The good drmini's comment about how close a fan should be to the radiator made me check mine.

The 1275LS engine i rebuilt into the 1411cc monster came with a 11/16" spacer between the pulley and the fan. This puts the fan critically close to the radiator when used with a non-clubbie radiator (ie the radiator has the top hose at the front of the car and the thermostat housing outlet faces the front) and two piece cowling. The fan was close enough to rub the paint off the fins, but not get the core itself. Lucky I checked.

I pulled the spacer off and the fan (11 blade yellow) now aligns properly with the round part of the cowling and there is about 11/16" extra space between the fan and the radiator

So - what car came fitted with the 11/16" spacer and what radiator and cowling did it use?

And do I need a 3/16" spacer with the 11 blade plastic fan as appears in the UK parts books for the 6 blade or 16 blade metal fans?

cheers
michael

_________________
the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page
66 Mini Minor sponsored by http://www.lifeonthehedge.com.au/ The Dog Harness Specialists
It was a pleasure ausmini. I'll miss all you misfits and reprobates

Clubbies has the radiator and shroud further away from the motor. Top and bottom brackets were `longer' hence they needed the spacer.
No spacer was used on roundies with the metal 16 blade fan.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

thanks Kev

what about the 11 blade plastic - anyone using it on a roundy with two piece cowling? with or without 3/16" spacer?

I am tempted to leave it as is, but if i need to change it, now is the time because it is all in bits. You know how hard it is putting the radiator and cowling back together in the car.....

cheers
michael

_________________
the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page
66 Mini Minor sponsored by http://www.lifeonthehedge.com.au/ The Dog Harness Specialists
It was a pleasure ausmini. I'll miss all you misfits and reprobates

I had a plastic yellow one in Barney, no spacer. It has a metal one now.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Thanks Kev

_________________
the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page
66 Mini Minor sponsored by http://www.lifeonthehedge.com.au/ The Dog Harness Specialists
It was a pleasure ausmini. I'll miss all you misfits and reprobates

I needed an 11/16 spacer and the metal fan borrwoed from the Traveller to get ANY fan to fit in my Moke. The 1275 A+ engine has an extra breather on the timing cover that fouls on the plastic fans. (I even tried a bit of GBH with a hammer on the breather!)

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Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2

funny, the minispares site reckons you only need a 3/16" spacer to clear the breather......

_________________
the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page
66 Mini Minor sponsored by http://www.lifeonthehedge.com.au/ The Dog Harness Specialists
It was a pleasure ausmini. I'll miss all you misfits and reprobates

I am firmly of the opinion that having the fan as close as possible to the radiator is the way to go

_________________
did I tell you that I won a trophy?

Drmini's theory-
If you have the fan close it will just blow air through the circular area of core covered by the blades.
If you have it back in the circular part of the cowl/duct where it belongs, it will blow more air through the whole core.

For evidence to support this theory I state the fact that old cars have no shroud, newer ones do.
If there was no need for a shroud the car makers would have saved their $$.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

I fitted the fan such as that the blades do not protrude beyond the shroud and back into the engine bay. I figure any blades protruding beyond the shroud simply allow the air to bleed away out the shrouds periphery.

To get this done neatly I needed two 3/16th spacers.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

I agree completely Kev. I was just in a rush when I put it together and assumed the spacing would be OK.

It is exactly the same reason a ducted fan produces more thrust than an equivalent propellor on an aircraft. The smaller the tip to duct/shroud clearance the better.

I just have to pay attention to the details when I am putting it together instead of rushing.

Proof of the pudding this Sunday.... Read about it in TME soon

cheers
michael

_________________
the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page
66 Mini Minor sponsored by http://www.lifeonthehedge.com.au/ The Dog Harness Specialists
It was a pleasure ausmini. I'll miss all you misfits and reprobates