Underhood carnage on my F-1

[1948F-1Pickup]

Heard a loud bang this morning on the way to get gas.
Not sure what the chain of events were at a massive
2200 rpm, but the fan is missing a blade, another is
bent and the shroud doesn't look too happy either.

Radiator has some tube damage.... I'll have to look
closer at that.

If anyone has a V8 fan, V8 shroud I'd be interested.

[51 MERC-CT]

Fortunately you had a shroud installed otherwise you may have had a hole in the hood

[1948F-1Pickup]

Yeah..... not sure where that missing fan blade is.....

[Ggmac]

It looks as if that blade was redrilled , possibly having the extra bolt holes too close to the original and fatigued the metal . I'm just going on an enlarged photo so it's a guess .

[19Fordy]

Please excuse double post.

[19Fordy]

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Had that happen in 1972 when the fan blade on my 8RT flew apart going thru the hood of my 40 and into the radiator. My conclusion was that over the many years and cycles of flexing those OEM fan blades work harden, crack and break. I was standing next to the car "giving it gas" when it happened. Could have cut my head off. Installed new stainless blade and it's still going strong. Fan pulley is home made. I know there are those who say fan blade breakage is a rarity but, in this case old is not gold.

[RalphM]

Your fan hub appears to be one of the new aftermarket ones. Did something possibly come loose with the old fan blade onto the new hub?
I’ve never had a fan break off but I did have one of the oiled style hubs pulley broken in half. It separated half of the pulley from the hub, didn’t fly off just kinda rattled around and of course the belt was doing nothing then.

[1948F-1Pickup]

Originally Posted by 19Fordy

Had that happen in 1972 when the fan blade on my 8RT flew apart going thru the hood of my 40 and into the radiator. My conclusion was that over the many years and cycles of flexing those OEM fan blades work harden, crack and break. I was standing next to the car "giving it gas" when it happened. Could have cut my head off. Installed new stainless blade and it's still going strong. Fan pulley is home made. I know there are those who say fan blade breakage is a rarity but, in this case old is not gold.

I’m thinking your theory is probably right on the money.
I just found the missing blade too. The break looks consistent with metal fatigue.

[deuce_roadster]

Yeah, a friend of mine with a 54 Y block had a blade come off and exit the hood. I NEVER stand in line with a spinning fan. They do work harden and break as theorized above. My 40s both have NOS fans as well as the 33. 32 5w is another story, I am thinking I should swap it out. As Chuck Yeager said "never wait for trouble".

[Bums F-1]

I have a fan, bearing hub and pulley with a shroud from a 1950 F-1.
It's yours if you pick it up or arrange the shipping.

[1948F-1Pickup]

Originally Posted by Bums F-1

I have a fan, bearing hub and pulley with a shroud from a 1950 F-1.
It's yours if you pick it up or arrange the shipping.

Yes sir...... I'd like to do that. I'm up in Modesto fairly frequently
as I have customers in Merced, etc.
I'll send you a PM.

[Ronnieroadster]

I had the same experience on my 1950 F-1 panel truck. This was my first vehicle and a daily driver way back in 1971. Same thing heard a bang had no idea what it was until I found water pouring out from under the front of my old truck that broken fan blade was sticking out of the lower radiator hose since the truck had no fan shroud it must have saved the radiator from damage good thing since I had no money to repair anything major back then. Good thing we were not under the hood looking things over when the blade let loose. I still have that 8BA engine my first Flathead from my old F-1. Its going into my Deuce pickup one day and become my daily driver once again but its going to be modified a bit for more power. There goes the fuel economy!
Ronnieroadster

[1948F-1Pickup]

Originally Posted by Ronnieroadster

I had the same experience on my 1950 F-1 panel truck. This was my first vehicle and a daily driver way back in 1971. Same thing heard a bang had no idea what it was until I found water pouring out from under the front of my old truck that broken fan blade was sticking out of the lower radiator hose since the truck had no fan shroud it must have saved the radiator from damage good thing since I had no money to repair anything major back then. Good thing we were not under the hood looking things over when the blade let loose. I still have that 8BA engine my first Flathead from my old F-1. Its going into my Deuce pickup one day and become my daily driver once again but its going to be modified a bit for more power. There goes the fuel economy!
Ronnieroadster

Wow. I've heard from a few people now with similar stories.

I'm looking for a radiator now too..... my repo one looks like it would need a new core! Gives me a good excuse to try to find an original radiator with original tanks.

[Tim Ayers]

Originally Posted by Bums F-1

I have a fan, bearing hub and pulley with a shroud from a 1950 F-1.
It's yours if you pick it up or arrange the shipping.

Very cool offer!

