This past weekend, while addressing the burnt T4 shim gasket, I performed one of my classic “2 step forward, 1 step back” moves. I must have an insatiable need to keep auto part providers in business.

As all us turbo DIY’ers know, getting to those four flange bolts is a challenge. One or two may be marginally accessible with a socket but it seems invariably that one or two will only be tightened in the most glacial manner with 1/16” turns and flipping the combo wrench over every other time to gain access. Therefore, on those that we can use an air wrench upon, we relish, right? So I get under the car with the air ratchet set to loosen and I have my 9/16” box end to keep the nut from turning. Everything in place ? Check! Press the lever!! Rat a tat tat… well phock, .. the ratchet has enough energy to spin the ol’ wrench out of my hand had send it directly into a confrontation with my radiator. I don’t think those are tears of joy weeping down my cheek, too much antifreeze… Sigh.. so off to Autozone I go and get a replacement for a surprisingly low sum of $100 + tax.

As I strip off the old stuff in get ready for the new radiator install, I remember I’d told some of you guys that I use the stock LT1 fans but as pushers and that it keeps the car at the first quarter mark on all street driving and just marginally past the first ¼ mark even when I’m racing it hard. The ONLY downside is that apparently those blades are engineered to be quiet when they’re spun ‘normally’. When rewired to be pushers, they have a noticeable howl when both fans are on and at their most efficient. It’s only when the car gets to full temp that they go wide open. Cooling wise? They’re beyond perfect. Sound wise? <Dave hisses softly through his teeth> a bit much…

Some guys responded when I first said I had my fans as pushers, “I heard ya can’t do that”.
Now, keep in mind, I don’t have A/C so I did take out the condenser, which is why I have the room for it all…

Here’s the radiator to turbo clearance



Fans and bracket in place in front of the radiator…


Fans and bracket in place in front of the radiator. Front view…


Radiator shroud in place

 

Thanks for the pics, very cool

 

Nice! I'll Be attempting to Keep my stock radiator and use the stock fans as pushers as well. I have a Huron speed t4 non A/C Kit with a Magnum 80mm. Its going to be a tight fit.

 

I'll mention, there is a 'procedure' for installing the fans.

You install the fans first, THEN the rectangular plate/shroud the fans sit upon.
There wasn't enough room with the radiator already in place to slide in the assembled shroud/fans.

With the radiator support (that top panel) off, and the radiator able to be moved forward/aft, I slid the fans in sideways from the battery side. It's really easy if you have a friend or two(I didn't) to assist.

While always making sure the radiator is not touching stuff on the engine, gently apply pressure on the top of the radiator to hold it away from the frame(ie: you'll trying to create as much space in front of the radiator so you can slide in the fans) and gently guide the first fan in (mine barely fits between the radiator and the frame but it fits).
Move that first fan all the way over to the driver’s side. Move in the second fan. Now is when you need a friend or two OR something to suspend the fans(bungee cords/coat hangers, etc.) away from the radiator so you can slide in the shroud. Once the fans are up out of the way, slide in the shroud but know this, it has to go upside down from its normal orientation when it was on the back side of the radiator. I forget exactly why but I *think* the tangs are in the way if you use the normal orientation.

One thing that will help is to take your sawzall or hacksaw and cut off that prominent protrusion on the shroud. I think it was there originally to support the bottom of that appendage to the stock Bellows.

Of course if you don't have your radiator installed, this should be a breeze. Just assemble your fans on the shroud and put it in place. I'm betting you can even notch the top of the fans 'guard' ring a bit to get more generous clearance w/o affecting the fans structural integrity.

 

Yeah I done mine like this with my 2000 WS6. They are a lot more noisy than when they were pulling lol. I just reversed wires behind connectors. They push a ton of air. Just was to cheap to buy new fans. Utilize all stock parts you can lol.

 

Amen brother! Back when I first went to the turbo setup, I bought the biggest 'low profile' fan I could find. Its performance was waaay lower than the stockers(could overheat in the right circumstance) so I put the stockers back on.

Off this topic a bit... I see you have the FIC injectors. Those are high impedance, right? How is your idle fueling working out? I had Delphi 95# low imp but I fried my Acceleronics box and have went back to 60# high impedance.

 

They work great. Although when the car gets warm it still has a little bug. But it has to do with the air its getting somehow not really sure. For the most part its great just needs a little more tweaking. Not had time to go back to the tuner really here lately. I rarely drive the car so it not a big concern lol. Im not that picky.

 

the pics don't work in the first post. I have the FIC injectors as well. The idle is great with mine, fic2000's

 

Thats very neat!

 

Wish you would have posted this like two weeks ago before spent some coin on a spal! I knew the stocks fans are badass but didn't know you could reverse them.

 

does the radiator sit in the stock position still? anyone run into issues so far doing this?

 

It does still sit there in the stock position. The car runs so much cooler with the efficient stock fans. The coolant temp sits at the first quarter mark , no matter how I'm driving, sitting. Summer, Fall, Winter or Spring, that's where it stays.

No issues at all to report in regard to that, other than the aforementioned fan howl when the second fan kicks into high gear. Those blades could really use a knife edge on them now that they run 'backwards'. It's noticeable from inside the cabin at idle with the windows rolled up.

 

as long as it stays cool i can deal lol. thanks for the reply