Cooling Fan Question

[retro1302]

Does anyone have a method to verify that the louvers, at the base of the cooling fan, are swinging open/closed to their full extent? The thermostat seems to have only modest room for expansion and I can't see how that small expansion can fully open the louvers. This is on a 1600 single port without a doghouse. I worry about the #3 jug staying comfortable.

Stan

[Amskeptic]

Does anyone have a method to verify that the louvers, at the base of the cooling fan, are swinging open/closed to their full extent? The thermostat seems to have only modest room for expansion and I can't see how that small expansion can fully open the louvers. This is on a 1600 single port without a doghouse. I worry about the #3 jug staying comfortable.

Stan

Stan. Go to any door in the house. If you push it one foot at the door knob, it opens one foot. Now find a nice push point within two inches of the hinge. Push only one foot here. You have just opened the door fully and put a hole in the wall.
You could have opened the door just one foot by pushing only an inch, but the lesson would not have been as memorable.

The thermostat rod is closer to the hinge than the flap levers. Do not worry about the travel of the thermostat, it is no more than about an inch.

However, I will never say "don't check the range of the thermostat." With a warm engine, pull the cross lever against the fail-safe spring. That will be in the "close" direction. Let it snap back of its own accord. Now see if you can move it any further in the direction that the spring wants to pull. If it cannot move any further, then the flaps are fully open. If they are hanging up, you should feel it.

If they are hanging up, merely remove the engine deck lid, the carburetor, the fan belt, the generator strap, the thermostat, the fan housing screws at each side, remove the wires from the generator, and pull that sucker outta there and see for yourself that everything opens and closes correctly and is clean clean clean.
ColinAin'tMechanickingFun?

[retro1302]

Got it. Understand. Good explanation. The entire fan housing was cleaned and lubed before it was reinstalled. New spring also. I'll confirm that side to side motion. I was just expecting more of a throw, but maybe I wasn't pulling hard enough I'm the closed direction.

[Amskeptic]

Got it. Understand. Good explanation. The entire fan housing was cleaned and lubed before it was reinstalled. New spring also. I'll confirm that side to side motion. I was just expecting more of a throw, but maybe I wasn't pulling hard enough I'm the closed direction.

Only with a *fully warmed up engine* . . . I could use a nice convertible blue bug evening drive about now.
Colin