[Healeys] Yet another mystery

[Bob Spidell]

The noise was excessive in my Austin-Healey (can't speak to 
Austin-Healys). The fan all but drowned-out the engine at idle and I 
didn't like sitting in a cloud of dust (but it was the most-effective 
temp-lowering mod I've tried).  Note the fan BCS originally sold was 
different than what I think they sell now; it had massively curved, 
rectangular blades--seven of them--that went from a couple inches of 
pitch to near-flat as speed increased.

I only replace cores once (except when a water pump shaft broke and sent 
a fan into the radiator).

Bob


On 10/5/2025 7:36 AM, Don Anglesey wrote:
> Your worried about a little noise in an Austin Healy?  Keep the cooler 
> and continue to replace radiator cores.  There are several better 
> options.  To each his own.
> Don
>
> Get Outlook for Android <https://aka.ms/AAb9ysg>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* Healeys <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> on behalf of Bob 
> Spidell via Healeys <healeys at autox.team.net>
> *Sent:* Saturday, October 4, 2025 11:07:34 PM
> *To:* healeys at autox.team.net <healeys at autox.team.net>
> *Subject:* Re: [Healeys] Yet another mystery
> Except flex fans are extremely noisy. I got a 7-blade SS Hayden flex 
> fan and BCS's own home-rolled shroud from them decades ago, and it was 
> good for a 5-10deg reduction at idle but, damn was it loud (and it 
> would blow clouds of dust out from under the car when stationary). 
> Ditched it for a TC (but kept the shroud). Some SS flex fans are known 
> for throwing a blade.
>
> bs
>
> On 10/4/2025 9:15 PM, Don Anglesey wrote:
>> Ditch the Texas cooler, British car specialists sell a nice 
>> stainless-steel fan that doesn't flex into your radiator.
>>
>> Don
>>
>> Get Outlook for Android <https://aka.ms/AAb9ysg>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> *From:* Healeys <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> 
>> <mailto:healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> on behalf of Richard Antal 
>> via Healeys <healeys at autox.team.net> <mailto:healeys at autox.team.net>
>> *Sent:* Friday, October 3, 2025 6:04:28 AM
>> *To:* Harold Manifold <manifold at telus.net> 
>> <mailto:manifold at telus.net>; Michael Salter 
>> <michael.salter at gmail.com> <mailto:michael.salter at gmail.com>
>> *Cc:* Healeys <healeys at autox.team.net> <mailto:healeys at autox.team.net>
>> *Subject:* Re: [Healeys] Yet another mystery
>> I inadvertently omitted an important detail: with the advent of cool 
>> weather in NH, rather than change the thermostat to 180 from 160, I 
>> slipped a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator. I had driven 
>> 200 miles in back roads with the cardboard in place and the temp 
>> gauge never got above 170, and so I didn't watch the temp gauge while 
>> dashing down the interstate at 80 mph. I was unaware of any problem 
>> until arriving home, I could smell radiator fluid. When I popped the 
>> hood all was wet, hot, and steaming. Perhaps at speeds 60mph and 
>> below the fan blades didn't flex enough but at 80 mph, they did and 
>> thus I inadvertently caused the damage to the radiator. I doesn't 
>> leak. Today, having removed the suspect cardboard, I'll venture forth 
>> and watch the temp gauge keenly.......rich
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thursday, October 2, 2025 at 09:38:55 PM EDT, Michael Salter 
>> <michael.salter at gmail.com> <mailto:michael.salter at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>> I would also suggest that you take a careful look at the baffles that 
>> are, or should be, installed forward from the sides of the radiator 
>> to the grille. If these baffles aren't correctly fitted hot air from 
>> the backside of the radiator will swirl around to the front and pass 
>> through the radiator again and thus seriously deminish its cooling 
>> ability.
>>
>> M
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> *From:* Healeys <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> 
>> <mailto:healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> on behalf of Harold Manifold 
>> <manifold at telus.net> <mailto:manifold at telus.net>
>> *Sent:* Thursday, October 2, 2025 6:45:19 PM
>> *To:* Richard Antal <rantal243 at yahoo.com> <mailto:rantal243 at yahoo.com>
>> *Cc:* Healeys <healeys at autox.team.net> <mailto:healeys at autox.team.net>
>> *Subject:* Re: [Healeys] Yet another mystery
>> Rich,
>>
>> Your comments "high speed. run of twenty miles" and "extra series of 
>> cooling tubes" may offer some clues. Fan blades flex away from the 
>> side that pushes air, in other words towards the radiator. The extra 
>> cooling tubes may have reduced the clearance between the radiator and 
>> the fan. There isn't much clearance to begin with. The combination of 
>> the two may have been enough for the fan to hit the radiator.
>>
>> The other issue is what caused the overheating. At high speeds the 
>> fan has little to no effect on cooling. Unless the ambient 
>> temperature was very high and you were going up a steep hill the 
>> colling system should keep up. What was the water temperature gauge 
>> saying?
>>
>> Harold
>>
>>
>>
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