56-57 cooling fan?

[Troy P.]

I have a 7 1/4" four blade fan that has curved tips. The 55 fan is that size but has flat tips. I'm wondering if what I have is a 56-57 fan.

Can anyone shed light on what this fan might fit?

[Gary C.]

Re: 56-57 cooling fan?

Passenger car. '57 Corvette curved tip fans are 17 inches

Gary
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[Troy P.]

Re: 56-57 cooling fan?

Gary are you sure the 57 Corvette fan is exactly 17" and not a nominal 17"? It seems unlikely that GM would have bothered to make an identical fan but only 1/4" different in diameter for their passenger cars. Other than the 1/4" size difference is there anything else that make it appear as a passenger car unit?

The 55 Corvette fan is exactly 17 1/4" with straight tips. But the parts book lists it as 17". Makes me suspect the 56-57 fan is listed as 17" and is really 17 1/4".

You would think if a 17 1/4" fan worked in 55 that it would also fit in 56 and 57.

Of course that is all logic.

[Todd H.]

Re: 56-57 cooling fan?

The fan from my '57, which I have good reason the believe is original, has curved tips and measures 17 inches.

[Troy P.]

Re: 56-57 cooling fan?

Thanks for your info. Interesting that Chevy would have fans made only 1/4" different in blade length.

[Kent S.]

Re: 56-57 cooling fan?

Thanks for your info. Interesting that Chevy would have fans made only 1/4" different in blade length.

Different suppliers maybe?

[Troy P.]

Re: 56-57 cooling fan?

An 1/8" different on each blade would not create interference with the fan shroud. Shrouds are basically the same for 55, 56, and 57, with some differences, and 17 1/4" clears the 55 fan shroud.

[Gary C.]

Re: 56-57 cooling fan?

Troy,

Kent beat me to the photo. Finally found a spare '57 curved time fan and it measures end-to-end 17 inches spot on.

Part number 3735314 blueprint length tolerance is minimal.

Gary
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[Troy P.]

Re: 56-57 cooling fan?

55 part per the December 55 Corvette P&A is:

Blade Assembly, Fan
'55-V-8 (17 dia. 4 blades) 3712555*

* indicates the part is used on other vehicles

(Note that it says 17" whereas it measures 17 1/4" and that is the dimension specified in the 53-55 TIMJG. That extra 1/4" cost some supplier money.)

The 55 passenger car 6 cyl and V-8 fan is 3704803. So it is unclear what other vehicles the 55 Corvette fan was used on.