Pusher Fans

Obsessive · #1 (**permalink**) 10-09-2012, 10:41 PM

Ah yes... Well, according to the recent package that came in the mail from Acton Custom Enterprises today (I'm referring to the very well made reproduction Cobra 427 Chassis Instruction Book), I can speak with confidence when I tell you that the original fans were as follows:

"From chassis CSX.2167 inclusive, a Lucas electric cooling motor is
fitted, Model 3GM with large cooling blades, located ahead of radiator.

The radiator cooling fan is fully automatic and is controlled by a
thermostat switch located in the casting integral with the bottom radiator hose. No manual switch is provided.

427 Cobras are fitted with single or dual electric fans mounted behind
the radiator. Type PES.2379/4. Smiths."

I'm loving all the interesting facts within this book. Too bad it doesn't offer a good location to find the fan motors! In the absence of a time machine, just paint your fan motors gloss black and enjoy your "Smiths" fan motors!

strictlypersonl · #2 (**permalink**) 10-10-2012, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Obsessive

...427 Cobras are fitted with single or dual electric fans mounted behind
the radiator. Type PES.2379/4. Smiths."

I've seen pictures of original cars with aftermarket rear fans, but they came out of the factory with front-mounted (single or dual) fans.

DanEC · #3 (**permalink**) 10-11-2012, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strictlypersonl

I've seen pictures of original cars with aftermarket rear fans, but they came out of the factory with front-mounted (single or dual) fans.

Bob - does that go for the Street car as well as S/C and Competition models?

cobred · #4 (**permalink**) 10-11-2012, 06:50 PM

Could your fan blades be stainless steel? See if a magnet sticks to it. If it does its steel, if not, stainless or aluminum.

strictlypersonl · #5 (**permalink**) 10-12-2012, 04:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanEC

Bob - does that go for the Street car as well as S/C and Competition models?

As far as I know, rear fans were never factory-mounted on any car.

DanEC · #6 (**permalink**) 10-13-2012, 04:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strictlypersonl

I've seen pictures of original cars with aftermarket rear fans, but they came out of the factory with front-mounted (single or dual) fans.

I had wondered about this. I didn't think the current style of electric puller fans were in use in the mid 60s - but you never know. And I didn't realize the original street cars had a pusher fan. I guess the 289 grill and 427 splitter usually hid them quite a bit in photos.

Thanks

Dan Case · #7 (**permalink**) 10-13-2012, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Obsessive

Ah yes... Well, according to the recent package that came in the mail from Acton Custom Enterprises today (I'm referring to the very well made reproduction Cobra 427 Chassis Instruction Book), I can speak with confidence when I tell you that the original fans were as follows:

"From chassis CSX.2167 inclusive, a Lucas electric cooling motor is
fitted, Model 3GM with large cooling blades, located ahead of radiator.

The radiator cooling fan is fully automatic and is controlled by a
thermostat switch located in the casting integral with the bottom radiator hose. No manual switch is provided.

427 Cobras are fitted with single or dual electric fans mounted behind
the radiator. Type PES.2379/4. Smiths."

I'm loving all the interesting facts within this book. Too bad it doesn't offer a good location to find the fan motors! In the absence of a time machine, just paint your fan motors gloss black and enjoy your "Smiths" fan motors!

Cooling fans, radiator and engine, for Cobras (leaf spring chassis cars) are fairly complicated because different things were done in different time frames for stock cars. But most cars got two fans, one mounted on the water pump and one in front of the radiator.

The water pump mounted one has been found to be like the one used on some rare big Ford FE engine high performance engine package option sets but without any stamped in markings. The tips of the blades were usually but not always painted a bright yellow.

This original fan has been repainted somewhere in time but chips in the top coat show what the yellow was like. This fan was black, had tips painted yellow, and sometime later was painted over with black again. In the chip site shown there is three layers of paint, black/yellow/black.

The fan in front of the radiator had its own mounting bracket. The Lucas motor is just one of a family of motors with different specific operating and direction of rotation specifications. I only know of one used on Cobras.