1969 radiator fan

[srode]

did the use aluminum on the 7 blade fans to keep the weight down so they didn't come apart at higher RPMS like the 302 was capable of I wonder?

[KurtS]

Unless the HD cooling option was ordered - there were a good number of SS350 cars that had a clutch fan.
Check your radiator code before assuming...

HD cooling had no affect on the fan. "The V01 HD radiator option did not affect the fan usage."
http://www.camaros.org/coolingsystems.shtml#fan
Out of 400,000 non-AC V8 cars that could have the optional clutch fan ordered, only 1% of them had the option. Even if most of these clutch fans were installed on non-L78 SS cars (not very likely), under 5% of those SS cars would have them. So yes, your SS350 or SS396 (325hp or 350hp), if without AC, likely came with the standard four-blade fixed fan.

Steve,
The aluminum is to keep the rotating mass down.

[srode]

Thanks Kurt, I figured to keep the rotating mass down - but why would that be important?  Is it to let the speed of the fan come up to the engine speed quicker and so put less strain on the clutch?  Is it to help the motor rev quicker?  Keep centrifical forces down so the fan stays together at high RPMs?  I realize this was a design choice by engineers and answers may be speculation, those are the only 3 reason's I could come up with but thought someone might know for sure which is why I was asking.

[Pacecarjeff]

Except that a clutch fan on an SS-350 would much more likely to be original equipment on a HD cooling car.
If I saw a clutch fan on a standard cooling car - I would be more suspect to the originality.

My 69 SS-350 has HD cooling with an original 7 blade clutch fan. I believe it to be completely original to the car.

Kurt, remember you pointed that out to me when i first got my car - I did not originally believe a clutch fan was possible?
After close examination of the dates on Radiator, fan clutch, and fan blades - I was convinced.

[KurtS]

Good point - the options were not tied together, but if someone was thinking to order one option, there's a higher probability that they might order the other one too.

I've seen that often on customer ordered cars.

[crobjones2]

I also have a 7 blade fan with HD cooling(3 core)- Factory AC

Although I am a little confused about the radiator - ?F and IH tanks on a L48 auto w/AC? ?= there is a repair shop tag soldered/brazed over the letter

[tmodel66]

Wouldn't it be the OF tank?  Have you looked at the tank application chart?

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

[crobjones2]

That would be my assumption as well, but the application chart has the OF tank excluded from L48/auto/C60 applications

[KurtS]

Chris,
That exception is for 67-68.
> (exc 67-68 L30/L48 w/ V01 or AC)
 
> I also have a 7 blade fan with HD cooling(3 core)- Factory AC
I'd say you have AC - which included the 7 blade fan and a larger radiator. 

[srode]

Well I found out why it's important to keep the rotating mass down - belt slip.  With an all steel blade with more blades the fan will slip on a fast reving engine.