• Welcome to the new SAOCA website. Already a member? Simply click Log In/Sign Up up and to the right and use your same username and password from the old site. If you've forgotten your password, please send an email to membership@sunbeamalpine.org for assistance.

    If you're new here, click Log In/Sign Up and enter your information. We'll approve your account as quickly as possible, typically in about 24 hours. If it takes longer, you were probably caught in our spam/scam filter.

    Enjoy.

6-blade fan PN C9DZ-8600-A

pruyter

Donation Time
I have a Ford 6 blade fan which measured 15 inch and in order to fit my Tiger is had to be shortened. The shortening should be 3/8 inch from each blade.
So I knew what should have been the job for the machine shop, but.....I made a mistake and the result is now that the 6-blade fan in not shortened by two times 3/8 inch so in total 6/8 inch but in total 1 inch with the result that the total result is now a 6 blade fan which measures 14 inch!
Now my question: is a 6-blade fan of 14 inch outperforming the orgininal Tiger fan? Or is it better to stick with the original Tiger fan?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Regards,
Peter
 
If I understand your post correctly, each blade was shortened by 1/2" instead of 3/8" and the resultant fan diameter is 14" instead of 14-1/4". In my opinion, that difference is probably not "real world" significant. Whether the 14" diameter 6-blade fan will outperform the original Tiger fan is a question that has a bunch of variables and can probably only be answered by "try it and see what happens." I suspect that the shortened 6-blade fan will both move more air and make more noise than the original Tiger fan.
 
Thank you Barry, you have understand my post correctly the fan has now a diameter of 14 inch. It is a pity that you are not able to tell me if this fan is better than the standard 4-blade fan, because I want to avoid to try, so if I am not asssured that the shortened 6-blade fan is better than I will stick to the standard 4-blade fan. By the way is it possible to change the fan without taking out the radiator?
 
Comparing a 4 blade original fan to a 6 blade one? I'd do it and I've always taken out the radiator. I don't think there's much in a Tiger that comes out or off without removing something else, well other than parts falling off like headlight rings.
 
Hi Warren would you change the standard 4 blade fan change for a 6 blade fan even when the diameter of the 6 blade fan is no more than 14 inch?
 
I think so , if you were to look at the surface area of the blades I believe you'd see a bigger difference.
But that said the steel 6 blade fans are noisy things. Clearly I don't care for em E fan sounding like a vacuum cleaner either but the flex fans are a personalized look but a better choice IMHO..
 
Hi Warren would you change the standard 4 blade fan change for a 6 blade fan even when the diameter of the 6 blade fan is no more than 14 inch?
The stock Tiger fan isn't that effective... But it's not just diameter and number of blades...its the pitch and their efficiency of pulling air...this is also influenced by the spacing of the blades.

Are you still running the factory shroud?

If you haven't read it already...go read the cooling a Tiger article that goes through the various fans and compares their effectiveness.
 
Hi Michael,
I am still running the factory shroud and I bought this 6 blade fan in 1995 when I bought my Tiger in the UK. This fan was still laying on the shelf and was never used. It is the fan which is recommended in several articles regarding the Tiger. Because of a leaking radiator I have just bought a better radiator in the UK and I was thinking that while a new radiator is going to be installed why not at the same time change the standard fan for the 6-blade I have in store. The fan was already modified in the UK so that the centre hole is now 1 inch as it should be. But then I made the mistake and instructed the machine shop to shorten the blades in order to avoid the fan hitting the steering rack but...I gave them the wrong measurements which the result of a 6 blade fan which has now a 14 inch diameter. So now I have a dilemma, because I don't want to take out the radiator again when the situation would be that the 14 inch 6 blade fan produces a worse cooling than I have now with the 4 blade standard fan.
So I thought why not ask the more experienced Tiger people?
Thanks in advance for your view on this matter!
 
Thanks Volvoguys but I can not open this file on my computer, I don't know why.

If I would not have made the mistake with giving the machine shop the wrong instructions I would not have bothered people on this forum with a problem. The fan is the original fan as mentioned in the 5th edititon of the shop notes from C.A.T. on page A-19 which fan is original 15 inches in diameter.
This fan should be shortened by 3/8 inch for every fan blade so in total the diameter should be shortened by two times 3/8 inch wich makes in total 6/8 or 3/4 inch. After this shortening the fan would have a diameter of 14 1/4 inch. So far so good wasn't it that my fan is shortend 1/4 inch in diameter to much with the result of a diameter of 14 inch. I can't change my error but my question is: "would this 6 blade fan with a diameter of 14 inch be better than a standard 4 blade Tiger fan?

I know that I am talking about guessing if 1/4 inch in diameter would be enought to dump this 6 blade fan, on the other hand there are so much people on this forum that have far more knowledge on Tigers than I have that I thought this is the best place to ask for advice.
 
I wasn't that precise about the blades but literally the sound alone was enough to convince me that I didn't like the big steel fans. I wouldn't worry about the 1/4" for a moment. I've been in 115 degree stop and go in the worst Los Angeles freeway top down heater on to increase cooling. The car survived I did barely. It's a lot of things to do to keep a Tiger cool. The best is keep moving. Some aren't elegant like a hunk of pipe insulation between the radiator and the cross member.
 
Thanks Warren! Perhaps the noise of the fan will be less noticeable at my Tiger, because of the exhaust system the previous owner installed and which makes really a lot of noise. I have blocked the claxon holes at my Tiger and since I was forced to buy a new radiator I have bought in the UK from Sunbeam Alpine Spares a radiator with what they call a bigger core and wich will fit without any problem. It was a pity that they could not or did not want to explain to me how a bigger core (which would make the radiator wider) would not give any fitting problems. So I still wonder what they mean by a bigger core. I guessed that it would mean more rows, but as I said not any explanation. The radiator is not fitted yet.

