Cool/Heat: Cooling fan rattle

[rogerg.123]

I’ve got a 1952 Studebaker Commander Land Cruiser and the cooling fan rattles. I do have a spacer, I did install the fan with the concave facing the motor, the bolts are tight, I’ve taken it off and put it back on several times I’m still getting a rattle. The shaft coming out of the water pump appears to be solid and not moving. I am flabbergasted that I can’t figure this one out. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as it has been in the past you guys are the best thank you Roger

[yeroldad]

Does the fan have rivets? Could they be loose? It would only take one to make noise. A crack in one or more of the fan blades?

[StudeRich]

Could the direction of the sound be fooling you ?
It could be the Generator or Water Pump, or even the Fuel Pump.
Use a Broom Handle or piece of PCV Pipe to listen around the front of the engine.

[BRUCESTUDE]

I’m with Rich, if the fan blades are tight, then I’d suspect the water pump, as the fan is directly bolted to that unit.

[rogerg.123]

Thank you all for these great suggestions I am running them down one by one very carefully. So far no cracked rivets no loose fan blades on the hub of the fan, no rattle from the fuel pump for sure, no rattle from the generator for sure, that leaves the water pump as a possibility Internally, speaking, or my method of mounting the fan to the water pump hub, which I have investigated in the manuals and elsewhere, it appears to be correct. Maybe an internal rattle inside the water pump. I’m not seeing any weeping water out of the water pump when I grab the water pump hub I can move it at the most a millimeter and it doesn’t move easy it seems smooth and solid.

[altair]

It could be the heat riser, they are notorious for rattling.

[M-Webb]

This is why they started putting radios in cars. Or your exhaust is not loud enough. Probably 1 of those 2 problems.

[bezhawk]

Eliminate the fan and water pump by removing the fan belt just to eliminate the fan/ water pump/ and generator. If it is the fan, they are plentiful, and I wouldn't risk a bad fan exploding and causing damage or personal injury.

[Dwight FitzSimons]

".....bad fan exploding and causing damage or personal injury"

This happened to me back in the sixties on my '57 Silver Hawk. A fan blade broke off and put a dent/hole in the hood. Right after I had the car painted, too. But, good thing no one was injured. Those fans should be inspected, maybe even magna-fluxed.

--Dwight

[rogerg.123]

STILL PUZZLED ON THIS RATTLE, I’m posting a 16 second clip here https://youtube.com/shorts/YJ7WPZMRcUs?feature=shared

please help if you can, THANK YOU, Roger

[r1lark]

STILL PUZZLED ON THIS RATTLE, I’m posting a 16 second clip here https://youtube.com/shorts/YJ7WPZMRcUs?feature=shared

please help if you can, THANK YOU, Roger

Roger, have you tried removing the fan belt as bezhawk suggested in post #8? What were the results?

[rogerg.123]

Yes I did and it’s quiet with no belt

[StudeRich]

Weird, it just sounds like a solid lifter V8 engine running, until the Camera zooms in, then it sounds like water moving fast !
I guess you'd have to be there to hear the "Rattle".

[rogerg.123]

Rich, give it some thought please… do you think it could be internal bushings bearings on the water pump?

[rogerg.123]

Weird, it just sounds like a solid lifter V8 engine running, until the Camera zooms in, then it sounds like water moving fast !
I guess you'd have to be there to hear the "Rattle".

For sure not the lifter or the engine because I removed the belt and started the car it was whisper quiet

[r1lark]

As noisy as it sounds in the video, it seems like you would have been able to hear/feel bad bearings in the water pump or generator by spinning them by hand with the belt off.

[JoeHall]

In the video I can hear it clearly, and it sounds like the water pump. Plus, you said the noise stopped when you took the belt off, so my money is on the water pump. Also, when a water pump bearing is going out, if you firmly grab the end of a fan blade you can move it up and down, and feel slight play. Yours sounds pretty bad, so you can likely feel it, as I describe. But even if you cannot, my money is still on the water pump.

[rogerg.123]

Thank you, yes I can move fan about 1/8” up and down. Now looking for parts