My Build Thread, 78Chevyrado's 1978 C20

[JohnnyCanuck]

great job

[VileZambonie]

Looks great!

[78 Chevyrado]

Found a couple of old pics of the truck today.

Here's one from 1981 at Cumberland Island


And this ones in wyoming in 1980.  The trucks at the very top right of the pic and small.


I also got this to go with the truck too
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=19973.msg162161#msg162161

[78 Chevyrado]

I got some E-fans for the old truck today.  They're Flex-A-Lite #295.  It's the full kit, everything included, variable speed.  I'm still dialing it in, but they will definitely over cool it, so I'm good.  Just have to drive it and readjust it for a couple of days.  They pull the air Real good, Way more than the Old fan did even when the clutch stuck.  It'll suck in cigarette smoke into the grille from about 2.5 feet away.  I also can notice a LITTLE more pickup with the engine.  It's just enough to tell a difference.  I like that the clutch fan isn't there anymore sapping power for the first few minutes its running after being cold.

All the parts Appear to be High quality.  We'll see how well it holds up.






All I have left to do is reroute the upper radiator hose.  the stocker interferes with the fan blades, and I've twisted it on the nipples to try to adjust it and it's just not gonna work AND look good.  I'm going to dig through the pile of hoses at the parts stors and see if I can find one I like, and I think I'll make a support bracket for the hose that attaches to the A/C compressor bracket.

[beastie_3]

Looks great! I was eyeing that fan for awhile, but found some a little cheaper. You take detailed pics of your bracketry?

[bake74]

     You have done a great job with your truck, keep up the great work.  I enjoy seeing other trucks the way I want mine to turn out when I am done.

[big bear]

looks awesome man...great work

[78 Chevyrado]

Thanks Guys!

Beastie:   HEre's the best pics I have of the brackets.

Here's the top.  It's simply a piece of angle aluminum bolted to the fan shroud and then tucked behind the upper radiator panel and bolted to that.  I had to bolt it together out of the truck, so when I remove the fans, that upper radiator panel comes out with it.  I don't know what size the angle is, as it was a piece I had lying around the garage.  The only thing I had to go out and buy was the bolts for the water pump pulley.1



Here's the bottom.  I made this up out of the brackets that came with the fans.  At the top of the bracket is the bottom-center of the fan shroud and the L-shaped pieces at the bottom are under the radiator support.  I drilled two holes for those bolts, then you have to lift up the radiator a bit to get them in.  Once its all together you can still get a wrench in there to the bolt heads for tightening.



To remove it, you unbolt the L-shaped brackets from the core support, then from the big bracket and then take out the 4 or 5 bolts across the upper radiator support panel and it all comes out as one big piece.

I will eventually paint the brackets black to match the underhood black paint, but I'm not doing that until the engine is out for replacement.  I might paint the top panel and shroud in black crinkle paint.  It seems to be working really well so far.  The only thing I still need to do is put a seal in front of the radiator to the core support, as there's about a 3/4" gap up both sides that sucks hot underhood air in.  At a redlight with both windows down, I can just hear them when they come on.

[beastie_3]

when they come on at a light, does your truck lunge forward? those look powerful

[78 Chevyrado]

That's where the extra power comes from, they're not actually cooling fans, they're thrusters...

[big bear]

haha

[78 Chevyrado]

I got the E-fans all buttoned up.   I had to get a different radiator hose - I got the one for a NON-AC truck.  And on top of the AC compressor, I mounted an old alternator bracket upside down to support the hose and keep it out of the AC belt.  I also bought the Flex-a-lite screw in temp sensor instead of using the temp probe in the radiator fins.  I like the sender in the head better, the temp doesn't fluctuate near as much as with the radiator probe.




The hose support


Temp sensor in Pass. side cylinder head.

[big bear]

awesome!!

[beastie_3]

Did you get the wrong hose by mistake and just adapt it? Or would the correct one touch the blades?

Mt Dew isnt supposed to be used for coolant, even if it is the same color! (2nd pic)

I opted for the block sensor too, I wouldnt trust the probe, but I put mine in the intake, right before the water goes into the radiator. Just like a transmission temp, I like to know what the hottest temp is because that is all that matters.

[78 Chevyrado]

Did you get the wrong hose by mistake and just adapt it? Or would the correct one touch the blades?

Mt Dew isnt supposed to be used for coolant, even if it is the same color! (2nd pic)

I opted for the block sensor too, I wouldnt trust the probe, but I put mine in the intake, right before the water goes into the radiator. Just like a transmission temp, I like to know what the hottest temp is because that is all that matters.

My old hose; The correct hose (molded and curved) was in the new fan blades real bad.  I had to tie it to the master cylinder until i got the new hose.  It just used to lay on the OE fan shroud.  The molded upper hose like i had is for A/C trucks, the new one I have now is for NON-A/C trucks.  I kept the correct molded hose on the lower, no need to change that one.


It took a heck of a lot of those lil dew bottles to fill that thing up!   


I still have the stock intake manifold, so It didnt have any places to screw in a temp sensor.