Two subjects: Wanted fan shroud and for sale R2 air cleaner

[ken1007]

Looking for correct 63 R2 fan shroud. Have complete air cleaner, including hose connections, extra to needs. it's doubtful that I will restore another Avanti. Myers has shroud, but it is cut out at bottom to facilitate installation, may get if nothing else appears. Ken, Deltaville Va

[Gunslinger]

There's two shrouds...the fully enclosed style which you appear to be looking for, and the horseshoe style which is open at the bottom. They are interchangeable and the horseshoe style is easier to install. I've seen claims that the horseshoe style is more efficient but I don't know how factual that might be.

Both are correct for an Avanti but I don't believe anyone knows at what point Studebaker began using the horseshoe style. I suspect Studebaker used them interchangeably on the assembly line and used the horseshoe style more to facilitate quicker assembly than any possible thermal efficiency benefits.

If what John Myer has is a horseshoe style or a modified fully enclosed shroud you'll have to ask.

[Gunslinger]

I just saw a used shroud on Ebay right now. You can look into it...http://www.ebay.com/...d=111083285841

[ken1007]

Bruce, I saw that one yesterday, it's for an Avanti II. That's what I have on the car now and it does not have the correct offset towards the passenger side thus the fan scrapes when engine is accelerated. Had I of known it was Avanti II I would not have installed, replacing it will be a winter project and I might end up buying Jon's, Also how do you reply to a specific response like yours and quote your text, tried to click on multiquote and quote but could not get the cursor past your text. Does not work like Studebaker forum. Ken

[Gunslinger]

Also how do you reply to a specific response like yours and quote your text, tried to click on multiquote and quote but could not get the cursor past your text. Does not work like Studebaker forum. Ken

It works fine for me. I just hit "quote" and do what I want.

[Billy Shears]

There's two shrouds...the fully enclosed style which you appear to be looking for, and the horseshoe style which is open at the bottom. They are interchangeable and the horseshoe style is easier to install. I've seen claims that the horseshoe style is more efficient but I don't know how factual that might be.

Does anybody have any definite info on this one way or another? I resurrect this old thread because I am having a persistent cooling problem at idle, and after troubleshooting the system and not finding anything else wrong with it, I even went to the expense and trouble of recoring the radiator. And I still have the problem.

My original shroud was long ago modified by a previous owner by having a panel cut out of the bottom, so that it's now like the horseshoe type -- penannular (open circle), as opposed to annular (enclosed circle). But I can't see how that will possibly be more efficient, since it opens a way for the fan to draw air from someplace other than through the radiator. From everything I have ever read, the aim is to make the fan pull all the air it draws through the radiator. An opening in the shroud should, therefore, reduce efficiency by making some of the air the fan is pulling come from around the backside the radiator, rather than through it, for maximum airflow across the fins.

There is no doubt the horseshoe type is easier to install, and if you ever need to work on your fan and pulley, just being able to unbolt the shroud and pull it off is a Godsend. I don't want to lose that, so I am thinking of buying one of the annular shrouds that Studebaker International is selling, cutting it in half at the narrowest point on the sides, and then riveting a couple of sheet metal brackets to the sides to bolt the two halves back together. With a rubber strip to seal the seams, this should give a completely enclosed shroud that doesn't allow air to get in from the sides, but the shroud should still be easy to remove for maintenance.

I am also contemplating swapping out the OEM 5 blade fan for one of the 17 or 17.5 inch GM 7 blade fans from early 1970s cars, which I understand some Hawk owners have successfully done, and which is supposed to pull more air.

Edited September 22, 2015 by Billy Shears

[mfg]

Cutting the shroud in half and then re-joining it is not a bad idea......I did this recently on my '55 Studebaker Speedster (just drilled out the spot welds where the upper and lower halfs were joined)

This save a lot of work if I have to access the fan or the water pump.

[JLBKY]

Does anybody have any definite info on this one way or another? I resurrect this old thread because I am having a persistent cooling problem at idle, and after troubleshooting the system and not finding anything else wrong with it, I even went to the expense and trouble of recoring the radiator. And I still have the problem.

My original shroud was long ago modified by a previous owner by having a panel cut out of the bottom, so that it's now like the horseshoe type -- penannular (open circle), as opposed to annular (enclosed circle). But I can't see how that will possibly be more efficient, since it opens a way for the fan to draw air from someplace other than through the radiator. From everything I have ever read, the aim is to make the fan pull all the air it draws through the radiator. An opening in the shroud should, therefore, reduce efficiency by making some of the air the fan is pulling come from around the backside the radiator, rather than through it, for maximum airflow across the fins.

