Vendor Recommendation

[Joe C.]

Re: Vendor Recommendation

Joe------


It must be earlier versions of the 3770529 that have the round head rivets. I don't really know when the change occurred but it looks like it was before 1965. This fan was first used for 1960.

As far as the stamped-in identifiers, I don't think those can even be seen when the fan blade assembly is mounted on the car.

Agree and agree.
Round rivets were used before flat ones.

[Gene M.]

Re: Vendor Recommendation

Gene,
Back in the early 80's, the shop next to me came over to look at my fan blades that were on the shelf. They were not a mechanical shop but some kind of material test place. They were testing a fan that thru a blade in the head of a helping hitch hiker that asked the stalled driver for a ride if he could get the car running. The hitch hiker got it running and did one of those HIGH RPM tune up's and one blade flew off and entered his head killing him.

Dom

Dom,
That was an experience far worse than a hole in the hood. I recall when I was working there was a big effort by the corporation I was at to qualify steel parts that came from china. Out come was they were rejected for steel of substandard quality. Parts were resourced in USA, and that was the way it should be. I avoid china like the plague.

[Domenic T.]

Re: Vendor Recommendation

Not to hijak this thread, but safety has it's place. One other fan blade that I have thrown 2 times and that was my generator fan on my 409. Alt fans also do it. I couldn't figure out why the fan belt was coming off every time I raced till one of the blades hit the fender well. The other I never found where it hit.
The blades were flexing forward toward the generator pulley and removing the belt at high RPM's, then returning to their normal position. The forward flexing finally weakened the blades and threw one. That was all before we put larger pulleys on. My fix back then, (and I still have it on the shelf) was to put the pulley on the lathe and cut a groove in it mid way and welded a welding rod around the pulley to stop the forward flex. Now The larger pulleys fixed that problem.

Dom

[Joe L.]

Re: Vendor Recommendation

Dom,
That was an experience far worse than a hole in the hood. I recall when I was working there was a big effort by the corporation I was at to qualify steel parts that came from china. Out come was they were rejected for steel of substandard quality. Parts were resourced in USA, and that was the way it should be. I avoid china like the plague.

Gene------


Don't buy a new Corvette then. There's all kinds of Chinese-manufactured parts in them (plus parts from a whole bunch of other countries).

[Gene M.]

Re: Vendor Recommendation

Gene------


Don't buy a new Corvette then. There's all kinds of Chinese-manufactured parts in them (plus parts from a whole bunch of other countries).

Thank you that is good advice. I'd rather have the original parts anyway they have better form, fit, and function.

[Joe C.]

Re: Vendor Recommendation

GM #3770529 fan came today from GMPD. I'm satisfied with it and especially at the price I paid. Again, thanks to Joe L and Gary for the 2 leads.

It won't pass NCRS judging, but it is functionally correct in all aspects as well as being period correct. Only an experienced judge will know that it's not original.

1 The front side of the rivets have "LO5" stamped into them.
2 The "H" character is white ink, not stamped in.
3 There is no "W" character.
4 There is a green dot on the hub.
5 There is a balance weight riveted onto one of the blades.

Items 2, 3 and 4 are covered when installed, but 1 and 5 are detected by a decent judge.

[Joe L.]

Re: Vendor Recommendation

GM #3770529 fan came today from GMPD. I'm satisfied with it and especially at the price I paid. Again, thanks to Joe L and Gary for the 2 leads.

It won't pass NCRS judging, but it is functionally correct in all aspects as well as being period correct. Only an experienced judge will know that it's not original.

1 The front side of the rivets have "LO5" stamped into them.
2 The "H" character is white ink, not stamped in.
3 There is no "W" character.
4 There is a green dot on the hub.
5 There is a balance weight riveted onto one of the blades.

Items 2, 3 and 4 are covered when installed, but 1 and 5 are detected by a decent judge.

Joe-----

Original fans could also have balance weights. Each assembly was factory-balanced. Most did not require the addition of weight but some did. So, an original fan could just as easily have a weight as your SERVICE piece.

[Joe C.]

Re: Vendor Recommendation

What I don't understand is how the fan can be balanced in the radial plane when the blades are not spaced equally.

[Joe L.]

Re: Vendor Recommendation

What I don't understand is how the fan can be balanced in the radial plane when the blades are not spaced equally.

Joe------


That I cannot answer.

By the way, the balance weight used on this fan is probably a bit different than the type that would have been used on early examples of this fan blade assembly.