Fan Shroud Repair

[Jake1798]

When my 350 was rebuilt in my '76 the fan shroud was damaged and it is now missing a portion at the top of the shroud. I can't seem to find the piece that has broken off so I can't just simply put it back on. Any ideas for a way to repair the shroud? Doesn't exactly have to be pretty at this point as my main concern is just keeping the engine cool. The pic is dark but this is what it looks like right now:

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

-Jake

 

[minifridge1138]

Well it is really hard to see how much of shroud is missing. If it is not too much, then maybe a fan shroud logo can help.

www.corvettecentral.com
Part Number: 243002

It is a curved piece of plastic that says "corvette" and is supposed to stick onto the top of the shroud. Depending how now big of a piece is missing, it may cover the hole. I'm sure you could find a replacement shroud. A lot of people upgrade to racing radiators and electric fans, and when they do they usually remove the shroud.

Good luck

 

[Jake1798]

I know it's hard to see, sorry for the bad pic. There is a good foot missing. The topper may work but I don't really know if that would seal the airflow that well. The engine is running a little hot and I think this may be a big part of the problem.

-Jake

 

[minifridge1138]

Don't worry about the pic. I've taken plenty of bad ones myself. Well I can only think of 3 ways to solve the shroud problem.

1) find the missing piece and epoxy it back on.
2) fabricate a piece to "plug the hole."
3) buy a new shroud.

You can't find the missing piece, so #1 is out.

If I think of a #4, i'll let you know.

 

[Curtis]

get a piece of thin aluminum sheet and cut to fit and look good. then silicone and pop rivet it on. make sure the rivets aren't hit by the fan. if you have a big gap somewhere you could use a household Air conditioner foam seal to fill it. either paint or polish the aluminum,

 

[red70vette]

If you have no concerns about how it looks why not run it the way it is and see what the effect on cooling is. It may not be that great. If it is chose one of the solutions above, either Bubba it or buy a new one.

 

[Mr. Chuck]

Good Idea, more detail offered

get a piece of thin aluminum sheet and cut to fit and look good. then silicone and pop rivet it on. make sure the rivets aren't hit by the fan. if you have a big gap somewhere you could use a household Air conditioner foam seal to fill it. either paint or polish the aluminum,

This is a good fix, to establish the same air flow pattern of the original by attaching the thin metal piece to the inside face of the shroud, take care not to kink or bend the metal so it takes the same radius as the shroud. Attaching and sealing as suggested should minimize the amount of air leakage. You can always spray paint the exposed metal surfaces black so it blends in better with the remaining shroud body.