Ok, folks, I've got Horrie back, from the auto-doc, today, and can, now,
definitively
report that a Jaguar "XJ" (2 1/2" -deep, o.a.)
visquous fan clutch WILL fit-and-work, on our Dodge & Plymouth cars. The
CHRYs/IMPs (& the 'big' Sotos) may, already, have O.E.M. fan clutches;
why should THEY have all the fun????
I don't know if the big(ger-)dogs have room for the standard/modern
readily-available 3" clutches, but if that "size" won't "fit' them (as
it won't, on the Dods/Plys) , and if a replacement
unit becomes necessary, then the 2 1/2" Jag-guy will work, for them, as
well.
My project was delayed by the necessity of re-coring H's radiator.
If/when you do this mod to your ride, you should be prepared to have the
following anciliary maintenance be performed:
1. Water pump check-out/replacement. My car's pump was fine, &
anti-freeze contains pump-lubricant, but you might encounter a nasty
surprize; if you do, now is the time to replace that pump; be prepared,
not 'dismayed'!
2. Radiator check-out/clean-out. I thought Horrie's radiator was fine
(it looked/acted that way), but, after arriving @ the local rad-shop,
for a "rodding-out" operation, the guy looked @ H's naked
(paint-stripped) body, & said :"enuf's enuf, after 48+ years, the core's
tired. & beginning to corrode. So, a new alunimum 3-row piece was
installed, that takes up as much 'room' as the O.E.M.'s 2-row core.
3. Fan belt check-out/replacement; what-the-hell, you're right "there",
anyway.
4. Trannie flush/clean-out. I THOUGHT that my parts shop had procured a
cast-iron transmission gasket; turns-out "it" was for the aluminum
727-guy. As the transmission is operating perfectly-well, I agreed to
have my shop "flush" the trannie fluid, with the radiator removed, &
with the engine running. HOW they did this, I dont recall, but, Horrie's
now got 18 pints of new-fluid in him.
7-blade fan assemblies are plentiful, and one should be installed in
this application, but the O.E.M. 4-blade fan will bolt-right-up, if you
want to try to keep an 'original' under-hood appearance. If it doesn't
work-out, with adequate air-flow, a 7-blade fan can be easily installed.
As for tonite's test drive: WONDERFUL!!! I can't believe how much noise
the O.E.M. fan had produced! Now, "you" just hear the exhaust note, and
carb-air induction; and not a lot of 'racket', from under the hood.
As for performance & MPG, he could, already, light-up his 3.36:1 peg-leg
rear end, but his get-up-and-GO is certainly there! Mileage is TBD.
As I had retrofitted a water-cooled trannie, I didn't want to
mess-around with the plumbing, to the radiator's bottom tank, so I had
my mech-shop, do the install on the fan clutch.
But, if your car has an air-cooled trannie, or if the prospect of
possible plumbing-leakages doesn't faze you, this clutch-installation
project is truly a backyard-capable job!
The O.E.M. fan bolts are, like, 4" long, so the radiator needs to be
drained & removed, to effectuate the removal of the 4-blade fan, and
spacer, from the water pump.
If (AFTER!) the radiator & water pump check-out OK, and the trannie
fluid is replaced, you just have to "do" the following:
a): take the clutch to a general-mechanical shop, & have them "bush"
the fan clutch's central orifice, so that it will fit tightly to the
water pump's protruding-mounting-nub (no big deal), and:
b): cut slots into the fan clutch's mounting holes, so that 1" bolts
(available @ any parts-house) can be 'maneuvered' into/between the fan
clutch & the water pump
(REALLY no big deal ).
I've got about 40 pics of the complete operation, as above-described,
at my office, which has a different 'address:
esierraadj@xxxxxxxxxxx
anyone is interested in seeing "the details" of this project. I'll just
'reply' to your message, & attach the pics.
BTW, as the pics are not captioned, naturally, you'll see:
1. Jag-clutch mated to MoPar 7-blade fan (with the front-edges of the
fan lying behind the front-edge/surface of the clutch.)
2. "Bushed" inner orifice of the clutch, with view of its flange's
mounting bolt-holes.
3. Views of O.E.M. 4-blade set-up (note the (APPARENTLY-good condition
of the radiator)
His old/dead water-injection resevoir is also seen.
4. Views of new fan clutch installed, with radiator removed.
5. Detail-views of fan clutch installation, with flange-"slotting" and
mounting-bolts seen.
6. Stripped radiator, @ shop, standing next to new/replacement core, and
detail views of 'hidden' corrosion @ cooling tubes, at bottom-tank, with
prior cooling-tube repair evident---best to replace the core, NOW.
7. Newly-installed 3-row, aluminum radiator core, before-and-after
gloss-black painting.
8. A SAD, forlorn-looking (really!) Horace, residing, alone, inside the
mechanical shop, over the weekend , awaiting the return of the
overhauled radiator.----TELL me, if I'm wrong
(or, nuts!)
9. Fully-installed radiator and fan clutch assembly (as of 5/03/05!!!!
As "Alumcan" has an intimate relationship with the FWDLK
website/chatrooms, (& I know that he LURKS here!) I'd appreciate it, if
he'd post my pics/story-info to that site, as this clutch installation
information should be shared with as many people, as possible.
Finally, I got Horrie's Jag-clutch @:
Jagoutlet.com , San Luis Obispo, CA ; they DO have a toll-free phone
number; ask for "Terry", my total cost was $47.18, shipped to Bishop,
CA. Terry said that 'they' have "quite a few"
of these clutches in-stock (gee, I wonder why; XJ Jags 'last' so long
[LOL] ).
Neil Vedder
*************************************************************
To unsubscribe or set your subscription options, please go to
http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=l-forwardlook&A=1
|
|
Back to the Home of the Forward Look Network