norseman

norseman

Well-Known Member
Some years ago I made the mistake (hindsight is a wonderful thing) of choosing to replace the blocked radiator on my '87 3.5efi instead of having the original rad re-cored. The replacement rad fitted well & does it's job but the original shroud wouldn't fit & I had to use one from a later model year. This has always been very close to the fan blades at the top, often resulting in them touching when the shroud warms up due to engine bay heat. Other than the danger of exposed rotating blades, would removing the shroud altogether seriously effect the cooling effect? As a matter of interest the car is fitted with a heavy-duty (13 blade) fan which appears to be the original fitment.
 
Like a ducted fan or N1 Fan on a Gas Turbine, without containment, the air will just spill off the blade tips resulting in absolutly no air flow....also with the air spilling off the tips, this puts stress on the blades at a place it wasn't designed to be (at the very end) instead of along the blades chord length....

(admitedly the last point is only really applicable to Gas Turbine fan blades due to size, weight, tolerance and forces applied :D:D:D:D:D)
 
I see your point Saint but then & again years ago vehicles of all sizes from cars to trucks only had the blades (often only four in many cases) to cool engines. I've currently cut away the top edge of the shroud as a temporary measure but don't like bodges - long term I think I'll have to remove the top area & try to 'build' a slightly raised cover to replace the original.
 
Not wrong...you will still get air flow across the fan...but it wouldn't be efficient
 
My 1988 3.5EFI works very happily without a shroud.

For me the main benefit of having one would be that the fan wouldn't spray sh*t all round the engine bay when I'm off-roading!

Pete
 
norseman said:
Crossed my mind but try to keep the old girl as original as possible, hence my annoyance at junking the original rad. instead of having it re-cored :eek:
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Most cars in my experience will run happily with the shroud removed despite, as SV8 rightly say's, being less efficient, on the road the fan is not doing much once you get moving above 30mph and no shroud aids RAM air cooling, the unshrouded fan will still pull enough air at idle IMO but I think it may be a problem when off roading, however it is regarded as a health and safety issue these days having an unprotected fan where you can easily put your fingers:eek:
 
That's reassuring Data, I don't off-road & the fan's a eleven blade version as well. Not sure why but the first owner was a development co. director who also had a Dixon-Bate sliding tow hitch fitted, so perhaps the car towed a mobile sales office or whatever.
 
norseman said:
That's reassuring Data, I don't off-road & the fan's a eleven blade version as well. Not sure why but the first owner was a development co. director who also had a Dixon-Bate sliding tow hitch fitted, so perhaps the car towed a mobile sales office or whatever.
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Aircraft propellers work quite well despite the tip losses:)
 
Datatek said:
Aircraft propellers work quite well despite the tip losses:)
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Nice one:clap2:
So for that matter do cooling fans, I know they blow but have to suck the air from behind first ;)
Drove the RR again today following last week's basic surgery to the shroud, no rubbing noise but looks untidy when the hood is opened. Wonder if I can remove the thing without taking anything (fan/rad/hoses) apart if I cut the shroud in strategic places?
 
norseman said:
Nice one:clap2:
So for that matter do cooling fans, I know they blow but have to suck the air from behind first ;)
Drove the RR again today following last week's basic surgery to the shroud, no rubbing noise but looks untidy when the hood is opened. Wonder if I can remove the thing without taking anything (fan/rad/hoses) apart if I cut the shroud in strategic places?
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Should be possible:) Looks possible on the P38, not easy though.
 
May I be granted the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to hide the bodies of those people I had to kill because they ****ed me off



last bit..not down a well ihope???
 
zen said:
May I be granted the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to hide the bodies of those people I had to kill because they ****ed me off



last bit..not down a well ihope???
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Certainly not down a well thats only 7 foot deep:rolleyes: got some wells round here that are 30 metres deep, much more suitable:D
 
The vehicle was designed to be driven around in 50C ambients, so cooling system will cope with that, therefore its overkill for UK (if rad is not blocked), so making it less efficient by removing the shroud should not be a big issue in the UK. I have a 4.8 V8 with a std mechanical fan & rad with no shroud and have no issues even off roading on a hot uk day.
 
Thanks Davidg, more re-assurance is welcome. Did you find it made any difference to noise levels with the shroud removed?
 
Can't help you with that question. I originally removed the old mechanical fan and shroud and fitted 2 condensor fans (hoping that they would suffice for engine cooling), but they did not pull enough air through to keep engine cool on a hot day. So I then bought another mechanical fan but could not find the old shroud.
 
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