Gentlemen,

Pls. forgive my stupidity, but I have been trying to bring this car back to as close to it's original glory as possible. I did not have the luxury of seeing it prior to disassembly. 69 SS396 convertible.

I have the studs that go into the long neck water pump. When I install the fan (772) with the clutch and pulley, the studs hit the water pump, if all the way in. I assume that the studs have a "non-threaded" portion that should be where the pulley and fan sit and that there are nuts that hold it. My assembly manual does not show this very well. Is there a spacer that I am missing, or is the spacer only for 4 blade fans? I don't want to screw up the threads on the water pump or the studs as I have Jerry McNeish restore the original pump ($$).

Second question, I have a NOS volt reg. with an install kit. There are three bolts and three threaded rubber boot like things. How does this install to the radiator support? I have the holes lined up but the rubber boots have confused me.

Thanks and sorry for the simple stupidity questions. I am sure I will run into more.

Thanks

Doug

Go to Help center at parts store, they have the fine/course studs and prolly nuts and washers in a package. 25% of stud is threaded and have a unthreaded section to bottom out against water pump hub flange. the longer end is prolly course thread as its for the fan clutch hub. No spacers are used between. This is with using the correct hub shaft neck clutch. There are several style fan clutches here depending on your application. Mine was the 7 blade and factory style Delco clutch.

As for the voltage reg, those threaded boots are well nuts . I dont recall those unless they are for the left side of radiator near the regulator. I think the voltage reg has some rubber insulator grommets that slip into the regulator, then the bolts go thru them. Its possible that the well nuts fit into a prepunched hole and the regulator sits on top, with the bolts going thru all of it.

Someone correct me here if I steer this man the wrong way.

Uh, well, I have not seen studs used on 69 water pump to fan, only fine thread bolts. Cut to fit. What does the AIM say? Spacers are only used with non clutch fans.

Also the regulator usage for 69s was discussed a while back. The outcome was 67-68 used the rubber nuts, 69 did not. 69s used the sheet metal screws directly to the rad support.

You mentioned in another post that your car doesnt have air conditioning.
If you want to bring it back to original, you would not use the 772 fan. It would have come with the 4 blade fan and spacer.

Similar to the one here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Original-1968-Camaro-SS-327-4-Blade-Fan-w-spacer_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ46098QQihZ019QQi temZ290135325504QQrdZ1

Uh, well, I have not seen studs used on 69 water pump to fan, only fine thread bolts. Cut to fit. What does the AIM say? Spacers are only used with non clutch fans.

Also the regulator usage for 69s was discussed a while back. The outcome was 67-68 used the rubber nuts, 69 did not. 69s used the sheet metal screws directly to the rad support.


He sounds like he is installing a fan clutch hub to water pump hub and it will require studs.

On the voltage reg , you are correct.

If done correctly you will have a 4blade fan, the spacer and 4 bolts that bolt everything to the water pump hub. The voltage regulator is mounted to the rad support with metal screws not with those rubber well nuts. I dont know why they put those things in the catalogs as mounting nuts for the regulator.
The one side of the radiator is mounted using the rubber well nuts.

Thanks for all the info and the responses. The voltage regulator mounting makes sense as the assembly manual refers to screws;

Regarding the fan/clutch, are you saying that I should have a four blade fan with a spacer? If so, I have a nice restored 772 fan date coded F of 69 and a NOS GM clutch, never used...........I will have to start searching for a four blade and spacer. Doubtful that this big block convertible ever had air conditioning. It did have power steering. Please confirm as I spent several years and alot of coin trying to bring this car back to life. I want to make it as good as possible. Not sure if I will ever do THIS type of restoration again, however, I keep learning.

Thanks again,

Doug

The 68's use the wellnuts and then a ground strap to ground out the regulator. In 69 they bolted the regulator to the rad support directly for the ground, but use some star washers to be sure you get good contact to the rad support thru the paint.

Thanks for all the info and the responses. The voltage regulator mounting makes sense as the assembly manual refers to screws;

Regarding the fan/clutch, are you saying that I should have a four blade fan with a spacer? If so, I have a nice restored 772 fan date coded F of 69 and a NOS GM clutch, never used...........I will have to start searching for a four blade and spacer. Doubtful that this big block convertible ever had air conditioning. It did have power steering. Please confirm as I spent several years and alot of coin trying to bring this car back to life. I want to make it as good as possible. Not sure if I will ever do THIS type of restoration again, however, I keep learning.

Thanks again,

Doug

I can't say that I have ever seen a 69 bbc in a first gen with a 4 blade fan. I would almost bet that even a 4 speed car had a fan clutch. I need to look this one up.

I have to check the AIM when I get home to clarify the clutch fan mounting. Any car could be ordered with the K02 clutch fan, but only 4712 did.

Here is some additional info:

http://www.camaros.org/coolingsystems.shtml

I can't say that I have ever seen a 69 bbc in a first gen with a 4 blade fan. I would almost bet that even a 4 speed car had a fan clutch. I need to look this one up.


They did, but most probably got changed out. It is on the CRG page and also in all the old GM parts manuals.

He sounds like he is installing a fan clutch hub to water pump hub and it will require studs.

On the voltage reg , you are correct.

Don, I checked the AIM for the K02 option (page 263 in mine) and it lists and pictures bolts (part number 181596 for 350 and 396 engines), not studs. Studs are another repro myth like the regulator well nuts.

Doug, order up some fine thread grade 8 bolts the proper length and you should be good to go.

Jonesy is correct, being in very south Texas dealerships, no one ever ordered anything with out AC or HD cooling with exception to grain trucks with 366 motors. Thats why I never witnessed any pass car with a 4 blade fan. I see the RPO for the items in my cataloug.
On page 223 I do see the LD v8 with a 4 blade fan and AC . This is why sales mgr always came running to me , part counter to pick up a fan clutch and blade assy at the last minute to install on the car or after the new owner got his car. I was running a little hot. We had a stack of 4 blade fans.

Wow, guess this was not as dumb of a question as I thought. Thanks very much for the responses. As always, this is great and interesting information. Just to clarify, this is a big block convertible that came from upstate NY. Don't know where it was sold originally. Having lived near Buffalo for over 20 years of my childhood, I can say that few people had any kind of air conditioning back then. Further, I doubt this convertible car had air. That being said, should I use the fan and clutch that I have (772) or find a four blade fan and spacer. I guess the four blade would be correct, however, I could use the 7 blade (keep the engine cooler) and they could always be swapped without too much effort. With all the effort I have put into the car, I hope to put it in a few shows and would not want "knowledgable" folks making too many comments.............Thoughts?

Thanks

Doug

Any way you want it would be fine... I would rather have a kool running engine than a factory correct fan. There always leaves the option of special order here unless you know that car came with 4 blades.

Its your car, just dont put on one of those ford fan stickers.

I guess I cant argue which one will do a better job cooling, as I am not an expert in that field. GM must have results that show the 4 blade did it's job or it would not have been on cars in the first place. I guess it's your call on which one you use. I was just pointing out was was correct. My 350/300hp non a/c has a 4 blade on it and works fine here in Minnesota. You could put the 772 and drive it just fine.

Jonesy, (and the others)

I very much appreciate your response. I always like to start with what is "correct" for the application, and then decide on things such as practicality, function, cost, etc.

Again, many thanks

Doug