Fan Shroud vs Guard on Non-AC Convertibles

Discussion in 'Buick FAQ' started by 1968_GS400, Mar 18, 2022.

  1. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    And that repro shroud looks nothing like an original shroud. From the pic, it looks more like a big car shroud.
     
  2. Briz

    Briz Founders Club Member

    Whats the motivation for adding the shroud? My 66 non a/c convertible has the steel 4 blade fan and a guard with no shroud. It always runs above the T Stat temp and gets way hot setting in traffic. As an experiment took the shroud off a 72 Electra I had for parts and cut it down / modified to fit then added a 5 blade HD clutch fan. It made no difference in cooling. After a few months I took it off and went back to the stock set up. FWIW I have a new 3 row copper rad.
     
    1968_GS400 likes this.
  3. 1968_GS400

    1968_GS400 Founders Club Member

    I was looking for a photo of a guard. My car has a 4 blade fan in it and no shroud, but everyone says I am supposed to have a shroud. My car is non-AC and doesn’t have HD cooling either. The 68 parts book calls for a guard with no AC and no HD cooling but I don’t know what it looks like.

    Do you have a photo of the 66 guard you could send me?

    4FF7824B-5297-4A8D-84A0-AEA493ABA508.jpeg
     
  4. 1968_GS400

    1968_GS400 Founders Club Member

  5. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

  6. 1968_GS400

    1968_GS400 Founders Club Member

    How is a 68 GS 400 shroud supposed to look different than the one I posted a picture of?
     
  7. pbr400

    pbr400 68GS400

    My ‘68 GS400 convertible is non AC and was built without a fan clutch. It has a shroud, and that shroud looks like every GS400 and Sportwagon 400 shroud I’ve seen on ‘68-‘69 Buick A bodies. The previous owner swapped on a fan clutch and fan-I think 18”, and it fits. My previous GS400 coupe was an AC car, and I bought a repro shroud from Year One and it all fit. You may have motor mount problems, but your car should have a shroud (from a ‘68-69 GS GS400 and SW 400) and should accept a clutch and 18” fan.
    It doesn’t matter that your engine is a ‘67. For your purposes, a 400, 430 and 455, from ‘67-‘76, all are the same.
    Patrick
     
  8. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    I think the issue might the fact that the 4 blade fan is incompatible with the shroud
     
  9. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    You'll have to post a better pic of the shroud you have. Just because a vendor claims a repro part fits doesn't make it so
     
  10. Mike Trom

    Mike Trom Platinum Level Contributor

    The original fan on my non AC 68 GS400 convertible is a 4 blade as was the one on my non AC coupe.
     
  11. 1968_GS400

    1968_GS400 Founders Club Member

    Here are additional photos. Thanks for taking a look.
     

    Attached Files:

  12. Quick Buick

    Quick Buick Arlington Wa

    You drove the car with no signs of over heating... So why are trying to fix a problem that doesn't exist?
     
  13. Quick Buick

    Quick Buick Arlington Wa

    Now what is your operating temp at? Do you have a GOOD set of auto meter or like gauges? What state do you live in? Is it a HOT place like Phoenix.... Or a crowded like NYC?
     
  14. Briz

    Briz Founders Club Member

    It looks pretty much like this picture you posted [​IMG]
     
  15. 1968_GS400

    1968_GS400 Founders Club Member

    Sorry, the image you attached didn’t come through. Do you mean the one on the Wildcat?
     
  16. Briz

    Briz Founders Club Member

    It was one of the first ones posted.
     
  17. 1968_GS400

    1968_GS400 Founders Club Member

    Is this reproduction of the 7 blade fan going to work or are there different 7 blade fans?

    https://www.c2cfabrication.com/products/1967-1969-buick-special-7-blade-fan-18

    1507D436-3112-4C92-8D19-E99F342EAAD9.jpeg

    Then for the thermal fan clutch, is the AC Delco 15-80245 a good one and going to work? Are there any other brackets or spacers needed for the conversion?

    Thank you.

    A77C0527-9F28-4A26-99CD-43DA19BC5038.jpeg
     
  18. 1968_GS400

    1968_GS400 Founders Club Member

    I finally got back to this and figured out the issue. I didn’t understand before how the fan shroud was supposed to sit with the slots at the bottom. The slots on the reproduction fan shroud needed to be widened a bit. I used a file. After widening the slots the shroud sits down ever so slightly more and the 4 blade fan I have clears the shroud with no issues.

    This article was helpful to me, even though it’s about modifying one for a 70, because it discussed the slots.

    http://www.buickperformanceclub.com/FanShroudModification.htm
     
    Waterboy likes this.
  19. Mike Trom

    Mike Trom Platinum Level Contributor

    Awesome, a long road but you got there.....
     
    1968_GS400 likes this.

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