Correct Fan and orientation?

[Mark's 68 L78 RS SS]

Hi:  Can you guys look at this and tell me is this the correct fan for a 68 L78 RS SS?  Also is the orientation correct or is it backwards?  The part no is 393100.

Thanks

[Steve68]

Mark

5 blade would be correct.  3871276 on the part number as I recall.

Steve

[Mark's 68 L78 RS SS]

I have done some more research and this apparently is the heavy duty option.  I do know the car runs very cool and a cool engine is a happy engine as far as I'm concerned.    Just not sure about the orientation but I believe it is correct.

[Steve68]

Mark

The pictures I sent you are from my car.  Unrestored 68 L78 SS/RS.  I ordered it myself and have had it since picking it up from the dealership.  For what it's worth, the fan in my pictures is the original. 

Steve

[Mark's 68 L78 RS SS]

Steve:

How awesome is that that you still have your original car?  Ground Up Restorations shows the 7 blade heavy duty fan as having been an option and I will have to keep doing some research on that.  The guy I bought the car from had it since 72 and he had another 68 RS SS L78 that got wrecked back then so he may have swapped some parts between the two.  His memory of all what got changed has faded over the last 34 years so there may be some parts off both cars, but both cars were L78 LOS cars.

Any input on the orientation of the fan.  Is it on my car correctly or is it reversed?

Thanks

Mark

[JohnZ]

It's correctly oriented - the blades are always toward the radiator, and the "spider" is always toward the engine.

[lakeholme]

Mark,
When you say "heavy duty" do you mean 4 core rows?  And does your car have factory A/C?

[Steve68]

Mark

It was my first car and was paid for by my grandfather as a graduation gift so it has both first car and sentimental value to me.  Probably why I've taken such good care of it and held on to it even during those gas crises days; and no for you young people I'm not talking about last month.   

Steve

[RickH]

Mark,
And does your car have factory A/C?

Not if it's an L78.

Rick H.

[Mark's 68 L78 RS SS]

JohnZ:  Thanks for setting me straight on that.  It is what I thought because we turned it around from when we got the car as the previous owner had it backwards.

Steve:  It is great hearing stories about an original car, and great that you honor your Grandfather by keeping the car up.  I would  love to see more pics if you have them.  My email is listed in my profile if you get the chance to send some pics.  Where are you from?

Rick:  You are correct that AC was not offered on the L78.

Phillip:  how's everything in Winston Salem?  Yes I do have the heavy duty radiator and I believe this is what was specified on the L78. My fan is also the heavy duty 7 blade fan.  I do not know the option code on the 7 blade fan or what the various options needed to be on the car to have the 7 blade fan spec'd out.

Thanks everyone for your help on this one.

Mark

[Steve68]

Mark, have you read through this CRG report yet?  http://www.camaros.org/coolingsystems.shtm
If not, you might find it interesting and informative as it contains fan info.

Steve

[lakeholme]

Things are fine in W-S.  I drove my 68 200 miles last weekend.
OK, my A/C question was off the wall for a L78, but my confusion was around the number of blades I was coming up with from your picture.  So your fan is 7 blade.  I did not know that was a 68 option.  Kurt's article (mentioned above) refers to 7 blade for 69.  Am I missing something here?

[RickH]

As far as I know the correct radiator for the 68 L78 is the 23" 3 row. Since A/C was not an option on an L78 I don't see a 4 row radiator being offered. The correct fan would be the 5 blade fan as mentioned with a clutch. The 7 blade was introduce in 1969.

Is there a tag on the radiator?

Rick H.

[KurtS]

There was no HD cooling or fan option on a L78.
It should be a 5 blade fan and a 3 core rad. 

[Mark's 68 L78 RS SS]

Oh man I have so much to learn.  Steve, thanks for pointing me to the article.  I haven't made the time to search everything yet and wiill keep trying to learn more.  I will especially try to double check stuff on the car before I chime in here.  I checked the radiator just now and it is 23".  Not sure why the 7 blade fan is on there except the previous owner must have done this for cooling.  Here is the link to Ground Up showing what they call the heavy duty GM option.  It is a 7 blade fan kit. http://www.ss396.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=camaro6769&Product_Code=FANKIT-5B&Category_Code=COOLINGHEATINGSYSTEM

I mistakenly translated this as an option that was available back then.  Thanks for setting me straight guys.  be patient, I'm learning.

Mark