Interesting update on "crappy" repro fan shrouds

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70Duster440

70Duster440

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So I was communicating via email with Todd at Hoffmans Winners Circle recently and I mentioned the problem I had with a "614" fan shroud not fitting right and warping into the fan after a very short time. I know others have complained about this. (I believe Hoffmans is the primary wholesaler of these repro shrouds to all the other retailers).

He offered to have a replacement drop-shipped to me from his manufacturer in Ohio - say's they're constantly improving the plastic formula but still better than originals.

It arrived today from a plastics manufacturer in Ohio. I immediately compared it to the first one I bought. The cast in part numbers are identical. The Chrysler logo has now been ground off. There are significant dimensional differences in mounting hole spacing (now correct) and even the diameter of the fan opening - from 19" to now 20". When you lay them over the top of each other, the older one looks like a shrunken down version of the current one.

Be careful buying less expensive "seconds" from places like Laysons where they state the mounting holes are a little off. I did not get my first one from them.

The "325" is the other 22" a-body shroud. I don't know if there were issues with this one or if they fixed it too.

1968-69 A-Body 22" V-8 radiator fan shroud. Original part number 2785 614. Correct for all V-8 cars using a fan shroud including 273 & 318 with A/C, 340, 383, and 440 powered Darts, Valiants, and Barracudas.

1970-72 A-Body 22" V-8 radiator fan shroud. Original part number 2998 325. Correct for all V-8 cars using a fan shroud including 318 with A/C, 340, and 360 powered Darts, Valiants, Dusters, and Demons.

I'm using the 614 with a 3 row copper/brass rad from US Radiator which is intended for '67-'69 big block A's. I moved the outlet from top center to top passenger side.
 
I purchased the "2998 325" off of eBay about two years ago but have not used it yet. I did measure the opening for the fan and it only measurses 18.5 inches. I layed the fan in the shroud on the bench and it is very close fit. The PayPal was to a "Gman5" do you know if that's Winners Circle?

Thanks for the update.
 
I bought one of the repros some years ago and it warped after a few heat cycles. I took it off and redrilled the holes and reinstalled it. It was good for a day or two then it warped again, so I ground some more on it. I reinstalled it and it was good for a little while longer but then warped again. Finally I had enough of it and called Year One (the supplier) to let them know that it was a POS. To their credit they took it back and issued a full refund, even after I had redrilled it and ground on the mounts. I think the material has to be changed if the new shrouds are going to be successful, the old material was just too susceptible to heat.
 
Yeah, like I said, Hoffmans claims the plastic formula has changed. I'm sure there are early ones still floating around on shelves. It will be a little while before I know how this one holds up.
 
I got one about a year ago and it is warped. It cracked on the top too. It did fit really well at first. It was the third one I received since the first two were way off. If I contact Hoffmans will they replace it?
 
Now is the perfect time to throw another thousand or two on the market whether they are worth a dime or not.
I got a question though... Why are slant six engines not included in the application guides ?
 
RedFish said:
Why are slant six engines not included in the application guides ?
Click to expand...

They probably don't think there is a market for them.

I just sent Todd at Hoffmans an email. Mine is warped real bad. I bought it through A&M and they say I am out of luck. My car never runs above 190 and it was only driven a few hundred miles. Should not have warped so quickly.
 
I just purchased one through Hoover, I didn't get it yet, but I was wondering if anyone has a picture of where the warping occurs. Is it possible to install a metal strap along the top and bottom egde, paint it to hide it (if that's where its warping) to keep it securely tight against the rad support?
 
shhnappa said:
I just purchased one through Hoover, I didn't get it yet, but I was wondering if anyone has a picture of where the warping occurs. Is it possible to install a metal strap along the top and bottom egde, paint it to hide it (if that's where its warping) to keep it securely tight against the rad support?
Click to expand...