[r_reed]

i had one blade break off my 8ba in 1975. i was on my way to a meeting at night, i head a crash and the engine started vibrating really bad. i parked under a street light, noticed the missing blade (no leak). i slipped off the fan belt and went on my way. i found the missing blade jammed between my shroud and radiator, no damage to each. i guess i was lucky. when i heard the bang, it thought it was over for the motor.

[Ross F-1]

I wish someone would repro these fans, they are all a time bomb when you get right down to it.

[zoegrant]

I have heard of fan blades becoming brittle after having it chromed....really scary when you think of how many times we work on an engine adjustment leaning over the engine with the engine running...

[51504bat]

Originally Posted by 1948F-1Pickup

Wow. I've heard from a few people now with similar stories.

I'm looking for a radiator now too..... my repo one looks like it would need a new core! Gives me a good excuse to try to find an original radiator with original tanks.

Just head up 101 to Paso Robles and BrassWorks. It won't be cheap but you'll get a quality brass/copper radiator made right there. Don't know about now but when I ordered the one for my '39 p/u the lead time was about 7 weeks. Picked it up the same weekend as TROG so it was a win win (except for the rain).

[1948F-1Pickup]

Originally Posted by 51504bat

Just head up 101 to Paso Robles and BrassWorks. It won't be cheap but you'll get a quality brass/copper radiator made right there. Don't know about now but when I ordered the one for my '39 p/u the lead time was about 7 weeks. Picked it up the same weekend as TROG so it was a win win (except for the rain).

Yup. Sent BrassWorks an email yesterday. Waiting for their reply. Looks like they can even fabricate tanks.... hopefully without originals, the ones on my radiator are the not that great generic reproductions.

[rotorwrench]

My hand me down 51 Mercury threw a blade back in the late 50s. It reminded my Pop of flak shrapnel hitting the B17 over the targets in WWII. The blade left a dent in the hood that was a b!tch to get out. I keep a close eye on those damn things.

[1948F-1Pickup]

Got a replacement radiator this morning from an old truck salvage guy.
A few more bits and I can put her back together.....

[rbone]

Happened to me a few years ago as well. Had to have radiator re-cored and dent repair/repaint ride side hood. Good news is that the car runs much cooler now. While I had it all apart, I sent the water pumps to Skip, replaced the coil, etc.....

[1948F-1Pickup]

Originally Posted by Bums F-1

I have a fan, bearing hub and pulley with a shroud from a 1950 F-1.
It's yours if you pick it up or arrange the shipping.

Thanks to you for these items.
With your shroud and fan I'm now back in business as soon as I pick
up my new "radiator" from being re-done locally.

[jmerson]

Originally Posted by 1948F-1Pickup

Yes sir...... I'd like to do that. I'm up in Modesto fairly frequently
as I have customers in Merced, etc.
I'll send you a PM.

I have a '48 radiator and maybe a shroud but it was a 6 and i put dual outlets for a V8. The radiator is good but useless to me as i have a loaded flathead for it. Someday!! If interested get back to me.

[19Fordy]

Just imagine hold many times the OEM used steel fan has flexed during it 60 or 70 years of rotating. Pretty scary considering it's only mild steel , heavy and can easily develop microscopic points of failure. Not a good idea to use one, IMO.

[1948F-1Pickup]

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Originally Posted by jmerson

I have a '48 radiator and maybe a shroud but it was a 6 and i put dual outlets for a V8. The radiator is good but useless to me as i have a loaded flathead for it. Someday!! If interested get back to me.

I should be good to go now, but thank you for the offer.....

[1948F-1Pickup]

Thanks to fellow Ford Barn member Bums F-1 and a lucky find original radiator at Bob's F-100 Parts in Riverside CA, I'm up and running again.
I scored a 6 blade NOS fan off of eBay and bolted that on as well.
(B4Q-8600-A Which interestingly has both the Y-block bolt pattern and the 8 bolt flathead pattern)

[Bob C]

I think you got screwed on your NOS six blade fan, it only has five blades.

Bob

[1948F-1Pickup]

Originally Posted by Bob C

I think you got screwed on your NOS six blade fan, it only has five blades.

Bob

Yeah. I can't count apparently
Only paid $30 for it, so I'm happy.

[GreenMonster48]

Well, one more thing for me to have anxiety over

[Bored&Stroked]

Originally Posted by 1948F-1Pickup

Yeah. I can't count apparently
Only paid $30 for it, so I'm happy.

At $6 a blade, not too bad . . . now if it was a 32 fan, about $100 a blade! LOL

[JM 35 Sedan]

Originally Posted by Bums F-1

I have a fan, bearing hub and pulley with a shroud from a 1950 F-1.
It's yours if you pick it up or arrange the shipping.

It's this type of generosity that makes our hobby and the Fordbarn so great to be part of.....what a nice offer!!