Flex fan

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i had one of those weird throwing star looking ones, made a shrill sound like a Stuka dive bomber at RPM, the next one I tried was a flex fan with silver blades. It must have been too close to the rad because it reeached out and bit it and took the whole back row of tubes with it. Went back to the fan I ditched for the flex fans. Stayed there for the rest of that cars life with me. Not a fan of the flex-fan. I actually use electrics now. Much safer for me. working on the engines front, just turn them off. How many times you snag your timing light leads on your fan, once is enough.
 
Factory fans can and have come apart, as well. I remember sometime in the early 70's guy came into the NAS Miramar auto hobby shop with a GTO had a hole in the hood looked like someone hit it with an axe, only the how wet outward instead of inwards.
 
i had one of those weird throwing star looking ones, made a shrill sound like a Stuka dive bomber at RPM, the next one I tried was a flex fan with silver blades. It must have been too close to the rad because it reeached out and bit it and took the whole back row of tubes with it. Went back to the fan I ditched for the flex fans. Stayed there for the rest of that cars life with me. Not a fan of the flex-fan. I actually use electrics now. Much safer for me. working on the engines front, just turn them off. How many times you snag your timing light leads on your fan, once is enough.
This is the direction I am heading towards on my current car (and serpentine setup), I've run electric fans in the past and was happy. For me it's not really about the performance it's about the cleanliness and not having to worry about snagging stuff on a fan including body parts lol.
 
Just a question ,
Why is everyone so against a flex fan ?
( other than being sharp edged )
Asking for a friend. LoL :rofl:

Im not against it, i run them on all my cars the metal flex fans they work great on my daily drivers and 1/8 cars pulling up to 6500 rpms with no problems just buy them new. I understand there's always that risk of it cutting you/coming apart, but hey there's always that what if? what if my Ball and trunion drive shaft comes apart and cadapults my dart on the freeway. What if my flywheel comes off at 7K clutch dump and cuts through the floor boards and cuts my foot off? Pick your poison lol
 
Im not against it, i run them on all my cars the metal flex fans they work great on my daily drivers and 1/8 cars pulling up to 6500 rpms with no problems just buy them new. I understand there's always that risk of it cutting you/coming apart, but hey there's always that what if? what if my Ball and trunion drive shaft comes apart and cadapults my dart on the freeway. What if my flywheel comes off at 7K clutch dump and cuts through the floor boards and cuts my foot off? Pick your poison lol

Or , ur driveshaft takes a dump on the big end and cuts ur rear slick at a 130 mph , ur in for a ride !
Biggest piece of the driveshaft we found was 11' long --------
 
That last one hit home, my friend's brother lost his life when an external oiling system hose separated in the traps. Accidents happen, minimize the risk.
I think we all have heard enough about flex fans.
 
Been on the road for 50 years and up to 140 mph. I'll keep my factory flex fans...

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I've never seen a problem with the one like yours. It's those skinny little aftermarket ones that I've seen come apart.
 
Im not against it, i run them on all my cars the metal flex fans they work great on my daily drivers and 1/8 cars pulling up to 6500 rpms with no problems just buy them new. I
Last time I used a (stainless) flex fan on a big-block A-body, nearly 40 years ago, it was close to the radiator (an inch or less) but hadn't contacted it. I took my car for a front end alignment and the mechanic had obviously wound it way up because there was a perfect fan-sized circle cut into my original 22" 3-core radiator :(

understand there's always that risk of it cutting you/coming apart, but hey there's always that what if? what if my Ball and trunion drive shaft comes apart and cadapults my dart on the freeway. What if my flywheel comes off at 7K clutch dump and cuts through the floor boards and cuts my foot off? Pick your poison lol
I have a driveshaft loop and a Lakewood, because I worry about those things too :rolleyes:

Now I use Contour fans because there simply isn't room for an OEM fan (even with shorty clutch) and I'm not taking a modern cost-cutting flex fan to high rpm.
 
Last time I used a (stainless) flex fan on a big-block A-body, nearly 40 years ago, it was close to the radiator (an inch or less) but hadn't contacted it. I took my car for a front end alignment and the mechanic had obviously wound it way up because there was a perfect fan-sized circle cut into my original 22" 3-core radiator :(


I have a driveshaft loop and a Lakewood, because I worry about those things too :rolleyes:

Now I use Contour fans because there simply isn't room for an OEM fan (even with shorty clutch) and I'm not taking a modern cost-cutting flex fan to high rpm.

contour fans ?
pic or info
Thanks
 
contour fans ?
pic or info
Thanks
Electric dual fans from a Ford Contour (the second pic must be someone else's since the inlet and outlet are on the opposite sides from mine!) They keep my 451 and inexpensive 3-row aluminum radiator cool enough in low-90's weather (anything more and I am too hot to drive) :)
Here they are stuffed into my A-body, before I got the Autocoolguy PWM controller to better use them.
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Contour fan setup.jpg
 
Not sure brand they were but this was the style of cheap "death fans" I remember. We would see these on display at the local speed shops (Radke auto parts/supershops/baxters) and half of them had loose rivets!, no joke.
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Terrible but true story.
When I was a kid the very cool hot rod teenager mechanic was found dead leaning over his engine compartment.
Flex fan piece sliced his carotid artery.
Flimsy lightweight metal at high rpm? No thanks.
I vowed to stay away from them, not worth the 10 hp gain.
Yes it did happen and it was a ford.
 
I think the "fly's apart" ones are the plastic or fiberglass ones.

I had to run an thin 18" Hayden one with my Cold Case Rad and power steering pump combo. Not a lot of room due to the add thickness of the core and even the short thermostatic clutch was too tight on room and I didn't even get to fitting a fan.
I had a fiberglass one that came apart back in the early 70's.
 
I’m using one on my 65 dart, when I swapped to aluminum radiator my stock fan didn’t fit with the spacer. I painted flex fan black make it look stock. Works fine did cut me up installing tho lol.

Hey Dartsun - do you hvae a part number? Id like to get one and if you're happy with yours i'd just do the same (However i'm running stock but rebuilt radiator)
 
Hey Dartsun - do you hvae a part number? Id like to get one and if you're happy with yours i'd just do the same (However i'm running stock but rebuilt radiator)
Sorry I do not have a part number. I measured it it’s 17” fan with a 1” spacer. Since your radiator stock could prob use a 2” spacer.
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Not sure brand they were but this was the style of cheap "death fans" I remember. We would see these on display at the local speed shops (Radke auto parts/supershops/baxters) and half of them had loose rivets!, no joke.View attachment 1715633305
Had one just like that and the blades broke off. Rivits were fine thought. Ford had a death fan also.
 
Had one just like that and the blades broke off. Rivits were fine thought. Ford had a death fan also.
Take any piece of sheet metal and bend it back and forth enough it will break. That's what flex fan blades do with rpm. 4 speed cars are even worse. (low to higher rpm through 4 gears)
 
Just a question ,
Why is everyone so against a flex fan ?
( other than being sharp edged )
Asking for a friend. LoL :rofl:
If you want an under performing fan that has the possibility of coming apart and causing major damage they're not bad.
 
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