The fan shroud in my 427 non AC car is made up of three riveted and bonded pieces. The two lowers are PN 3935571-2 as they should be but the upper is PN 388826? (mounting hole through the last number). The AIM specifies PN39355679. I have read the archives and saw that this upper piece may be from a 67 small block (PN3888268). Does this mean that this is not the correct part for my early 68?
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Re: Early 68 427 fan shroud
"The AIM specifies PN39355679"
Check the AIM again. I think you have one too many numbers here, or there is a misprint in the AIM.Terry -
Re: Early 68 427 fan shroud
Dooh! You are correct, it is supposed to be 3935569.Comment
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Re: Early 68 427 fan shroud
Larry-----
Well, it's not correct for a 1966-67 big block application, either---the side pieces you have were not "invented yet" at that time. What I expect that it is is a SERVICE fan shroud assembly applicable to 1966-68 big blocks and once known as GM #3938940.
In PRODUCTION, 1966-68 Corvette big block fan shrouds were made up of 3 seperate pieces. In SERVICE, these pieces were only available for a short while after 1968. Then, they were replaced by the 3938940 assembly.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Addendum
Also, as I recall, the 3938940 assembly was made up of a "mixture" of the various 3 pieces used over the 66-68 period so as to be, effectively, a "one-size-fits-all" item for 66-68 applications, big block and small block.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: Addendum
Joe, I looked at it a little closer. The upper piece looks like a replacement/repair to the original. The reason I say this is that someone must have roughed up the surface of the lower pieces with a grinder or burr. It looks like a zig zag line that someone did by hand to clean up the area for bonding. Doubt if the factory would have gone to this trouble. Thanks for the info.Comment
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Re: Addendum
I recall seeing rivited fan shrouds for 68 that were sold over the counter. They used a simple die grinder to clean them up or cut the excess fiber glass off befor fitting the three pieces together. They also use the die grinder to cut slots into it at certain locations to fit an extension on it for air conditioned cars. TerryComment
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Re: Addendum
Terry-----
Yes, the 3938940 SERVICE-only fan shroud assembly I spoke of was often quite a crude piece. I have seen many like you describe, including a few that I have. I don't think that I ever saw one that I would call "precision-assembled".
The original fan shrouds used for 66-68 Corvettes, except those 68 small blocks which originally used a circular steel fan shroud, were factory-assembled at St. Louis.
When the SERVICE-only assembly later became available, it was NOT a St. Louis-assembled piece. It was very likley assembled by a vendor to GM. Since it was a SERVICE-only item, not to be used in PRODUCTION, I suppose that GM was not all that "picky" about the quality. After all, in GM's "mind", folks needing one of these shrouds should consider themselevs lucky that they could even get one all made up as an assembly from GM. The vast majority of folks needing one (other than NCRS types) probably would not have even noticed the apparent lack of craftsmanship evidenced in the assembly of one of these. To most, especially body shops which probably comprised the vast majority of sales of these things, this is a FUNCTIONAL item and NOT an APPEARANCE item.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: Addendum
I am nearly 100% positive that General Tire Company made them. I believe that I once saw a very small Logo stating that on one of the service type fan shrouds that I examined. Sort of interesting. It was a logo I have seen on other items from that era.
Very hot and dry out today. Good day to do fiberglass work
Take care, TerryComment
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Re: Addendum
Terry-----
General Tire may very well have been the original manufacturer of the components of the fan shroud. General Tire was involved in a lot of plastics manufacturing of the day. In fact, their later-named Gencorp became the final owner-operator of the former A.O. Smith plant in Ionia, MI where many 64-67 mid year Corvette bodies were built. Ultimately, that plant was producing fiberglass body parts for the OEM including, but not limited to, hood assemblies for Lincolns and step-side rear body assemblies for Ford pick-up trucks. Alas, it is no more; the plant was demolished several years ago to make way for "progress" in Ionia.
Regardless of who made the components of the fan shrouds, that does not mean that the same firm did the final assembly of the SERVICE-only 3938940 shrouds. Since this assembly was never used in PRODUCTION when volume would be high, I doubt that any OEM manufacturer would want to take it on in SERVICE-only when the volume would be very low. More likely, the components, perhaps still manufactured by the original supplier on retained original tooling, were assembled by some "small time" vendor to GMSPO.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Interesting... Thanks, Terry *NM*
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