The very most strange thing regarding cooling was the following experience: Never ever have I had cooling problems until a workshop specialized in classic cars checked the ignition timing and found out that the timing was 2 degrees advance, the workshop changed that to 6 degrees advance as described in the offical workshop manual for the Tiger. The result was a much higer engine temperature. I told this to a friend who owns a Tiger since 1969 and has a lot of experience with Tigers. After he was informed by me that the official ignition timing for a Tiger is 6 degrees advance he checked his Tiger and found out that the timing was 3 degrees advance. He changed that to the official 6 degrees and.....his engine was terriblially overheating. So he went backt to 3 degrees advance and all was well again. Have you ever heard about this? And how can this be explained?
 
Thanks Volvoguys but I can not open this file on my computer, I don't know why.

If I would not have made the mistake with giving the machine shop the wrong instructions I would not have bothered people on this forum with a problem. The fan is the original fan as mentioned in the 5th edititon of the shop notes from C.A.T. on page A-19 which fan is original 15 inches in diameter.
This fan should be shortened by 3/8 inch for every fan blade so in total the diameter should be shortened by two times 3/8 inch wich makes in total 6/8 or 3/4 inch. After this shortening the fan would have a diameter of 14 1/4 inch. So far so good wasn't it that my fan is shortend 1/4 inch in diameter to much with the result of a diameter of 14 inch. I can't change my error but my question is: "would this 6 blade fan with a diameter of 14 inch be better than a standard 4 blade Tiger fan?

I know that I am talking about guessing if 1/4 inch in diameter would be enought to dump this 6 blade fan, on the other hand there are so much people on this forum that have far more knowledge on Tigers than I have that I thought this is the best place to ask for advice.
Thats odd, Peter, as the link works fine for me even when I click it in the post.

Honestly, this report answers nearly all your questions. If you send an email to volvoguys@comcast.net I'll send to you as a PDF.

Mark ..... volvoguys
 
Some browsers will protest because the URL is not https. The content on my site is available without authentication and is read-only, so there is no need for encrypting the data transfer...
 
Not knowing the quality of the fuel you are using and many other things default to undo the last change. Namely advance the timing till it pings then back it off. Old motor carbon build up, ignition points and dwell?

Then there's look at distilled water being more efficient than coolant..

Too many things to consider so possibly look at the book numbers as a guideline only.
 
To start with I use the best fuel which is posssible to buy here in The Netherlands which is BP Ultimate and this fuel has no ethanol in it and as a consequense is more costly than other fuels.
Secondly it can't be a coincidence that both my Tiger and the Tiger of my friend react the same way on settting the ignition timing at the specification as mentioned in the workshop manual namely 6 degrees in advance which causes overheating. Back to 2 or 3 degrees advance and all is well again. My engine is a 289 ci while the engine of my friends Tiger is the origianal 260 ci.
I have always thought that retarding the ignition timing of any engine would result in an engine running to hot, but I experience now the contrary.
So what would be a reasonable explanation?
 
Ha. there's an app for finding non alcohol fuel in Calunicornia but I have to go to the nearest fuel alcohol free fuel station l in Arizona . As I heard it from my engineer/mechanic friends...
The flame front in gasoline combustion needs a little more advanced to completely burn before the rotation of the assembly. Clearly alcohol burns slower than white gas AKA Coleman fuel or an alcohol camp stove. All said the rest of us who can't get AV gas or alcohol free fuel have different burn rates. Going back to advice I've gotten it's advance till it pings then back off a bit. That practice is hardly scientific but many who set points and dwell spot on with a feeler gauge say is the way to go. I don't recall the exact degree of advance change per dwell angle but still don't know you're points or Pertronix or others ignition as you can even gap a Pertronix unit.


All said a 1/4" over clearance cut on the 6 blade fans isn't what I'd worry about.
Loose or deteriorating motor mounts can ruin your day and that extra " " may be helpful. The front edge of the fan has an optimal distance from the back of the radiator. I've gone less than 1" on my Falcon only to say Doh when the motor mounts let the fan eat the radiator core :(

Lastly I've sold on two or three 6 blade LAT style and one 65 code stamped one. Not one buyer forced me to caliper the exact length of the blades . They buyer's had paid in the neighborhood of 100 to $200 each for them.
 
Hi Warren for your information my Tiger has a Lumenition electronic igniton and the Tiger of my friend has no electronic ignition. When my friend changed the timing from 3 degrees advance (which he had maintained from 1969) to the 6 degrees as specified in the WSM he noticed that the engine had more "grunt" which was nice until he experienced a serious overheating. So it was back again to the 3 degrees advance which he adjusted by using a normal stroboscoop.
I will take your advice and install the 6-blade fan which is shortened to a 14 inch diameter and will see what happens. In the meantime my Tiger-friend has assured me that if I have to go back to the standard fan again the job can be done without taking out the radiator. Taking out the shroud and possibly the upper hose from the engine to the radiator will give suffient space to remove and install a fan. He has done it this way at his Tiger.
We are here in The Netherlands very lucky that we can buy petrol (gasoline) without ethanol, BP and Shell are selling this plus 2 or 3 other brands. The only disadvantage is that this fuel is not cheap. I use it in my Tiger, my Sunbeam Rapier Series IV, my Harley Davidson and my daily driver a BMW 530 i, because I don't want to take any risk with problems caused by this terrible ethanol which supposed to be better for the environment but in reality is not helping the environment at all considering the production process and the ingredients necessary to produce ethanol.
Thanks again for your thoughts and advice!

Regards,

Peter
 
Back
Top