Cooling Fan on 64 Sedan Deville

[Robert Joyce]

Good morning all,

I am a new member to your chapter...exited to be here.

I posed my question to Jason in an email, but figured I would ask the group for their insight also.

My 64 was a non ac car and I will be installing a Vintage Air Magnum system.  I got the original motor mounts from Caddy Daddy and a new A6 style compressor from Old Air.  I am questioning what to do with the cooling fan.  From my reading on the forum, the non ac cars had a different fan setup (4 blades compared to 5 with a clutch fan).

What would you recommend ---

1. Install an electric helper fan against the radiator.

2. Replace the 4 blade with a clutch and 5 blade.

3. Replace the 4 blade with a 7.

Also, should I add a shroud?

Thanks in advance of your responses,

Bob

[Kurt]

Here are my 2 cents: I would upgrade the fan to either a 5 blade clutch fan or 7 blade and install a fan shroud to increase air flow through the condenser. Since you are adding a/c, I assume a high density parallel flow condenser will be installed. If so, you shouldn't need to add an electric pusher fan as well. I converted my factory a/c to R134a refrigerant so I did add a pusher fan since I'm using the factory condenser. The factory condenser is good enough for R12 but does not transfer heat as efficiently as a parallel flow condenser.

[Robert Joyce]

Thanks for the advice Kurt.  From reading, it looks like the 7 blade would mount directly to the original non ac spacer.  Seems like the easiest route.  Does the shroud on these caddy's mount to the radiator or the radiator support? 

Bob

[Kurt]

The shroud mounts to the radiator supports. Pics below.

[C. Van Tune]

At the very least, get the shroud. It's amazing how much that helps suck in more air...especially when you're driving at less than highway speeds. 

Kind of surprised they built the non A/C cars without them. But, they did.  (Shrouds were just starting to catch on, in the early '60s. Eventually, just about every water-cooled car in America got a shroud.) 

Just as an FYI:  Remember that electric fans (pusher or otherwise) require quite a bit of current to operate. If you still have the stock alternator, you might want to upgrade to a higher-output. 

[Robert Joyce]

Thanks to all that responded.  Found a guy with a 5 blade fan, rebuilt clutch and shroud.