Pusher puller?

[The Stickman]

Ok here is some backround on what I want to do. I had a radiator out of an LT1 Caprice. It was one of those radiators that needed a seperate tank to full as there is no cap on the radiator itself. Well I would like to get rid of the seperate tank and plastic side tanks so I boght an all aluminum radiator. But this tank is narrower and the fans that were on the LT1 rad won't mount side by side on the new rad. So I was thinking could I mount a pusher in front on one side(passenger) and a puller on the engine side on the oppsite side(drivers) so it would end up being like a side by side fan set-up. Would there be any problems with this idea? It's that or ot a 16.5 single fan and that of a small fan I have on my Permacool aux trans cooler. Please don't tell me to go out and get this fan or that fan. If it were that simple I would. I am very tight on cash as the front seal on the trans went, so I have to use what I have.

[Damn True]

I saw the thread title and thought perhaps you were buying a Cessna Skymaster.

[The Stickman]

I saw the thread title and thought perhaps you were buying a Cessna Skymaster.

Nope but I always did love that bird.

[Draginutz]

I thought you were talking airplanes too. But I was thinking the A500 I used to work on.

[John S]

Nope but I always did love that bird.

LOL... too bad that ones an RC model

[Damn True]

I wonder, do you need a multi rating for one of those? (The real one not the RC model)

[Ron L]

A Pusher/puller title in an automotive cooling forum, gee what else could it be? An airplane, of course!

Stickman did you try your idea out yet? If the fan blades and/or motors are rated to work in reverse then I don't see a problem, assuming you have the means to mount them to the front in the first place. Some blades only work best in one direction, some manufacturers say theirs work both as pusher/puller, and some have removable/flippable blades so you can position them the same way when switching from one configuration to another. If the mounts fit with little trouble then do it, the temp gauge will tell you if it's working or not.

I've seen a few factory FWD cars set up with a staggered push/pull fan, except the pusher fan is on the A/C condenser. Without A/C they just run the single puller fan on half the radiator.

[The Stickman]

A Pusher/puller title in an automotive cooling forum, gee what else could it be? An airplane, of course!

Stickman did you try your idea out yet? If the fan blades and/or motors are rated to work in reverse then I don't see a problem, assuming you have the means to mount them to the front in the first place. Some blades only work best in one direction, some manufacturers say theirs work both as pusher/puller, and some have removable/flippable blades so you can position them the same way when switching from one configuration to another. If the mounts fit with little trouble then do it, the temp gauge will tell you if it's working or not.

I've seen a few factory FWD cars set up with a staggered push/pull fan, except the pusher fan is on the A/C condenser. Without A/C they just run the single puller fan on half the radiator.

No I am still tossing ideas around. I have the new radiator and I have some fans latyng around. One is a 16.5 which isn't that bad for the size of the radiator which is 31X19. So i figure that with the top and bottom flanges on the rad the core is about 17.5-18. just not sure if that fan will pull enough to cool it. I am planning on putting the aux cooler out in front so I would hope the 2 might be enough to keep it cool but I have my doubts and simply don't want to do this twice.

[rrunner68]

No I am still tossing ideas around. I have the new radiator and I have some fans latyng around. One is a 16.5 which isn't that bad for the size of the radiator which is 31X19. So i figure that with the top and bottom flanges on the rad the core is about 17.5-18. just not sure if that fan will pull enough to cool it. I am planning on putting the aux cooler out in front so I would hope the 2 might be enough to keep it cool but I have my doubts and simply don't want to do this twice.

Pullers are always more efficient than pushers.

[GetMore]

As said, pullers are more effective, and not all fans can be mounted as pushers.
That being said, if the one fan you have is too weak, and you don't have room for two on the same side, then a second fan, mounted as far offset as possible, should work.
The most important thing is the capacity of the fans: if they are too weak they just won't work.