Re: [Chrysler300] Fan clearance

["Moana & Gerry Steinberg" <mopar@xxxx>]

Hi Sean: Obviously something shifted. If you are sure all your motor
mounts and tranny mounts are tightened and in place, is your radiator
in properly? Check the shaft on the fan clutch for any play. If it wobbles
that could be the problem. On my 300F and '61 Newport wagon with
a 440 I have minimum clearance as it sounds like you do. I went looking for
a fan clutch and they all had a shaft that was toooo long. What I needed
was one no more than 3 inches front to back including fins. Finally at
Napa we found one 2 15/16. It's application was for a Ford 460, which
certainly would be enough for a 413 and 440. However the bolt pattern
for a Ford fan is different than the Chrysler bolt pattern. Napa has an 18
inch
fan blade that has 3 different bolt patterns, so I didn't have to go looking
for a Ford fan. Napa's numbers are: fan clutch 273370, fan 209855.
All of the listings I came across using the original part number led to a
fan clutch with a longer shaft, which I couldn't use. I do feel that there
is one out there somewhere. Hopefully somebody had better luck than
I did. An option to buying the universal fan from NAPA would be to
drill your original fan to match the Ford bolt pattern. I didn't want to
do the drilling which might weaken the fan.
I know I'll probably catch hell for what I have done, but I needed it just
as summer was beginning, I did what I did and it works for me!!!!
Good luck and Happy Holidays to all.
Gerry Steinberg
Arizona

----- Original Message -----
From: <SADuggan@xxxx>
To: <Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, December 20, 2002 10:49 AM
Subject: [Chrysler300] Fan clearance


> Hi All,
> So I got my 62 sport completely mechanically sound. There's nothing better
> than having a 300 as your daily driver. When everything works right and
you
> have nothing to woorry about it's so much better than a late model car.
>
> Well, the other day, pulling out into traffic, I came to a quick jerky
stop
> from a slow speed. When I stopped at the next place I was going I noticed
> radiator fluid running out of the car. I guess when I stopped the engine
had
> bounced forward and the fan clutch rubbed the radiator putting a small
hole
> in one of the cores.
>
> I just had the radiator recored a couple of monthes ago, so I was a little
> pissed. The clearance between my radiator and fan is 5/16". Also I have
just
> changed all my mounts, engine and transmission. What can be done to insure
> this doesn't happen in the future.
> The clutch barely touched the radiator in one spot the size of a dime,
> nothing else was effected.
>
> I'm going to pull the fan now. Luckily it's such a small hole I can solder
it
> in place. I don't know what I can do to prevent this, maybe it was just a
> fluke.
>
> Thanks,
> Sean Duggan