MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGB Technical - Identifying which fan

I normally post on the MGA forum, but this is a question for the MGB family. My MGA has an 1800 5-main engine installed. This conversion requires the use of the “short-nose” water pump to prevent interference with the radiator. The fan on this car has a bent blade and I would like to replace it. The problem is that I don’t know which fan to look for. Neither of the Moss supplied plastic fans will fit in the space available. I need to look for a used metal fan, but which one?
The fan is 6 bladed, has two different bolt patterns, and is fitted on a short pulley with two belt grooves. Are there any identifying traits between the MGB fans that I can use to identify the fan currently mounted on my car?
Thanks in advance for your help.
F. J. Bruns

have a look on Paul's excellent mgb-stuff.org.uk

Paul often posts on here

see -
http://www.mgb-stuff.org.uk/coolingtext.htm#mfans

and -
http://www.mgb-stuff.org.uk/coolingtext.htm#pumps
Nigel Atkins

The problem with a conversion is knowing what the installer used, and what it was from. On the MGB there were a number of fans, and if you use the short-nose pump you have to use the spacer as well or if fitted the right way round the fan hits the block. It does end up in almost the right position if turned over, but with a small loss of effectiveness. The long-nose pump needs no spacer of course, and in both cases the fan can be anything from 1 1/4" to 1/34" from the core, or from someone else's measurements anything from 3/8" to 1 1/4" from the rib around the lower part of the header tank.

Because of that I would have thought the MGA forum would be more relevant.
Paul Hunt

Paul, you are exactly right. As much as a customization may improve performance (or make parts more available), it can make maintenance very difficult.
The current combination of pump, pulley and fan fit perfectly in my car, with about ¾ inch clearance between fan and radiator. Problem is, how do I find an identical fan to replace the damaged one?
I have the short-nose pump, with a 2 groove (US version) pulley. There is no spacer, other than an 1/8 inch spacer between the pulley and pump face to line-up the fan belt. There is no interference between the fan and engine block. If none of the MGB 6-blade fans will fit in this configuration (short nose pump w/ no spacer). That would eliminate any of the MGB fans and I will have to look elsewhere. Do they all extend rearward to the extent they would interfere?
Looking at Paul’s pictures, I don’t see a matching fan. Perhaps it’s not an MGB fan. Mine has 6 blades, three rivets per blade, and the blades are the same width along their entire length.
F. J. Bruns

Based on the Parts Catalogue there was only one six-blade fan ever used on MGBs - the one pictured here. This does have three rivets, but the blades are clearly not the same width throughout their length. Therefore I'd say it was definitely not an MGB fan, and MGA people who have done the same mod might have a better idea as to where it came from. My blades are definitely offset from the centre piece, which is why it hits the block one way round but not the other. This six-blade seems to have an offset as well, but in the other direction, despite also being the correct way round i.e. rounded rivet heads facing the block, which puts the 'arms' of the centre piece facing the rad. Then again the other three-blade from Steve Loft seems to have significantly less of an offset than mine does.

Which way round is yours i.e. which way are the rounded rivet heads and the 'arms'? And is there an offset one way or the other?

Paul Hunt

Thanks for the picture, Paul. Clearly, this is not the fan I have. It looks like I have an MGA fan on an MGB pump. All of the threads on the MGA forum describe requiring the MGB pump and pulley, but don’t mention the fan. This is probably the reason.
Thanks to everyone for your help. This forum had been invaluable in restoring and maintaining my TD and A fun cars.
Frank
F. J. Bruns

http://www.ukmgparts.com/product.aspx?CID=357bdef3-eabd-4511-91ff-c357ccf6ea8d&SID=f262a946-0b57-4670-9ace-b0e9cdcb2710&PID=97b28885-0da5-4ebd-b2bc-46b8a687c965 perhaps, found by Googling 'MGA cooling fan' and looking at the pictures.
Paul Hunt

Thanks, Paul. Yes. that looks like the fan. and it looks like Moss and others still sell the MGA fan, just in case I can't find a used one.
F. J. Bruns

This thread was discussed between 19/02/2015 and 22/02/2015

MG MGB Technical index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MGB Technical BBS now