Mine warped at the top. Kind of hard to tell in the picture but it sagged around 1/2":

FanShroud.jpg
 
Just got a PM from Bill at A&M High Tech and he informs me a new shroud is on the way. Thanks Bill. I hope the next one does not warp so quickly. My car does not run hot so it shouldn't have warped so fast. Maybe the new plastic formula will be better? Sounds like the manufacturer wants people to be happy with these shrouds and is standing behind the product.
 
340sFastback said:
Mine warped at the top. Kind of hard to tell in the picture but it sagged around 1/2":
Click to expand...

340s, thanks for the reply & pic, I'll see what mine does after I get it installed. Hopefully, it will be from some new stock, but I never have that kind of luck!
 
I'm running an electric fan so I don't need to worry too much about this particular issue, but I gotta say I'd be pissed if I bought a new repop piece and it warped on me after just a few heat cycles. I would ask myself why it warped, when plastic fan shrouds have been around for about half a century. The answer is that it's just poor quality of materials... and probably NOT made in the USA or Canada. Most likely made in China.

In these economic times it's hard for us to pay more for products just becuase they're made over here, but all too often the quality of those foreign goods is so bad it justifies the extra expense of buying American (or Canadian) so in the long run we're better off buying local anyway. Never mind the fact that you're keeping the wealth in your own country (or continent) instead of sending it over to some place where they will do who knows what with it.

Another thing... the American government's stimulus package shouldn't need a "buy American" clause... Americans should have a buy American clause built into their thought processes. It should be automatic, the way it is in other countries. Not to pick on Japan (I usually like to pick on China), but how may Japanese people do you think are driving American cars? Right... not a hell of a lot. How many Americans are driving Japanese cars?

We have to change our culture of consumerism so that it's automatic that we buy products produced locally. It's not always easy... just try and find a pair of running shoes made in Canada or the USA. I'm not sure that it's possible. When I go to the grocery store and I see cheap fruits and vegetables that are marked "Product of Mexico" or "Product of Brazil" I do my best not to buy them. I go for the "Product of Ontario" first, if that's not available then I look for "Product of USA." Again, it's not always possible to buy local. I really like bananas, but there aren't a hell of a lot of bananas being grown in Canada.

I know I'm preaching to the choir here. Most FABO members are hard core Mopar guys, so buying locally is clearly a part of most of our car buying thought processes.

Sorry 70Duster440... I turned your thread about crappy fan shrouds into a lament about our tendency to buy foreign products.
 
autopar3000 said:
I'm running an electric fan so I don't need to worry too much about this particular issue, but I gotta say I'd be pissed if I bought a new repop piece and it warped on me after just a few heat cycles. I would ask myself why it warped, when plastic fan shrouds have been around for about half a century. The answer is that it's just poor quality of materials... and probably NOT made in the USA or Canada. Most likely made in China.

In these economic times it's hard for us to pay more for products just becuase they're made over here, but all too often the quality of those foreign goods is so bad it justifies the extra expense of buying American (or Canadian) so in the long run we're better off buying local anyway. Never mind the fact that you're keeping the wealth in your own country (or continent) instead of sending it over to some place where they will do who knows what with it.

Another thing... the American government's stimulus package shouldn't need a "buy American" clause... Americans should have a buy American clause built into their thought processes. It should be automatic, the way it is in other countries. Not to pick on Japan (I usually like to pick on China), but how may Japanese people do you think are driving American cars? Right... not a hell of a lot. How many Americans are driving Japanese cars?

We have to change our culture of consumerism so that it's automatic that we buy products produced locally. It's not always easy... just try and find a pair of running shoes made in Canada or the USA. I'm not sure that it's possible. When I go to the grocery store and I see cheap fruits and vegetables that are marked "Product of Mexico" or "Product of Brazil" I do my best not to buy them. I go for the "Product of Ontario" first, if that's not available then I look for "Product of USA." Again, it's not always possible to buy local. I really like bananas, but there aren't a hell of a lot of bananas being grown in Canada.

