I've seen several posts about this but still have Q's. I'm installing a 58 235 in place of my 48 216. Can the fan hub be pressed back further on the shaft and then cut the shaft off? If so, what do you do for the belt pully? Thanks Rick
Yes .press it back , measure carefully . There's a Ford big block pulley found on 390's that's the perfect fit , 3/8" belt sheave . Igotta run .
Thanks Nate I read your post about this before but not sure I understood it. Would you happen to know if the 352 sheave might fit? Lots of those out there. Rick
I don't know ~ is that considered a ' big block ' ? (I only touch V-8's if they break when I'm driving or you hold a gun to my head) I *do* know Ford made this same big block pulley with about 15 different part numbers over the years , go give it a look , if it's not quite right you'll have to open up the center hole .
Water pump modifications Something to consider.....modifying a stock pump or purchasing a pricey "short shaft pump" to gain fan clearance when replacing an early 216 or 235, will only address 1 of the issues you'll face. I've tried the modified pump, fabbed my own pulley, purchased the short shaft pump and have found using the "Adaptor Plate" the complete fix for all the pump-related issues. First of all, using the adaptor plate behind the "early pump" (46-54) gives you the fan/radiator clearance to run even a 6 blade 15" fan. The adaptor plate RAISES the pump up to CENTER it on the radiator and eliminates clearance issues between the fan blades and the balancer/gen/alt/accompressor and gives you the correct fan rotation speed which eliminates any chance of cavitation. Trying to find and modify a junkyard pulley that may/may not be readily available is unnecessary. Overheating becomes a NON-ISSUE!!! Secondly, you can pick up a replacement pump at your local parts house should you need one. The stock pumps are available in both 3/8 and 5/8" belt widths and several vendors sell the adaptor plate for less than $50.00. I've used the plate on several engines and have pics of the install and instruction information in my webshots. If you click on "full size" at the upper right of the picture you can read all about the install process. My truck is a daily driver with nearly 6000 miles and even with the Florida heat and the a/c, my truck runs at thermostat temp (180degrees). As extra insurance I added a pusher fan for long periods of idling with the a/c on but have rarely experienced any need to use it. It's well worth the simple modifications to totally eliminate overheating issues. Dave
Thanks Dave More good information!!! I like the work you did and the time you took to document it on your webshots. Not sure which route to take at this time. I wasn't able to get to the instructions as you stated though. Rick
Impressed Have not been through all your pics but nice work! you are certanly an inventive guy who takes a challenge head on. Cool truck!
Water pump adaptor The instruction pages are on page 12.....you just need to click on the "next" after page #10...or use this link: http://good-times.webshots.com/album/550294207eijCcS?start=132 I modified a stock pump and had some serious alignment issues with the harmonic balancer...then dumped a chunk of change on a "short pump." Still had heating issues so went with the adaptor plate which moved the fan up into the center of the radiator. I went with a FLX-1615P fan and ran the 3/8" wide belt pump with a 1/2" belt. The block has to be drilled (2 holes) and tapped with a 3/8" coarse thread but you aren't going to go into the water jacket and it can be done with a battery powered drill. The plate is used for alignment so there isn't much of any way you can mess up. Just follow the instructions. I think everyone who has used the adaptor plate will agree that it is the simplest, most economical and surely the best way to cure the cooling/fitment/alignment issues with a late model 235 replacing an early 216-235 in an AD truck. Dave
I agree, The only issues I had with the adapter plate were finding the proper sealant (Permatex "The Right Stuff") and claerance with the harmonic balancer. I fabbed up a little shim to put between the stock fan and the pump and it works fine. Andy
Adapter plate question Dave, I noticed that the fan on my engine (from a '61 car) sits way down low in relation to the radiator, and with the small pulley on the water pump, the engine gets hot. I got a short shaft pump and the correct pulley from Patrick's, but the '61 fan blade hits the harmonic balancer. So I figured I'd try this adapter plate. I downloaded your pictures and read the instruction sheet and it indicates that this plate won't work with the harmonic balancer from a '61 car. Am I reading that right? Please tell me I don't have to change the harmonic balancer to make this work. Also, can you tell me which vendors sell these adapters? Thanks for your help!
Figured it out After my last post, I went back and read the directions again, and answered my own question. The pulley that came with Patrick's pump is bigger than the old style pulley, so the harmonic balancer I have will work once the adapter plate raises it up. I also found 3 of these on e-Bay for $45 each, shipping included. Hopefully this will all sort itself out, and I won't have any more panicky questions.
