| As I planned out how to mount and seal the new fan into the shroud, I decided to use all aluminum.
The weight savings is minimal, but I didn't want rust to be an issue in the future.
I started with a sheet of alumimum. I took the inside measurements of the stock shroud and scored them onto the sheet.
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| Using a jigsaw, I cut out the square that would fit into the shroud.
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| The sheet is test fitted in the shroud.
Although not shown here, I also layed the fan in the shroud as it would be mounted, and then scored around the fan onto the aluminum sheet.
This marking was then cut out with the jigsaw to make the hole for the fan.
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The flex-a-lite fan has mounts built in, but they are short and do not reach outside the fan shroud opening.
I needed brackets to attach the fan mount points to the shroud.
I took 3/16" aluminum bar and cut two lengths to go all the way across the shround.
In order to center across the four fan mounting points, the brackets had to slightly overlap the hole, so they were marked and trimmed.
In this picture, the four outside holes in the brackets will be for bolting to the shroud and the four inside holes will be for bolting to the fan.
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| The brackets were aligned on the sheet, and I drilled holes in the sheet to match.
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| From there, it was just a matter of bolting everything together.
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| This is the mounted fan as seen from the front of the car, when installed.
The aluminum sheet presses flat against the shroud.
There is no concern about high speeds and high airflow overcoming a seal, because the extra pressure will actually press the sheet down tighter.
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| This is the back view of the fan, as seen from inside the engine bay when installed.
It is ready to be installed in the car, which is just a simple matter of re-installing the stock shroud.
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Did I actually just use the word simple?
Has any Jaguar V-12 project ever been simple?!?
After re-installing the shroud, I saw that the fan just barely rubbed against the crank pully.
crap.
Flex-alite does make a lower profile version of this fan, but the price goes from high to extortion.
However, my main objection to going that route was starting over.
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I really liked my fan installation and didn't want to change it.
Irritated, I briefly considered removing the crank pulley.
After a glass of wine and some calmer consideration, I decided to remove a small section of the fan guard instead.
I wasn't worried about danger to my fingers.
However, I did have some concern it would reduce the overall strength or stability of the fan to partly lose one of its 9 support ribs.
It did not.
The fan showed no increased flex or vibration when running.
Problem solved.
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Here is a close-up of the section removed.
I re-installed the shroud with no difficulties and have run the fan for two summers with no problems.
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