I know I'm preaching to the choir here. Most FABO members are hard core Mopar guys, so buying locally is clearly a part of most of our car buying thought processes.

Sorry 70Duster440... I turned your thread about crappy fan shrouds into a lament about our tendency to buy foreign products.
Click to expand...

Agreed, but what if buying a part like this has no other option?
 
autopar3000 said:
I'm running an electric fan so I don't need to worry too much about this particular issue, but I gotta say I'd be pissed if I bought a new repop piece and it warped on me after just a few heat cycles. I would ask myself why it warped, when plastic fan shrouds have been around for about half a century. The answer is that it's just poor quality of materials... and probably NOT made in the USA or Canada. Most likely made in China.

In these economic times it's hard for us to pay more for products just becuase they're made over here, but all too often the quality of those foreign goods is so bad it justifies the extra expense of buying American (or Canadian) so in the long run we're better off buying local anyway. Never mind the fact that you're keeping the wealth in your own country (or continent) instead of sending it over to some place where they will do who knows what with it.

Another thing... the American government's stimulus package shouldn't need a "buy American" clause... Americans should have a buy American clause built into their thought processes. It should be automatic, the way it is in other countries. Not to pick on Japan (I usually like to pick on China), but how may Japanese people do you think are driving American cars? Right... not a hell of a lot. How many Americans are driving Japanese cars?

We have to change our culture of consumerism so that it's automatic that we buy products produced locally. It's not always easy... just try and find a pair of running shoes made in Canada or the USA. I'm not sure that it's possible. When I go to the grocery store and I see cheap fruits and vegetables that are marked "Product of Mexico" or "Product of Brazil" I do my best not to buy them. I go for the "Product of Ontario" first, if that's not available then I look for "Product of USA." Again, it's not always possible to buy local. I really like bananas, but there aren't a hell of a lot of bananas being grown in Canada.

I know I'm preaching to the choir here. Most FABO members are hard core Mopar guys, so buying locally is clearly a part of most of our car buying thought processes.

Sorry 70Duster440... I turned your thread about crappy fan shrouds into a lament about our tendency to buy foreign products.
Click to expand...

:-DI love those Yukon Gold potatoes!:love7:
 
There is only manufacturer. I don't know where they are made. The last original one I saw in ebay a few weeks back bid over $200. The market knows the repops don't hold up. Hopefully that will change.
 
340sFastback said:
There is only manufacturer. I don't know where they are made. The last original one I saw in ebay a few weeks back bid over $200. The market knows the repops don't hold up. Hopefully that will change.
Click to expand...

Like I said, the replacement I received from Hoffman's was drop-shipped directly from a plastics manufacturer in Ohio. I'm going to assume it's the most current incarnation of the shroud.

Mirror Image Plastics
Springfield, OH

And here's their website: http://mirrorimageplastics.com/ (Check out the gallery link)
 
Bill from A&M told me the newest versions have a grey'ish tint to them. They aren't completely black like the earlier versions were. Just as long as it doesn't warp that is fine with me. They can easily be painted if need be.
 
Interesting note on the color 340Sfastback; the shroud in my car is an original Mopar part, although it is from a 70+ 340 car, and it has this "gray-ish" color to the plastic. Don't get me wrong, it's black, but if you really look at it and compare it to the black paint on the radiator, it is a gray color.

Does anyone know if there were any inspection marks on original fan shrouds in the 67-70 time frame?

Good thread guys......

George
 
I remember my original was greyish also. Too bad a broken motor mount took it out.
 
Here's a comparison of the "old" to "new" versions the the 614 shroud. I've laid one on top of the other. My "old" one is at least 1 year old. The color appears about the same to me and neither is jet black.

Old on Top.jpg


New on Top.jpg
 
Wow, that`s a huge difference. Thanks for showing us. If these work, perhaps the original parts will come down to a more reasonable price.
 
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