Fan Shroud Cardboard Spacer or Not ???

[Pascal Giai]

Hi everyone !
I am replacing the generator on my SC engine. Should I put a fan shroud cardboard spacer ???
Right now there is none, like on early engines...
I don't want to have any interference between the fan and the shroud.
Thank you !

Pascal Giai

[DonCichocki]

Pascal,
When I bought my '65 "C" it was missing the cardboard gasket. The fan was not centered in the cooling shroud, adding the gasket centered the fan in the shroud. It also helped align the top and bottom fanbelt pulleys.

[C J Murray]

I think they started using them with the B, 1960 or thereabouts. Put one in.

[Olivier Auvray]

Salut Pascal,

This is not a gasket but a spacer.....
You must use it only if you need it: the fan must be centered in the fan shroud and the spacer can help.

Paul Christensen wrote one article about generator, fan & fan shroud last year in the club magazine: you must read it! It will help you to do this job!

A bientôt

[Max Handley]

Please let me know if I am wrong, but I don't remember the thicker cardboard spacers on any of my original 356 engines, that is the A thru the C models?

[C J Murray]

Are the 28 vane fans ever so slightly more thick than the 16 vane fan thus the need for the gasket/spacer?

[Pascal Giai]

Well,
I did replace the generator and used the cardboard "spacer".
It looks nice.
I noticed that my fan belt was tired and replaced it with a similar belt I had in my spare parts, it's a Continental 10mmx825mm.
As I was looking thru Sierra Madre Collection web site to order another spare, I realized they had also available a "genuine" fan Belt 9.5mmx825mm
it comes in a Porsche labeled packaging. It looks more proper for an all original engine.
Did any of you use that kind ? Any advice ?

Thank you all for your tips !

Pascal

[Ron LaDow]

Are the 28 vane fans ever so slightly more thick than the 16 vane fan thus the need for the gasket/spacer?

Cliff, I've never found a difference. Only guessing that it might have been a noise-control effort; isolating any generator/fan vibes from the flat surfaces of the housing. Pure guesswork.

[Al Zim]

Two things continually amaze me the first is why the factory made some of the changes they made. The second is how people can work on these cars without a parts book or a shop manual. Enough said for my befuddled state.
The "A" parts book does not show the "cardboard spacer" while the B-T5 book shows one in section 1/5 (#16) If the parts book shows that part why would you NOT put it on your car? We also know that the Super 90 engines had the venturi inlet while the Normal and Super ( and industrial) still used the inlet that was screen covered. If you have a later copy of the BT-5 parts book you will see that the shroud with the screen is not longer available. A conclusion would be that with the advent of the venturi fan shroud the placement of the fan needed to be towards the center or rear (tail lights) of the shroud.
The number of blades on the blower fan is directly related to the number of blades that VW used on their fans my guess is that the change occurred as the 1500 CC bus motor was developed or when the fresh air heaters were installed on the VW. The B-T5 does not show a special fan for the S-90.
I hope this clarifies the spacer fan situation on the early T-5 cars. It is important to realize that your car is a financially growing investment. Keeping it original will increase your return on investment, which I am sure you will need when you get to be 104 years old like I am. Copy Write 2015 all rights reserved. al zim