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Small block / Big Block fan shroud


riverdogs00

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Group, one of my project cars is a 70' SBC/350/10 bolt that is being converted to a mid 70's 454 LS-7 / M23 / 9" / AC delete. I read the various forums, but didn't recall seeing the difference between the SBC/BBC fan shrouds. I always presumed the tunnel was different as well as the shroud, but read otherwise. I ordered a BBC shroud from the parts place, and when I compared it to the SBC shroud I had, I could see the height difference. The SBC shroud is much taller. I removed the staples from the tunnel, found the appropriate drill bit size for the wire I had (5/64"), and mocked it up. I used the existing holes on the tunnel and it went together in about an hour.  I should have taken pics of the new shroud before the tunnel install, but didn't think about it. The engine pic is my other car - SS454 and factory shroud for comparison.  I should note the SBC shroud was from an AC car, and I understand there are 3 different shrouds for our cars.  Hope this is of help to the group

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Yes, small block with hd/ a/c cooling, big block and the standard non-a/c cooling. 

The first 2 can be identified by the 4 bolt upper radiator plate and the 3rd has a 3 bolt upper radiator plate. 

All tunnels are the same. The shrouds, that bolt to the upper plate is where the differences are. Just like you noted in your project. 

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Good info. I have a non-AC small block 1970 Monte with the small shroud that is fairly uncommon. The whole rad support is different for this application also.

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I remember turning my ac lid over for fun years ago. Good times!

I did have the police turn their lights on behind me, just after I had done a burn out with the lid upside-down but they drove away when I pulled over.

Lucky day for me and last time I turned the lid over. 

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When I was 16 years old and bought my 71 Monte Carlo, the first thing I did was flip the air cleaner lid. That’s the way it stayed until I put a chrome open element filter on it. I learned this from my dad. The family car was a 72 Buick station wagon with a 455. The AC lid was always flipped on it as well. That one really sounded mean when you opened the secondaries.

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I changed out my stock air cleaner when I put the 4 barrel on, it was a 14x2 then went to 14x3 now I have the flow through top also and you can really hear the q-jet when the secondaries are kicked in. Although I was trying to avoid it the last couple years because of gas prices. As we all know kicking in secondary is like flushing a toilet 🤣 but it does sound so good.

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There is a TV show, Engine Masters, where they run tons of different performance products on different engines on a dyno to verify H.P changes.

I think it would be cool to see the actual HP gain running all these different air cleaners. Yes, the lid upside-down would be cool also!

 

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1 hour ago, stangeba said:

There is a TV show, Engine Masters, where they run tons of different performance products on different engines on a dyno to verify H.P changes.

I think it would be cool to see the actual HP gain running all these different air cleaners. Yes, the lid upside-down would be cool also!

 

They did do one on air cleaners, but good luck trying to find it.

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2 hours ago, stangeba said:

There is a TV show, Engine Masters, where they run tons of different performance products on different engines on a dyno to verify H.P changes.

I think it would be cool to see the actual HP gain running all these different air cleaners. Yes, the lid upside-down would be cool also!

 

I found it on YouTube but not sure how to put it on here but you can look it up. They tried 5 different air filters and each one made it better the best is the flow through top but I guess we could probably assume that.

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2 hours ago, stangeba said:

Results:

 

10th to 1st af.JPG

19th to 11th ac.JPG

I follow Engine masters, roadkill and roadkill garage on the motortrend app.  I'm in the middle if scheduling my LS-7 for a visit to Westech to help dial in my tunnel ram, and see what this motor ACTUALLY will make.   

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If you have a big block and install the small block shroud, you may have to cut the shroud for alternator clearance, the fan will be too deep inside to cool properly and may also need to be clearances for the lower crank pulley.

This is what I have been told. I've always done the conversions correctly and have not run into those issues. 

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5 minutes ago, MC1of80 said:

If you have a big block and install the small block shroud, you may have to cut the shroud for alternator clearance, the fan will be too deep inside to cool properly and may also need to be clearances for the lower crank pulley.

This is what I have been told. I've always done the conversions correctly and have not run into those issues. 

Hmmm.... I will send ya a pic this weekend.

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