There is no doubt the horseshoe type is easier to install, and if you ever need to work on your fan and pulley, just being able to unbolt the shroud and pull it off is a Godsend. I don't want to lose that, so I am thinking of buying one of the annular shrouds that Studebaker International is selling, cutting it in half at the narrowest point on the sides, and then riveting a couple of sheet metal brackets to the sides to bolt the two halves back together. With a rubber strip to seal the seams, this should give a completely enclosed shroud that doesn't allow air to get in from the sides, but the shroud should still be easy to remove for maintenance.

I am also contemplating swapping out the OEM 5 blade fan for one of the 17 or 17.5 inch GM 7 blade fans from early 1970s cars, which I understand some Hawk owners have successfully done, and which is supposed to pull more air.

I've cut my shroud in half, but did it a little bit different from your description. As well, I could possibly help you with the cooling issue, but both issues will require much more time to type the responses than I can afford rigfht now. So, I'd be glad to discuss it with you in a 'phone call

John 502773zero ,nine,five,two normally east coast time.........today central time.

[Billy Shears]

I've cut my shroud in half, but did it a little bit different from your description. As well, I could possibly help you with the cooling issue, but both issues will require much more time to type the responses than I can afford rigfht now. So, I'd be glad to discuss it with you in a 'phone call

John 502773zero ,nine,five,two normally east coast time.........today central time.

Thanks. I'll be very interested to hear what you can tell me. I'll call you after I get home from work , after 6pm EST.

[Billy Shears]

Well, I've put the new fan shroud on, and have finally had the chance to drive the car in warmer temperatures. The car is cooling much better now, but it still shows some tendency for temps to climb at idle with the A/C on -- much less pronounced now, but it's still doing it. I am not content with this, because if it's doing it on a balmy 75 degree day, with the car parked in the shade, there's no way the car is not going to overheat if I get stuck in traffic on a hot, sunny, mid-to-upper nineties day.

One thing about the replacement fan shroud that concerns me is that there is quite a large gap at the top. The blades sweep pretty close to the rim of the opening at the bottom, but they are also more outside the shroud than in. At the top, the blades are more or less halfway in the shroud like they are supposed to be, but there is a good inch and a half between the blades and the rim of the shroud. I suspect this is preventing the blades from working as efficiently as they should to pull air through the radiator, but I'm damned if I know what to do about it. Who makes a better fitting shroud?

[JLBKY]

Well, I've put the new fan shroud on, and have finally had the chance to drive the car in warmer temperatures. The car is cooling much better now, but it still shows some tendency for temps to climb at idle with the A/C on -- much less pronounced now, but it's still doing it. I am not content with this, because if it's doing it on a balmy 75 degree day, with the car parked in the shade, there's no way the car is not going to overheat if I get stuck in traffic on a hot, sunny, mid-to-upper nineties day.

One thing about the replacement fan shroud that concerns me is that there is quite a large gap at the top. The blades sweep pretty close to the rim of the opening at the bottom, but they are also more outside the shroud than in. At the top, the blades are more or less halfway in the shroud like they are supposed to be, but there is a good inch and a half between the blades and the rim of the shroud. I suspect this is preventing the blades from working as efficiently as they should to pull air through the radiator, but I'm damned if I know what to do about it. Who makes a better fitting shroud?

Billy..........there is another thing that you might check, but it is a little involved, but very beneficial.The clearance of the water pump impeller blades to the back of the water pump manifold is very important. When I checked mine, both the pump I pulled out of the car and a brand new pump, were out of the correct clearance range.I don't recall what that clearance should be, but a search on the Studebaker Forum, or possibly here should get you the information you need. I "pulled" the impeller back on the shaft to get the desired clearance and recall that when I put the pump in the housing WITHOUT the gasket, there was a very slight impeller to housing interference/contact. With the gasket in place, ( gasket is.004 as I recall ), no contact, no interference. The result is more water flow, which should result in more cooling. If you have difficulty finding the specs for the pump, let me know and I'll dig them out.

John

[Billy Shears]

Billy..........there is another thing that you might check, but it is a little involved, but very beneficial.The clearance of the water pump impeller blades to the back of the water pump manifold is very important. When I checked mine, both the pump I pulled out of the car and a brand new pump, were out of the correct clearance range.I don't recall what that clearance should be, but a search on the Studebaker Forum, or possibly here should get you the information you need. I "pulled" the impeller back on the shaft to get the desired clearance and recall that when I put the pump in the housing WITHOUT the gasket, there was a very slight impeller to housing interference/contact. With the gasket in place, ( gasket is.004 as I recall ), no contact, no interference. The result is more water flow, which should result in more cooling. If you have difficulty finding the specs for the pump, let me know and I'll dig them out.

John

Yes, I remember your mentioning that. I guess I am going to have to check that to when I get a chance to pull the thing.