On a quest, AGAIN !

[yachtsmanbill]

Looking around for a "serviceable"  fan shroud for a 65-67 ish 300/340/400 with a heavy duty cooling system. Usually the A.C. models fall into that category. I am also looking for a 5-6-7 blade cooling fan that mounts directly to the water pump without a clutch. Im not sure if my 455 clutch fan will fit the build yet. Ill know later on today. Thanks fellas!   Bill

[cwmcobra]

I have a fan with clutch and shroud from a 65 Skylark 300 4V with AC.  I can get pictures tomorrow if you're interested.

Chuck

[yachtsmanbill]

Hey Chuck... always interested if even for learning purposes. If you can shoot a few pics, that would be great! Today I did a little swapping around to wit: Pulled the chinaman T stat OUT and tossed it. Thats the second failure in a row between this and the 72. The new motor is running wide open on the water. Its now summer ya know?  Hooked up some heater hoses (dumped the by-pass loop), replaced the lost gallon of juice, AND installed the cut down 455 clutch fan. The clutch head is now 1" from the radiator. I think a shroud will be a killer to install unless its cut on the horizontal. Thoughts or ideas??

I also pulled the OEM(?) springs outa the HEI. The HEI had new weights, but a bit rusty pair of springs that I couldnt stretch with bare fingers. They got replaced with a much lighter set left over from a curve kit I had.  Without getting all "wizzed up" over advance timing etc, I can say that the full advance hits much earlier than the stiff springs. Hell, I dont even have a timing light anymore. I do it by ear.

I ran the motor for a good 30 minutes in the shop due to rain today, and the IR temp gun never got past 160F at the T stat housing, with EGT's at the ports about 350-360F on a fast idle. I also added a whole can of Berryman's B-12 to the tank. Good stuff for varnish. Car ran the smoothest and coolest to date.

Tomorrow is a 6 mile road trip to the muffler shop. Gonna keep it around 30-40 mph with open manifolds and a good cool down before shutting it off.   Bill


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3fzmJ1GBAU&feature=youtu.be

 

[cwmcobra]

Here you go.....fan shroud

Chuck

[cwmcobra]

Fan & clutch

[yachtsmanbill]

Thanks Chuck... I only have a moment before we have to peel out for the muffler shop. Ill look at measurements when we get it back home.  Are those jack bolt holes on the clutch? Mustve been stuck pretty good to the pump snout.   Bill

[cwmcobra]

Bill,

Not sure what you mean about the bolt holes on the clutch.  I didn't remove it from the engine so don't know how hard it came off.  It's been sitting in my shed for a few years since removal.

Chuck

[yachtsmanbill]

Theres the 4 bolts to attach the flange to the hub and two more (threaded) in between to insert jack screws to jack the clutch off the water pump shaft. The PO probably struggled with it (it let go and banged up the radiator), so he drilled and tapped for jacking next time. Not a bad idea, but a smidge of never seize wouldve done the same thing...from the looks, probably needed set screws being that close to the hub.

Got BERTHA outside in the sun today; Ahhh ! Glad shes off the antibiotics LOL. Made it to the muffler shop and was almost fun to drive. Did have a little fuel starvation problem. Every few miles, Id have to pull over and let the carb fill back up with gas. Its either a dirty tank sock, bad fuel pump (its ancient) or the fuel filter (inline) is already full-o-crud. I can feel she's got guts and wants to roll tho...

Also have 3 very original skylark hub caps and four 14" wheels (with or w/o G78-14s) for sale; at least a million each or a reasonable offer   Bill

[elagache]

Dear Bill, Chuck, and mid-60s Buick caregivers,

. . . .
I think a shroud will be a killer to install unless its cut on the horizontal. Thoughts or ideas??
. . . . 

I don't know if you will run into the same problems but plan-A for Biquette was also a mechanical fan and shroud.  Unfortunately there wasn't enough space.  An inch of the shroud had to be cut to allow for sufficient clearance for the engine:



This is how the shroud was installed:



Unfortunately without that additional material, it wasn't stiff enough to stay put in the blast of the fan.  It turned out that I had gotten the electric fans for the radiator because of mistake in the order.  So we shifted gears and went those fans instead.

In retrospect, I have wondered if the shroud could have been reinforced so that it could be kept in place.  You have a very different setup at this point, so none of this may apply.  Still, I thought I would share Biquette's experiences.  It might give you a head's up as you try to get these components to work together.

