud question
I'm revamping some of my cooling system, ditching the single factory with a higher CFM single 16" flex-a-lite fan mounted to an aluminum fan shroud, both the radiator and shroud are from Champion. Champion doesn't offer a single fan shroud any more for the 82-92 f-body radiators and they just so happen to have one single 16" radiator left so when ordering they didn't have any pictures on their website. The shroud that was delivered has 4 louvers, one in each corner, I was not expecting this and I was planning on adding the rubber flappers in each corner.
On to my question....would there be any benefit to cutting the holes and adding the four flappers even thought the shroud has the four louvers?
Am I better off to run this with just the louvers?
Add the flappers with the louvers?
flatten out the louvers weld the seams closed and run just the flappers?
Flappers
This is not the shroud that I have but it's similar, the shroud I have has only one louver in each corner.
Champion radiator shroud
On to my question....would there be any benefit to cutting the holes and adding the four flappers even thought the shroud has the four louvers?
Am I better off to run this with just the louvers?
Add the flappers with the louvers?
flatten out the louvers weld the seams closed and run just the flappers?
Flappers
This is not the shroud that I have but it's similar, the shroud I have has only one louver in each corner.
Champion radiator shroud
#2
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Re: Aluminum fan shroud question
I would prefer the flappers as they should close when your car is not in motion and open at speed. At least that how i think they work. The louvers might be a compromise of the two (open/closed)
I made my own shroud out of aluminum sheet w/ two spring loaded trap doors. Mounted to the upper/lower OE shrouds and a spal fan modified to fit in the OE fan brace. Works quite well.
I made my own shroud out of aluminum sheet w/ two spring loaded trap doors. Mounted to the upper/lower OE shrouds and a spal fan modified to fit in the OE fan brace. Works quite well.
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91banditt2 (05-20-2023), NoEmissions84TA (05-26-2023)
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Car: 1991 BandittII Firebird
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Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.27 9 bolt
Re: Aluminum fan shroud question
I would prefer the flappers as they should close when your car is not in motion and open at speed. At least that how i think they work. The louvers might be a compromise of the two (open/closed)
I made my own shroud out of aluminum sheet w/ two spring loaded trap doors. Mounted to the upper/lower OE shrouds and a spal fan modified to fit in the OE fan brace. Works quite well.
I made my own shroud out of aluminum sheet w/ two spring loaded trap doors. Mounted to the upper/lower OE shrouds and a spal fan modified to fit in the OE fan brace. Works quite well.
I decided to add the flappers, figured more air flow can't be a bad thing, once I get the fan shroud modified, I'll post some pictures.
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91banditt2 (05-25-2023)
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Car: 1991 BandittII Firebird
Engine: 5.7 HSR
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.27 9 bolt
Re: Aluminum fan shroud question
Here's what I've got so far, this weekend I'll get started on removing the radiator to install rivnuts to mount the fan shroud.
flaps and 16" Flex-a-lite fan
Lexan template to consistently locate pattern on the aluminum panel to be drilled then cut on all four corners
Holes drilled the cut with a air reseparating saw, probably should of done this at work using better tools, lines aren't as straight as I'd like but with the flaps in place they're good enough.
SPAL flaps in place
Some fancy counter sunk washers just because, the fan mounting hardware is threaded into rivnuts installed on the fan shroud.
flaps and 16" Flex-a-lite fan
Lexan template to consistently locate pattern on the aluminum panel to be drilled then cut on all four corners
Holes drilled the cut with a air reseparating saw, probably should of done this at work using better tools, lines aren't as straight as I'd like but with the flaps in place they're good enough.
SPAL flaps in place
Some fancy counter sunk washers just because, the fan mounting hardware is threaded into rivnuts installed on the fan shroud.
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Car: 1991 BandittII Firebird
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Axle/Gears: 3.27 9 bolt
Re: Aluminum fan shroud question
what's your thoughts on that?
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#8
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Re: Aluminum fan shroud question
I think they could help some when your car is stopped, but at speed they could bleed some air out that could help push the flaps open, if that air wasn't diverted thru the louvers. Maybe leave them open and see how it functions afterwards. Is there only one louver per flap?
#9
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Car: 1991 BandittII Firebird
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Re: Aluminum fan shroud question
Yes there is one louver per flap in each corner. Gonna try and get the radiator out this weekend, I'm using rivnuts for mounting the shroud to the radiator, with the radiator in the car I don't have enough room to use the install tool for the rivnuts.
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Car: 1991 BandittII Firebird
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Axle/Gears: 3.27 9 bolt
Re: Aluminum fan shroud question
Fastenal brand, they are our fastener supplier at work, we carry a small supply of various sizes in stock at work along with the pneumatic tool to install the rivnuts.
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91banditt2 (05-27-2023)
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Car: 1991 BandittII Firebird
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Axle/Gears: 3.27 9 bolt
Re: Aluminum fan shroud question
So I was able to get the rivnuts installed on the Champion 2 core radiator, 4 1/4-20's on top and on bottom to mount the fan shroud, radiator/shroud/fam assembly installed into the car and I'm currently working on getting it all back together.
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DynoDave43 (06-02-2023)
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91banditt2 (05-31-2023)
#17
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Car: 1991 BandittII Firebird
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Axle/Gears: 3.27 9 bolt
Re: Aluminum fan shroud question
I’m quite happy how that turned out, I wish could take 100% credit for it, I’ve got a couple good buddies of mine that work in our machine shop at work that are also car guys, we also do powder coating in house as well
84 1LE do you know what the CFM is of the factory 16” single fan? I was searching here but I don’t think I found a for sure answer, the Flex-o-lite fan that I have is somewhere between 2,600 and 3,000 CFM I think?
Last edited by 91banditt2; 05-31-2023 at 09:44 PM.
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