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Old 10-31-2017, 12:50 PM   #242
phillipm
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Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Posts: 465
Re: 78 2wd Blazer - LS Swap and more..

Okay time for another update!

I've been running the Cooling Components CCI-1228 fans for a while now (which can be found HERE). And while they cool very very well, they are kinda loud for my taste, even on low. So, I decided to move to an OEM fan solution. I've used GM fans in the past and I'm always impressed with the amount of air they can move and for how quiet they are, even at full speed which is currently how I've got them wired.

The fans I'm using came from a 2004-2007 Cadillac CTS-V. I've got one of these cars so it made taking pre-measurements much easier. The fans are 12" diameter fans with 160W motors on each. This lines up pretty well with the 28x18" radiator core I've got in the truck.



My original plan was to use the factory shroud and everything. That's by far the easiest way to go. However, with the fan on the right being in the raised position this ran right into my air induction tube from the engine. I could shove the shroud down and all the way to the passenger side and make it fit, however this left a large gap at the top and along the driver's side. That would probably be okay in 98% of the country, but in Phoenix that's not good. That's precious area that I'm loosing when you're parked in 120*+ weather..



So, I decided just to build a shroud that would meet my needs and fit my core perfectly. I first used 5052 aluminum to bend up the general shroud. It's 1" deep and has flanges on the top and bottom that will be used to mount the unit to the radiator. The dimensions of the raised area came out to 16" x 28" and flange to flange the unit is 18" tall.



Next I stripped the fans and motors out of the OE shroud and used some 6061 solid rod bent on each end to create a mounting structure. The center pieces are some .090 5052 I had laying around that I used a 4.5" hole saw to cut the hole for the electric motors to pass through. Another key feature when purchasing used OEM fans is to get them with the electrical plugs still in them. Many of the OEM's use Yazaki terminal plugs which are hard to find in the US as well as online. And, when you do, they want too much money for them.



I copied the 1/2" stand off from the tip of the blades to the core that the original shroud gave. However, this left another 3/4" of blade sticking out of the shroud. While I don't think this would be an issue for performance it's certainly a safety issue. So next I made some 90* pieces that were 41" long and used my stretcher to turn them into guards.







From there it was a whole bunch of welding and a whole bunch of drilling to finish it off. All of the holes are for SPAL wind flaps that relieve pressure from the non aero design of a flat shroud. At speed they open and allow more air to pass, and when you're stopped they close from their own weight as well as suction from the fans. I added a separator on the back side so I can run just one fan at a time and not get bypass air just looping around as well.





Finally it's hard to get a good picture in there but here they are finished up and mounted in the truck. A friend had asked me how long I thought it would take me to build them. I laughed and said I think it will take me 2.5 hours so it will probably take me 5. In the end it took me 12 hours to build the shroud not including painting and wiring it which was easily another hour or two.



In the end I've now got a fan setup that doesn't sound like a 747 coming in for a landing. However I'll have to wait till next summer to really put it through the tests!
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