Cheers, Edouard 

[Brian]

Bill,
  You might as well bite the bullet and pull that fuel tank.  It is going to be pretty rough inside as long as that car sat.  You can always buy the acid/coating kit for the inside of it and "recondition it"

[yachtsmanbill]

Hello Buick resto-mod wannabee engineers...After taking an engineering break (read:power nap), I came up with that same issue. Hmmm; great minds think alike.

I think that after I get the bomber back tomorrow, the next job is gonna be to get all the fuel out I can and pull the tank. Thats gonna accomplish a few bitten bullets for me (!).  Assess the overall condition (inside and out), prove the gas level sender, and also get a new rubber flex hose from tank to frame.  I have cleaned and lined a few boat tanks so this is a no brainer actually. The boat tanks tend to produce condensation, so unless it was winter stored FULL, the tank will sweat and produce aqua fresco.

Ive seen some videos of tank sludge and it aint purty.  I have a feeling the crud (sludge) is getting sucked up against the sock and it aint flowing.

The main reason this wasn't done was the garage size constraints. The rear bumper was almost up agin the garage door all winter. Even to change the rear end oil and brake bleeding needed the back tires off the car. Id rather try to re-use the OEM tank as ive heard horror stories about spectra etc. tanks poor fit on the filler necks.

An empty tank with some fuel oil, a hand full of 3/8" bolts and run on the jiggleator for a few hours oughta scrub it pretty clean. I am beginning to think its gonna be a necessary evil. An air pressure leak test should confirm any material faults which if is the case, a new tank is warranted. Just wish it were warranteed!

Gotta be honest on the shroud end however. Up here, 75F in August is hot and with no A.C. cooling shouldnt be too much of an issue. The blurr of that fan spinning tho does creep me out LOL. After the 7 mile trip today, the T stat housing IR temp was 157F. It actually MAY need a T stat after all. Ed... I see you still have a Model T Ford distributor onboard. That HEI is twice the size to ad to shroud clearance too. I have a bunch of aluminum sheet metal and a brake. I may play with something later on that.

Its not a sin to concede to defeat. Sometimes you lose a battle to win a war.  Bill

[elagache]

Dear Bill and mid-60s Buick "mods" engineers,

. . . .
Gotta be honest on the shroud end however. Up here, 75F in August is hot and with no A.C. cooling shouldnt be too much of an issue.
. . . .

I didn't have much time to look into fan shroud "mods," and at the time it was recommended that I switch Biquette to electric fans anyway.  As long as they get electrical power . . . . . . . . that sort of radiator cooling makes more sense for Biquette anyway.

I did try to imagine how to reinforce the shroud.  So I would encourage you try to get your hands on one.  Even if it is a low priority project, I think will make your 'Lark look more complete and clean.  Besides, you never shrink away from a challenge - do ya'? . . . . . 

Cheers, Edouard 

[Brian]

Bill,
  Don't forget to disconnect the vent hose on the top, front, passenger side corner of the tank before you take it loose.  It is a pain to get it off once you take the tank loose and it is dangling by that hose!   It is hidden and easy to forget.

[yachtsmanbill]

Fellow oil well and Alaska Pipeline workers... Going in after the "crude" tomorrow  !

Got outa the muffler shop today and what a difference! Two inch pipes back to 2-1/2" mufflers with nice little turndowns. Typical old school stuff, and I cant stand the side outlets in front of the tires. I am good with this for now.

Having a gander underneath on a rack is always a treat for me. Ground clearance, poor lighting, and being nearsighted on a cold concrete floor never did much for me LOL... Shot about 50 pics while "up" there. Never one to get discouraged, I am already planning on next years work; life permitting.

The tank is gonna be easy to drop, barring any broken strap bolts or frame blow-outs.  The same symptoms persisted on the way home today as in starving for gas and having to pull over and idle for a minute or two. One time I loosened the cap just in case the tank was vacuum bound and it wasnt the case. Im now resolved to pulling the tank probably tomorrow. I wish there were a drain cock on the corner like my 1966 mustang had, and I may just ad a bung and plug on this, or a new tank for future reference.

While its out, Im gonna back blow the fuel line from the pump back, again, and also give the vent a blow job for mud dauber nests. They seem to like these places up here, and probably inside the tank as well. Dang bugs!

If I hafta go with a new tank, Ive seen them for 112.00 at rot-auto. Yes, I do not like that place, but outa necessity, do use them on occasion. Is the fit OK on the spectra tanks? The 70-72 models are a pita with filler neck issues. Input? Feedback??  Heres a few pics from today; dont forget the goggles and a tetanus shot!  Bill

[cwmcobra]

A new Spectra tank fit just fine on my 65 GS.  Looked and fit just like the old one.....

Chuck